ROCK-COMPLEX EVIDENCE ~O~ The discovery of JMW Turner's oil on canvas exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1793 ~O~ ROCK-COMPLEX EVIDENCE
The rock-complex evidence has shown that 'The St. Vincent's Rock Oil' is a picture of St. Vincent's Rock, Bristol.
The unique and distinctive 'rock-complex' motif that identifies 'The St. Vincent's Rock Oil' appears on JMW Turner's 'Back View of Hot Wells', D00389.
Turner's Watercolour 'Back View of Hot Wells',
D00389, is derived from his sketch, D00074, dated 1791 made whilst he was
visiting the Narraways in Bristol.
The view is looking towards the Hot Wells buildings.
1. The watercolour includes a 'rock-complex' consisting of an 'overhanging rock' and a 'dome rock' in close proximity. The dome rock has a little hump on top.
2. This rock-complex does not appear in any precursor sketch or any other picture known to have existed before 1793. This rock-complex appears to have been invented by Turner at the time he painted the watercolour in 1792.
3. The rock-complex does appear in 'The St. Vincent's Rock Oil'; viewing from the opposite direction (from the riverbank, behind the rock-complex, looking out across the river).
4. The watercolour was in Turner's posession throughout his life. It was included in the Turner Bequest. Access was restricted to Turner himself the only way that 'The St. Vincent's Rock Oil' could depict exactly the same rock-complex is if Turner painted 'The St. Vincent's Rock Oil'.
From the above it is concluded that 'The St. Vincent's Rock Oil' is a picture of St. Vincent's Rock copied from D00389 and painted by JMW Turner.
Visual inspection of 'The St. Vincent's Rock Oil' shows it to be a stormy coastal scene.
[_NEXT_]
06_00
06_00