Description
Dense trunks enclose the small figures of Aesacus and Hesperie near water at the lower center. A brighter opening appears toward the right, giving the dark woodland a space beyond its close frame. Turner places the mythological subject within a substantial natural setting, allowing the surrounding trees and light to remain active parts of the encounter.
Published on January 1, 1819, the etching and mezzotint is the third of six states in Liber Studiorum, with Turner developing the tone himself. The subject comes from Ovid: Aesacus watches the water nymph Hesperia as she dries herself beside the river. The print gives this intimate encounter a landscape whose layered trees and changing light remain important beyond the figures. Classical narrative and natural space share one image, allowing the woodland to carry much of the scene’s atmosphere.
Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the J. M. W. Turner collection.
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