J.M.W. Turner

One of the most popular painters of all time, J. M. W. Turner (1775-1851) created a remarkable collection of sketchbooks over the course of his career. The ''Skies'' sketchbook takes its name from its many richly coloured sky studies. Most of the sketches in the book were presumably observed in England, but a few may have been seen in Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. The dramatic consequences of the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815, darkening skies and reddening sunsets around the world, surely caught his attention. Turner''s more intenselycoloured studies may document these effects which lasted for over a year. This edition of the sketchbook reproduces all these beautiful drawings in near-facsimile. In an illustrated introduction, David Blayney Brown discusses their background and impact and offers an insight into the workings of one of Britain''s most revered artists.