J.M.W.Turner The 'Liber Studiorum'
The Bridge and Cows, mezzotint engraving
by Charles Turner, Part 1, 1807, 18.3 x 26.4 cm,
British Museum
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
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