J.M.W.Turner The 'Liber Studiorum'

	Rome From the Vatican
	The Arch of Titus, Rome
	The Bay of Baiae
	Boats off Calais the Painting
	The Birdcage
	The Loretto Necklace
	Ulysses deriding Polyphemus the Painting
	View of Orvieto
	Caligula's Palace and Bridge
	Stranded Vessel off Yarmouth
	The Prince of Orange Landing at Torbay the Painting
	Childe Harold's Pilgrimage
	Venice, the Grand Canal
	The Golden Bough
	St Michael's Mount, Cornwall
	Wreck off Hastings
	Venice, The Dogana the Painting

• The Women and Tambourine 18.3 x 26.7 cm
  
  The Women and Tambourine 18.3 x 26.7 cm, British Museum
• The making of: 'Liber Studiorum' Turner
  
  Turner English artist and printmaker, master of landscape painting in the Romantic style. The making of: 'Liber Studiorum'
• Basle mezzotint 18.5 x 26 cm
  
  Basle mezzotint 18.5 x 26 cm, British Museum
• The Making of the Frontispiece of Liber Studiorum
  
  The Making of the Frontispiece of Liber Studiorum
• Jason mezzotint 18.5 x 25.9 cm
  
  Jason mezzotint 18.5 x 25.9 cm
• River Wye, mezzotint by W.Annis,
  
  River Wye, mezzotint by W.Annis, part X, 1812, British Museum
• East Gate, Winchelsea, 1819,
  
  East Gate, Winchelsea, 1819, part X1V, British Museum
• J.M.W.Turner - Engraving: Arch of Titus
  
  Paintings by J.M.W.Turner 1775-1851. Engraving, Arch of Titus.
• J.M.W.Turner - Engraving: The Bay of Baiae
  
  Paintings by J.M.W.Turner 1775-1851. Engraving, The Bay of Baiae.
• J.M.W.Turner - Engraving: Boats off Calais
  
  Paintings by J.M.W.Turner 1775-1851. Engraving, Boats off Calais.
• J.M.W.Turner - Engraving: Caligula's Palace and Bridge
  
  Paintings by J.M.W.Turner 1775-1851. Engraving, Caligula's Palace and Bridge.
• J.M.W.Turner - Engraving: Childe Harold's Pilgrimage
  
  Paintings by J.M.W.Turner 1775-1851. Engraving, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage.
• J.M.W.Turner - Engraving: The Prince of Orange Landing at Torbay
  
  Paintings by J.M.W.Turner 1775-1851. Engraving, The Prince of Orange Landing at Torbay.
• J.M.W.Turner - Engraving: Rome From the Vatican
  
  Paintings by J.M.W.Turner 1775-1851. Engraving Rome From the Vatican.
• J.M.W.Turner - Engraving: St Michael's Mount, Cornwall
  
  Paintings by J.M.W.Turner 1775-1851. Engraving, St Michael's Mount, Cornwall.
• J.M.W.Turner - Engraving: Stranded Vessel off Yarmouth
  
  Paintings by J.M.W.Turner 1775-1851. Engraving, Stranded Vessel off Yarmouth.
• J.M.W.Turner - Engraving: The Birdcage
  
  Paintings by J.M.W.Turner 1775-1851. Engraving, The Birdcage.
• J.M.W.Turner - Engraving: The Golden Bough
  
  Paintings by J.M.W.Turner 1775-1851. Engraving, The Golden Bough.
• J.M.W.Turner - Engraving: The Loretto Necklace
  
  Paintings by J.M.W.Turner 1775-1851. Engraving, The Loretto Necklace.
• J.M.W.Turner - Engraving: Ulysses deriding Polyphemus
  
  Paintings by J.M.W.Turner 1775-1851. Engraving, Ulysses deriding Polyphemus Homer's Odyssey.
• J.M.W.Turner - Engraving: Venice, The Dogana
  
  Paintings by J.M.W.Turner 1775-1851. Engraving, Venice, The Dogana.
• J.M.W.Turner - Engraving: Venice, the Grand Canal
  
  Paintings by J.M.W.Turner 1775-1851. Engraving, Venice, the Grand Canal.
• J.M.W.Turner - Engraving: View of Orvieto
  
  Paintings by J.M.W.Turner 1775-1851. Engraving, View of Orvieto.
• J.M.W.Turner - Engraving: Wreck off Hastings
  
  Paintings by J.M.W.Turner 1775-1851. Engraving, Wreck off Hastings.

The Bridge and Cows, mezzotint engraving by Charles Turner, Part 1, 1807,  18.3 x 26.4 cm, British Museum

   The Shipwreck, mezzotint engraving by Charles Turner, 1807 

During the long months throughout which The Shipwreck plate was in the making Turner was a frequent visitor at the Wells's cottage at Knockholt in Kent.  It was at Knockholt in October 1806 that the idea of the Liber Studiorum was suggested to Turner by his host, who had recently completed the joint publication with John Laporte of A Collection of Prints Illustrative of English ,Scenery, from the Drawings and Sketches of Gainsborough. This ambitious series of soft-ground etchings was published between 1802 and 1805. The course of events at Knockholt in 1806 is best recounted in a frequently quoted letter written to a friend in 1853 by Wells's daughter Clara: 

The world are as much indebted to my father as to 'Turner for the exquisite Liber Studiorum, for without him I am sure it never would have existed - he was constantly urging Turner to undertake a work on the plan of the Liber Veritatis. I remember over and over again hearing him say `For your own credit's sake Turner you ought to give a work to the public which will do you, justice if after your death any work injurious to your fame should be executed, it then could be compared with the one you yourself gave to the public.' Turner placed implicit trust in my Father's judgment, but he required much and long continued spurring before he could be urged to undertake Liber Studiorum. At last, after he had been well goaded, one morning, half in a pet he said, `Zounds, Gaffer, there will be no peace with you till I begin, (he was staying with us at Knockholt) - well, give me a sheet of paper there, rule the size for me, tell me what subject I should take' - my father arranged the subjects, Pastoral, Architectural, &c., &c., as they now stand, and before he left us the first five subjects which form the first number were completed and arranged for publication greatly to my father's delight. This was in the October of 1806. I sat by Turner laughing and playing whilst he made the drawings -- for his visits to Knockholt were one scene of fun and merriment. 

There has been much argument about the importance or otherwise of Claude's Liber Veritatis to Turner in the inception of his own Liber. Thomas Earlom's impressive and successful series of mezzotint engravings after the Claude drawings were made in the years 1774 to 1776 and published by Boydell in I 777 in two magnificent volumes dedicated to the Duke of Devonshire, who then owned the original drawings. The collection of 195 prints became the artist guide to landscape and was an important development and influence to art.

The other four plate from part 1

 The first part of Liber Studiorum, published 11 June 1807, succeeds in contributing to the study of subject-matter, line, composition, atmosphere and tone for studious artist to follow. The five prints in each volume are stitched together in gray-blue paper covers and printed No? of Liber Studiorum, Illustrative of Landscape composition, viz., Historical, Mountainous, Pastoral, Marine and Architectural.    Prints 15 shillings,   Proofs £1  5s.     Anyone with a copy to give me? I would be very grateful.

Inspiration for this page 'Turner Prints' by Luke Herrmann   ISBN 0 7148 2553 0  ( Brilliant book ) Buy one of Luke's Books at Turner Book Shop

The Making of the Frontispiece of Liber Studiorum, Part X. River Wye, mezzotint by W.Annis, East Gate, Winchelsea, 1819, part X1V,

In part V Turner used two other engravers William Say and Robert Dunkarton. By part V1 Turner makes his first appearance as artist/etcher/engraver, titled Junction of Severn and Wye, 1811, British Museum, and is considered to be the most beautiful of all Liber plates. As more parts are produced, more engravers are employed, amongst them: T. Hodgetts, F.C. Lewis, W. Annis, G. Clint, S.W. Reynolds, H. Dawe, and more. Then after a three year gap, part X111 and X1V were published on 1st Jan 1819, and although Turner was not particularly busy, in his terms, the Liber Studiorum was abandon. Back to Top