Water Cress Gatherers ( (Liber Studiorum, part XIII) 1819

This print, by J.M.W. Turner, captures a tranquil scene of labour and leisure. It is made using etching, where lines are incised into a metal plate, which is then inked and pressed onto paper. Turner was deeply engaged with the processes of printmaking. Here, we can see how the etched line renders both the calm surface of the water, and the toil of the water cress gatherers immersed within it. This intimate engagement with material resonates with the subject matter itself. The choice of etching for this composition is significant. The marks almost feel like they have been drawn directly by the artist. This evokes the immediacy of the scene, and the labour of the figures represented, while acknowledging the cultural and economic backdrop of early 19th-century England. This challenges conventional distinctions between fine art and the everyday realities of working lives.