The Lake of Thun London, 1808 Etching with mezzotint 18.3 x 29.2 cm Etched by JMW Turner and engraved by Charles Turner (no relation), this print was the third plate of the artist’s Liber Studorium, a series of landscape prints intended to advertise his range. The production of which caused a disagreement between Turner and … Read more
Isleworth London, 1819 Etching with mezzotint 21 x 28.9 cm In 1804 Turner began renting Sion Ferry House at Isleworth in Twickenham and spent the summer of 1805 making oil sketches from a boat on the Thames. This print is based on those sketches and was published in the penultimate thirteenth part of Liber Studiorum. … Read more
The Chain of the Alps from Grenoble to Chambéri British, 1812 Etching, with mezzotint by W. Say 186 x 288 mm This plate appeared in the tenth part of the Liber Studiorum series, and is based on sketches made during Turner’s 1802 European tour. He travelled specifically to see the Alps and this print belongs … Read more
Isis London, 1819 Etching, with mezzotint by W. Say 20.9 x 30 cm This image is highly reminiscent of Claude Lorrain and belongs to the elusive ‘E.P’ category. It was published in the forteenth and final installment of the Liber Studiorum series. The ruins in the foreground create a strong sense of an idealised ancient … Read more
Vast, desolate and dramatic landscapes are shown alongside vistas of inhabited, peaceful countryside in this display of works on paper by British artists from 1780 to 1880. It showcases three stunning watercolours by Birmingham-born artist David Cox, recently donated to the gallery, as well as superb watercolours, drawings and prints by Gainsborough, Turner and Constable, among others. Th e display explores the … Read more
Early Acquisitions of Prints for the Barber Collection The Barber Institute’s collection of works on paper is famed for its exemplary quality, due in no small part to the acquisitions of its first Director, Professor Thomas Bodkin. This display focuses on the prints purchased for the collection in 1939, the year the Barber Institute opened, … Read more
Masterpieces from the Barber Institute of Fine Arts Room 1, The National Gallery, London Between the foundation of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts in 1932 and before the official opening of the building and its galleries on 26 July, 1939, works acquired by its first Director, Professor Thomas Bodkin, were stored or displayed at … Read more
Ludlow Castle, from the North West, with the River Teme London, about 1800 Pencil, watercolour, scratching out on paper 357 X 572 MM Turner visited Ludlow in the summer of 1798 when he made a number of studies of the ruined castle and its surrounds. The pencil drawing of this scene was partly finished in … Read more