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

Art Historical Context

This dramatic print, *The Fifth Plague of Egypt*, belongs to J.M.W. Turner’s ambitious *Liber Studiorum* series, published in parts between 1807 and 1819. Designed by Turner and engraved in collaboration with Charles Turner, the work forms plate 16 of part III. Created as both an artistic statement and a teaching tool, the *Liber* explored various categories of landscape, from historical and mountainous to pastoral and architectural scenes. Rendered in etching and mezzotint, the third state of three, the image captures a biblical moment—the fifth plague—with striking atmospheric force. Pyramids rise against a turbulent sky alive with lightning, while human figures and architectural ruins convey the scene’s scale and drama. The mezzotint technique, prized for its velvety dark tones and luminous highlights, allowed Turner to translate the emotional power of his paintings into reproducible prints. Today housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints, this sheet exemplifies early nineteenth-century Romantic interest in the sublime forces of nature and history. Its gift by Edwin De T. Bechtel in 1951 ensures that visitors can still experience Turner’s innovative approach to light, weather, and storytelling through the medium of print.

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...