Charles Turner - A Shipwreck | Area Rug

Charles Turner (1773-1857) was one of Britain's most accomplished mezzotint engravers, and this large 1805-07 print reproduces “The Shipwreck,” a dramatic marine painting by his contemporary J. M. W. Turner (no relation, despite the shared surname). The mezzotint captures a small boat of survivors struggling against towering waves after a ship has gone down at sea, translating Turner's turbulent brushwork into the rich, velvety blacks and silvery highlights unique to the mezzotint process. It was among the first individual prints made after one of J. M. W. Turner's paintings, helping build the reputation he would hold for the rest of his career as Britain's foremost painter of the sublime and stormy sea.

Printed edge to edge on a soft, durable woven area rug with a comfortable, non-slip feel.