I don’t allow myself much free reading, as such. There is usually an agenda. Most of my reading falls in the general category of “work”: philosophy, history, etc. I guess trashing “Gatsby” was an indulgence, but it is after all a work of literature, and I need to stay sharp in that area, too.
Anthony Bailey’s biography of painter J. M. W. Turner is just something for fun. I’ve been wanting to do a Turner biography for some time. And now that I’m heading to London later this year to look at his and Constable’s paintings, it seemed worthwhile to get a Turner bio under my belt.Bailey’s biography is a feat of scholarly investigation. I doubt we will be receive a more detailed biography on Turner ever. He seems to have read every receipt, letter, and ledger featuring Turner’s name. It is an unbelievable achievement.
One detail I learned that I simply relish is that the young Turner, whose brilliance emerged quite early, drew chickens and barnyard animals on walls in his youth. So, Turner was for a time a graffiti artist. I love this.
