 Etty had planned for a burial in York Minster , but neglected to cover the necessary costs in his will . With Yorkshire local government in political and financial chaos in the wake of the bankruptcy of George Hudson , there was no political will to organise a public subscription or to waive the fees , and as a consequence Etty was buried in the churchyard of St Olave 's Church , his local parish church . On 6 May 1850 the contents of his studio were auctioned , in a total of 1034 lots including around 900 paintings ; some of these paintings were incomplete studies later completed by other artists to increase their value . In the years following his death Etty 's work became highly collectable , his works fetching huge sums on resale . He continued to be regarded as a pornographer by some , with Charles Robert Leslie observing in 1850 " It cannot be doubted that the voluptuous treatment of his subjects , in very many instances , recommended them more powerfully than their admirable art ; while we may fully believe that he himself , thinking and meaning no evil , was not aware of the manner in which his works were regarded by grosser minds " . 
