Apuleia in Search of Apuleius (unpublished plate, Liber Studiorum) 1813 - 1823

Curator: It has this wonderfully dreamy quality, doesn’t it? Editor: Indeed. Here we have J.M.W. Turner’s etching and engraving, "Apuleia in Search of Apuleius", from his Liber Studiorum, dating from 1813 to 1823. Curator: "Search" feels apt. The line work is so delicate it almost dissolves…the eye really does wander to find purchase. What I find interesting, though, is its unfinished state...it invites the viewer to almost complete it in their own mind. Editor: The material aspect is fascinating here. As a print, the labour involved, the reproducible nature challenges our assumptions. The copper plates themselves, the acid biting into them to create the lines, were all part of a very tangible process. Were these made for popular consumption? Were these easily affordable for a rising middle class? Curator: Possibly! To me, that slightly faded umber wash evokes nostalgia – perhaps intentional, perhaps simply age playing its hand. Do you think the "romanticism" lies in the wistful, somewhat classical scene itself or the very materiality, the etching marks and visible human effort? Editor: Both! This is history painting, yes, but rendered with such a clear connection to the handmade. We are forced to consider Turner as not just an artist but also an entrepreneur using printmaking to build a popular audience for his landscapes. I see the figures almost secondary, integrated wholly into the land. Curator: That balance between industry and aesthetics… the very tension between art and craft becomes central here. I am particularly drawn to the shapes of those trees, mirroring the arches of the aqueduct or bridge behind, I get an emotional response; everything feels entwined and slightly haunting, a visual poem, I guess? Editor: Yes! Even this plate being "unpublished," a kind of behind-the-scenes view, emphasizes labour and decisions...the whole project highlights changing methods for the production and circulation of art. Ultimately, Turner gives us this feeling to look through it... Curator: Well put. It leaves one feeling almost voyeuristic. Seeing this little insight in a private art search. Thank you!