Turner as Draughtsman

Turner as Draughtsman looks at the artist's practice of drawing in various media (pen, pencil and chalk as well as watercolour and oil paint), an aspect of Turner's work which has hitherto received very little attention. Andrew Wilton shows that, while Turner's art has always been celebrated for its atmospheric breadth and freedom of handling, he based his working procedures throughout his career on the discipline of drawing in outline, which was an essential element in the grand strategy by which he achieved his formidable results. An important section of the book is devoted to the vexed question of Turner's drawing of the human figure, and the crucial role played by the figure both in his conception of landscape and in his ambitious attempts to master all the genres of fashionable contemporary art.'This is a highly original study, resting on an intimate knowledge of the visual materials, which Wilton often characterizes with great vividness and verve ... his style is free of academic jargon ... The theme of this book is thoroughly worthwhile and its material is rich and up-to-date.' John Gage, University of Cambridge, UK