William Turner is considered a master of light and a master in the depiction of water. Here the artist in "Lucerne vom See" shows us the city silhouette from a distance. The lake is recognizable neither in its color nor by waves. Nevertheless, one recognizes at first glance that the city is located on Lake Lucerne and that water plays the role of a mirror. Mighty buildings on the promenade and towers can be found as a blue-blurred reflection on the water surface again. This gives the lake depth and perspective. The painter seems to be on a boat in the middle of the lake; he indulges the same spectacle to the viewer of the picture. Through the bluish reflection, which seems to extend to the viewer, the distance between the middle of the lake and shore is bridged. In contrast to the stone witnesses of the Swiss city, Turner moves the surrounding mountain landscape into almost supernatural light: Even battlement and wall on the right hill seem to merge with the equally transparent sky. As a contrast to this wall, which looks like a crown, on the left side of the picture city and mountains are drawn almost identically in blue. They correspond with the reflection on the water and allow the contemplative gaze to move about the picture.

In spite of the calmness that conveys this work of art to the beholder, man is not left out. We see fishermen in the middle of the lake at their work and women in the left front part of the picture washing clothes. Various red and blue clothes literally stand out from the delicate watercolor: they emphasize the importance of human work in interaction with water.

Far before the Impressionists, the English painter understood how to captivate his audience with dissolving contours, blurred forms and masterfully captured light. As a result, Turner reaches a limbo that inspires the imagination. The pull of the painting unfolds from the interplay of tenderness and tangible activity, of implied form and detailed representation.

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Lucerne from the Lake by Joseph Mallord William Turner. Available as an art print on canvas, photo paper, watercolor board, uncoated paper or Japanese paper.
water · moving · mountain · people · sailing · boat · rock · cloud