Turner's sketchbooks were private things that he kept to himself. Of the nearly 300 sketchbooks in Turner's house at the time of his death and now in the care of the Tate Gallery, the little book reproduced here is one of the most delightful and fascinating. It marks an important stage in the development of Turner's practice as a draughtsman and was in use when he was only 21 years old. Originally marked with "Copies of Wilson" on the cover, this charming little book is a testimony to the phase of studenthood in Turner's development, under Richard Wilson, who was known as the supreme exponent of landscape painting in the 18th century in Britain. For Turner, whose lifelong ambition was to show the world that landscape paintings could be a vehicle for the noblest and most ideas, Wilson was, as this book shows, his hero and chief model.
This edition of the sketchbook reproduces all these beautiful drawings and watercolors in facsimile, with an illustrated introduction by Turner expert Andrew Wilton discussing their background and impact.