Artwork
Rivaux Abbey
Rivaux Abbey is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Joseph Mallord William Turner. It dates from 1812 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Rivaux Abbey is a print created by Joseph Mallord William Turner in 1812, combining etching and mezzotint techniques.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts the ruins of a church, with crumbling arches and walls, set amidst a serene landscape. A lone figure in the foreground adds a sense of scale to the imposing stone remains.
Technique & Style
Turner employed shading to convey the worn, mysterious quality of the ruins. The partly cloudy sky above enhances the tranquil, aged atmosphere of the scene.
Artist & collection
Artist
Joseph Mallord William Turner was born in 1775 at Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, where his father kept a barber and wig-making shop.
