The Turner Gallery - Three Volumes with 120 Steel Engravings

The Turner Gallery - Three Volumes with 120 Steel Engravings
This three volume work is entitled The Turner Gallery. A Series of One Hundred and Twenty Engravings from the Work of J.M.W. Turner. The text was written by William Cosmo Monkhouse, a British poet and critic. It was published in 1878 in London by J. S. Virtue and Company Limited. The work includes 120 steel engravings after the original art of Turner including views of Venice, ships at sea, mythological figures, and castles in England.

Joseph Mallord William Turner RA (1775-1851) was an English painter known for his romantic landscape paintings and ability to "paint light." From the age of 19, until his death in 1851, Turner was involved in the production of over 800 prints based on his paintings, watercolours, and drawings. He was intimately concerned with the production and reworking of plates after his works, often providing copious instructions and suggestions to the engravers. It was through the dissemination of these prints that Turner gained his reputation as one of the greatest and best-loved English painters. Even after his death his romantic paintings served as a continued source of inspiration for printmakers across Britain and the Continent.

His grand paintings were reproduced in almost every medium available, from large steel plates, to mezzotints and chromolithographs. His works appeared as book illustrations and vignettes, as well as large separately published fine art prints. Turner's impact on the history of British painting is intimately connected with the print trade. Reproductive examples of his work were eagerly viewed and collected by the public, establishing his reputation as the greatest landscape painter of his generation. Turner not only viewed printmaking as an invaluable source of advertising, but valued the medium as a true art form. Prints remained a major focus throughout Turner's long career and helped shape his work as much as they advocated his talent.

Provenance: Ex Libris Henrici Cary Shuttleworth

The work is in very good condition overall. The text block is broken and prints occasionally loosened. The plates are very clean overall. There may be a few minor imperfections to be expected with age. Please review the image carefully for condition and contact us with any questions.
~ 10 1/8" by 14"