Apuleia in Search of Apuleius (unpublished plate, Liber Studiorum) 1813 - 1823

Editor: This is “Apuleia in Search of Apuleius,” an etching by J.M.W. Turner, dating from between 1813 and 1823. It's an unpublished plate from his *Liber Studiorum* series. The sepia tones give it a dreamlike quality, almost as if you are peering into the past, and I notice some people leading a donkey by the river. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Oh, Turner! Always inviting us on a journey, isn’t he? For me, the sepia enhances that sense of longing. You mentioned the figures – perhaps Turner's reminding us that every landscape has its own story, a hidden narrative waiting to be discovered. Note how the classical architecture contrasts with the rustic scene in the foreground – almost a play between the idealized past and lived present. Do you feel the human presence gives scale to that grand bridge and its surrounding landscape? Editor: Yes, I think so. Without the people, it would just be a pretty picture. They ground it somehow. Is that typical of his work? Curator: It is. Turner’s not just about capturing scenery. It is more that his vision captures the essence of place and time. Think of it almost as a stage set, the figures placed intentionally to amplify the feeling of distance, the grand scale of nature, but always hinting at our human relationship to it. This wasn't published in his *Liber Studiorum* -- perhaps because Turner felt it hadn’t quite achieved the perfect harmony he was striving for! Isn't that just deliciously human of him? Editor: I never considered the people in the image as something other than just ‘there,’ but your insight adds a layer of meaning I wouldn’t have seen on my own. Thank you! Curator: And thank you for allowing me to join you. It seems there’s always a new lens to view familiar scenery. It's what keeps the story of art ever blooming.