ate of confusion that only
some person with knowledge of the artist's habits of work and subjects
could, so to speak, _edit_ them; and the editor would need no ordinary
skill, patience and judgment, into the bargain.

Meanwhile, for that winter (1856-7) a preliminary exhibition was held of
Turner's oil-paintings, with a few water-colours, at Marlborough House,
then the headquarters of the Department of Science and Art, soon
afterwards removed to South Kensington. Ruskin wrote a catalogue, with
analysis of Turner's periods of development and characteristics; which
made the collection intelligible and interesting to curious sight-seers.
They showed their appreciation by taking up five editions in rapid
succession.

Just before lecturing at Manchester, he wrote again on the subject to
_The Times_; and in September his friend R.N. Wornum, Director of the
National Gallery in succession to Eastlake and Uwins, wrote--as we
saw--that he might arrange the sketches as he pleased. He returned from
Scotland, and set to work on October 7th.

It was strange employment for a man of his powers; almost as removed
from the Epicurean Olympus of "cultured ease" popularly assigned to him,
as night-school teaching and lecturing to workmen. But, beside that it
was the carrying out of Turner's wishes, he always had a certain love
for experimenting in manual toil; and this was work in which his extreme
neatness and deftness of hand was needed, no less than his knowledge and
judgment. During the winter for full six months, he and his two
assistants worked, all day and every day, among the masses of precious
rubbish that had been removed from Queen Anne Street to the National
Gallery.

Mr. J.J. Ruskin wrote, on February 19 and 21, 1852:

"I have just been through Turner's house with Griffith. His labour
is more astonishing than his genius. There are L80,000 of oil
pictures done and undone--Boxes half as big as your Study Table,
filled with Drawings and Sketches. There are Copies of Liber
Studiorum to fill all your Drawers and more, and House Walls of
proof plates in Reams--they may go at 1/-each....

"Nothing since Pompeii so impressed me as the interior of Turner's
house; the accumulated dust of 40 years partially cleared off;
Daylight for the first time admitted by opening a window on the
finest productions of art buried for 40 years. The Drawing Room
has, it is reckoned, L25,000 w