Drawing of the Clyde (Liber Studiorum, part IV, plate 18)
Turner distilled his ideas about landscape In "Liber Studiorum" (Latin for Book of Studies), a series of seventy prints plus a frontispiece published between 1807 and 1819. To establish the compositions, he made brown watercolor drawings, then etched outlines onto copper plates. Professional engravers usually developed the tone under Turner's direction, and Charles Turner here added mezzotint to describe an evocative rendering of Cora Linn, the highest of the falls of the River Clyde in Lanarkshire, Scotland. By placing nymphs on the river bank, the artist emphasized nature's generative power and elevated the image beyond simple topography. Slanted rays transform the mist into a backdrop that suits the mytical bathers. The letters "EP" in the upper margin likely stand for Elevated Pastoral and were applied by Turner to landscapes within the set that echo the Arcadian sensibility of Claude.
Artwork Details
- Title: Drawing of the Clyde (Liber Studiorum, part IV, plate 18)
- Artist: Design and etched by Joseph Mallord William Turner (British, London 1775–1851 London)
- Engraver: Charles Turner (British, Woodstock, Oxfordshire 1774–1857 London)
- Date: March 29, 1809
- Medium: Etching and mezzotint; first state of three
- Dimensions: plate: 7 3/16 x 10 1/2 in. (18.3 x 26.7 cm)
sheet: 8 1/4 x 11 9/16 in. (21 x 29.4 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: H.O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H.O. Havemeyer, 1929
- Object Number: 29.107.115
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.