Turner's Secret Sketches

In December 1858 the prominent art critic John Ruskin supervised the destruction at the National Gallery of a parcel of erotic sketches made by J.M.W. Turner. Or did he? Speculation continues about what exactly the parcel contained, and whether it was indeed destroyed, especially given the existence of many works of an erotic nature in the Turner Bequest, now at Tate. If Ruskin\'s purge did take place, why were these not also burned? This beautifully illustrated volume is the first to explore the hidden life of Britain\'s most celebrated painter and his controversial legacy, and will fascinate scholars and Turner devotees alike.