The first book to survey the full range of J.M.W. Turner's extraordinary sketchbooks, beginning with his teenage explorations and culminating in the masterful colour studies of his later years. J.M.W. Turner's sketchbooks provide us with a rare opportunity to witness the work processes of an artist of unparalleled importance. They give us a privileged look over Turner's shoulder, allowing us to witness the creation and development of ideas that can be traced through to his most famous paintings. In the absence of detailed written accounts of his extensive travels, the notebooks are also a record of his impressions of the many places he visited across Britain and Europe, and of his life.