Turner: The Secret Sketchbooks

movie

movie poster for Turner: The Secret Sketchbooks

Released November 19, 2025

Overview

This groundbreaking documentary unlocks the hidden psychology of J.M.W. Turner through his 37,000 private sketches, drawings, and watercolours – an extraordinary archive that reveals the man behind the masterpieces. For the first time on television, these pages – Including erotic sketches previously thought to have been destroyed – are used as a window into Turner’s inner world, exposing his private thoughts, creative obsessions and emotional life. Rarely writing about himself, Turner left behind few clues to his personality. But in his sketchbooks, his restless imagination and vulnerabilities come vividly to life. They guide viewers through Turner’s life and art, revealing how his 37,000 sketches not only chart his creative evolution but also provide an unprecedented psychological portrait of a man both visionary and vulnerable.

Runtime

0h 59m


Origin Country

United Kingdom


Original Language

English


Original Title

Turner: The Secret Sketchbooks


Status

Released


Production Countries

  • United Kingdom

Spoken Languages

  • English

Production Companies

  • logo for Passion Pictures

    Passion Pictures

    United Kingdom

  • logo for BBC Arts

    BBC Arts

    United Kingdom

  • no logo available

    BBC Arena

    United Kingdom

Crew

Posters

  • enlarged Poster 0