The Hobart Town Advertiser 11th February 1845 page 2

Primary Source:

https://trove.nla.gov.au

Text:

Transcript:

33—Landscape—I. M. H. Turner, R.A.— An early painting by one ol the most extraordinary artists of the present Age. It is that mighty talent which in our day, at least, has bested all competition, and left Turner, in his peculiar walk, without a rival. Boldly, but most accurately drawn, powerfully handled, the colour simple, yet harmonious, and the effect at once true to nature, and poetical in treatment. It is a picture, that, so a lover of art, will convey its meaning at a glance. It is a sad pity that it is so much injured, and defaced by cracks, especially in the left hand corner of the picture. The sky, however, is as bright and fresh as when first painted.

Commentary:

This painting was lent to the 1845 Hobart Town exhibition by Rev. Dr. Francis Russell Nixon, Lord Bishop of Tasmania. The Bishop lent it as 'Landscape by J. M. W. Turner RA.' The Bishop inherited it from his father, Rev. Robert Nixon of Foots Cray, Kent. The Bishop was Robert's second son. The older Brother was George Russell Nixon who undoubtedly inherited other artworks from Robert but these have not been identified.

This picture was identified by Joseph Hogarth, picture dealer, between 1862 and 1864 as 'The rising squall, hot wells, from St. Vincent's Rock, Bristol' ('The Rising Squall'), exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1793.

Associated Words and Phrases:

• Legislative Council Chamber
• Paxton House, West Drayton
• Orchard Villas, West Drayton
• William Boxall
• Anna Maria Nixon
• Runnymede, Newtown, Tasmania
• Wyatt Russell Nixon (Wyat Russel) 1805-1808; brother of George and Francis.