Basle (Liber Studiorum, part I, plate 5) 1807

Editor: This is "Basle," a print made by J.M.W. Turner in 1807 as part of his *Liber Studiorum* series. It's an etching and drawing, rendered in warm, sepia tones. The most striking thing is the radiating light bursting through the clouds over the city; it almost feels divine. What do you see in this piece, Professor? Curator: That light, of course, is critical. Note how it both illuminates and obscures. Turner presents Basle as both an earthly city and something almost ethereal. It speaks to a common 19th-century yearning for the sublime, the spiritual made manifest in the landscape. Look, too, at the positioning of the cathedral spires-- dominating the skyline. What do they represent to you? Editor: I suppose… faith, permanence? The enduring presence of the church within a changing world? Curator: Precisely. But consider also the bridge, the figures in boats… These are symbols of transit, of human connection and commerce. Turner creates a visual tension between the eternal and the ephemeral, doesn't he? Between the solid structures of faith and the fluid movements of everyday life. And note, finally, how the eye is led into the picture by those radiating lines, almost as if being drawn toward a higher plane. Editor: So it’s not just a pretty picture of a city. Turner uses the image of Basle as a vehicle for deeper meaning, for contrasting ideas about religion and everyday life. Curator: Exactly. What else is there beyond the immediate? What lingers from history? Those buildings standing in time certainly give us pause. We see our connection through shared, powerful symbols. Editor: It is pretty powerful now that you point it out. I came for the nice image but left with something more! Curator: Isn't that the goal? Now, I think we should really dig deeper on what Basle meant to Turner...