Harlech Castle, Wales, from the South
1794-1797
Before J.M.W. Turner became the master of wild, colorful light, he was a young traveler sketching rugged ruins in Wales. Created around 1794, this moody scene captures Harlech Castle perched dramatically on a hill, surrounded by misty mountains and vast, empty skies. Notice the tiny figures walking in the foreground? They're there to show you just how massive and imposing the fortress really is. It's a perfect example of early Romanticism, capturing that feeling of awe and slight loneliness you get when looking at ancient ruins in the wild.