Sketchbook- Greece 1844

This is a page from a sketchbook by the English artist Joseph Mallord William Turner, featuring a drawing in graphite of Sparta and Mistra in Greece. Turner made many such sketches during his travels in Europe. The classical past held great appeal for European artists and intellectuals in the 19th century. Greece, in particular, was seen as the birthplace of democracy and philosophy, principles upon which many believed contemporary European societies should be based. But at the time Turner made this sketch, Greece was under Ottoman rule, and many Europeans supported the Greek struggle for independence, including through the production and circulation of images like this one. We can only guess at the meaning of an image like this one by placing it within the context of its time. Art historians use a wide variety of resources to research this context, including letters, diaries, newspapers, and political pamphlets. Only through such research can we begin to understand the complex relationship between art and society.