The Fifth Plague of Egypt (Liber Studiorum, part III, plate 16)

Art Historical Context

This striking print, *The Fifth Plague of Egypt*, belongs to J.M.W. Turner’s ambitious *Liber Studiorum* series, a self-published project launched in 1807 to demonstrate the full range of landscape art. Turner designed the composition, while engraver Charles Turner translated it into etching and mezzotint. Issued on June 10, 1808, as part III, plate 16, the work exemplifies the “Historical” category within the series, blending biblical drama with the artist’s signature atmospheric effects. The scene depicts the fifth plague from the Book of Exodus, in which livestock perish amid a stormy landscape. Turner uses the rich tonal possibilities of mezzotint to create brooding skies and dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, transforming a biblical subject into a powerful meditation on nature’s sublime power. As the first of three states, this impression reveals the artist’s careful attention to tonal depth and detail during the printing process. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints, the work highlights Turner’s innovative approach to printmaking in the early nineteenth century. Through this series, he sought to elevate landscape from mere topography to a vehicle for profound emotional and historical expression, influencing generations of artists and printmakers.

About the Artist

Joseph Mallord William Turner|Charles 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...