Artwork
Watercress Gatherers
Watercress Gatherers is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Joseph Mallord William Turner. It dates from 1819 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Joseph Mallord William Turner's Watercress Gatherers is a print created in 1819 using etching and mezzotint techniques.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a riverbank scene with three figures: two women seated on a stone ledge and a child standing nearby. The title suggests the women are gathering watercress, while a horse-drawn cart crosses a bridge in the background and boats float on the river.
Technique & Style
The combination of etching and mezzotint techniques achieves a textured, sketchy appearance through shading, creating depth in 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.
