Turner: The Secret Sketchbooks

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2025

Arts and culture
Documentary

Summary

A look at the hidden psychology of renowned painter JMW Turner through his 37,000 private sketches, drawings and watercolours - an archive that reveals the man behind the masterpieces. The documentary uses these pages as a window into Turner's inner world, exposing his private thoughts, creative obsessions and emotional life

Review

David Butcher

This is the TV equivalent of one of those big, blockbuster exhibitions, except here, there are no crowds of art-lovers blocking the view. Instead, the masterpieces are clear as day, with experts and celebrity fans alike here to help us appreciate them.

The premise is that JMW Turner left 37,000 sketches in scores of notebooks — some of them incredibly saucy, depicting brothels and lovers. That’s the news angle, if you like, but the film is broader, a life story taking in the sweep of Turner’s career, how it evolved through highs and lows as he went in and out of taste, and how the pain in his life became drama in his work.

You may find yourself using the pause button to get the full benefit because at times the works rattle past in lightning-quick edits, to convey their sheer profusion. Overall, it’s a beautiful celebration, painting Turner as a visionary but also as a driven, troubled, horny bloke.

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BBC iPlayer

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rolenameDirectorRosie SchellenbergProducerRosy RickettExecutive producerKari LiaExecutive producerHamish Fergusson

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