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Joseph Mallord William Turner; after; 1856; England
Overview
This volume of works on paper consists of twelve mezzotints created by Thomas Goff Lupton (1791 – 1873) after drawings by Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775 – 1851), an artist known for his Romantic landscapes and focus on maritime subjects. The mezzotints depict twelve English harbours and showcase Turner's imaginative representation of landscapes, turbulent seas, and local activities. Of significance to Te Papa's collection is Turner's influence on nineteenth-century European landscape painting and the early landscape traditions of New Zealand, which in turn shaped perceptions of national identity for a newly formed nation. Thomas Goff Lupton, the engraver and a member of the Royal Academy, was known for his advancements in mezzotint engraving, particularly his innovation of steel plates which increased efficiencies in print production in the Industrial age.
The volume, titled Turner's Harbours of England - Plates, is based on an 1856 publication called The Harbours of England by Turner and Ruskin, featuring mezzotints of Turner's original watercolours. The project was initially conceived as The Ports of England a volume of twenty-five Turner drawings for serial publication. The project was stalled and later resumed by Lupton after Turner’s death under a new title, with twelve of Turner's drawings of harbours accompanied by text from John Ruskin, a prominent art critic and Turner enthusiast.
Whitby is a seaside village in North Yorkshire, at the mouth of the River Esk, that was established in the Middle Ages. From the seventeenth to the nineteenth century, primary industries were whaling, fishing, and ship and boat building. The HMS Endeavour, captained by James Cook on a voyage to Tahiti, New Zealand and Australia 1768 – 1771, was built in Whitby in 1764.
In this view of Whitby, the view is from a frothy sea, approaching the harbour and the mouth of the river. Ruins of the medieval Whitby Abbey appear on the cliff to the right. Fisherman labour heroically in small boats in the foreground. The lurching of the large ship on the right demonstrates the force of the sea and underscores the power, bravery and dedication of the fisherman. Deeper in the composition we see an active harbour, filled with boats, under a bright, breezy sky. Turner depicts the sublime in the nexus of nature’s beauty, power, and danger.