‘Theodric’ recounts the story of Julia, a young maiden and her unrequited, fateful love for Theodric, the commanding officer of an Austrian troop in which her brother serves as a soldier. The opening lines of the poem describe a sunset in the Alps, ‘that gave the glaciers their richest glow/ And tinged the lakes like molten gold below’. Always profoundly inspired by alpine scenery, Turner has responded with a detailed and gloriously illuminated view of a broad valley and majestic mountain range. In the foreground two figures stand over Julia’s rose-covered grave.