Artwork
Ville de Thun
Ville de Thun is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Joseph Mallord William Turner. It dates from 1816 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1816, "Ville de Thun" is a print by the British landscape artist J. M. W. Turner. Executed as an etching combined with mezzotint, the work measures the tranquil scene of a lakeside settlement beneath a hill‑top tower. The composition balances architectural forms with natural elements, presenting a calm atmosphere that reflects Turner’s early interest in atmospheric effects.
Subject & Meaning
The image depicts the Swiss town of Thun, its shoreline lined with trees and a modest harbor where a small boat is moored.
The image depicts the Swiss town of Thun, its shoreline lined with trees and a modest harbor where a small boat is moored. Figures populate the banks: a man seated beside barrels, another rowing in the distance, suggesting everyday activity. The gentle sky and soft clouds reinforce a sense of quiet repose, inviting contemplation of the relationship between human presence and the surrounding landscape.
Technique & Style
Turner employed a hybrid printmaking process, beginning with an etched line drawing and then applying mezzotint to achieve rich, velvety tones. By roughening the metal plate and subsequently smoothing areas with a burnisher, he created subtle gradations of light and shadow, especially in the foliage and architecture. This method allowed for a nuanced rendering of depth and atmospheric perspective uncommon in early 19th‑century prints.
History & Provenance
The work originates from Turner’s prolific period of print production in the 1810s, when he explored the possibilities of combining etching with mezzotint. Though specific ownership records are limited, the print has appeared in several catalogues of Turner’s graphic oeuvre and is held in public collections that specialize in British printmaking, confirming its place within the artist’s early experimental output.
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.
