Isis
published 1819
Medium
etching
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Miss Ellen T. Bullard
Accession Number
1941.4.26
Art Historical Context
**Isis** *Joseph Mallord William Turner, 1819* Etching on laid paper National Gallery of Art, Washington Gift of Miss Ellen T Bullard Step into the luminous world of J.M.W. Turner, preeminent British Romantic artist famed for his dramatic seascapes and atmospheric landscapes. Created as part of Turner's ambitious *Liber Studiorum* (1807–1819), *Isis* captures the serene flow of the River Isis—the upper Thames near Oxford—in a masterful etching. This print reflects Turner's deep fascination with Britain's waterways, blending pastoral tranquility with his signature evocation of light an...
About the Artist
Joseph Mallord William Turner · 1775–1851
Joseph Mallord William Turner, born on 23 April 1775 in London's Covent Garden to barber William Turner and Mary Marshall, emerged as a child prodigy amid personal hardships. His mother suffered mental illness and died in Bethlem Hospital in 1804, while his father supported his early sketches by displaying them in his shop. Around age 10, Turner stayed with his uncle Joseph Mallord William Marshal...