LITERARY EVIDENCE ~O~ The discovery of JMW Turner's oil on canvas exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1793 ~O~ LITERARY EVIDENCE

1793 July to August: Evidence that the Rev. Robert Nixon of Foots Cray
took posession of 'The 1793 Hotwells Oil'.

This report shows that an oil [1] was one of a pair ("both of them early works by Turner, painted for the Rev. J. Nixon" [5]).*[1]

The title here is 'The Hotwells, Bristol - Storm coming on'. This is not exactly the same as either of Turner's two titles found in the 1793 exhibition catalogue but it is close to: 'The rising squall, hot wells, from St. Vincent's rock, Bristol'. Its description as an 'early work' supports its identification as 'The 1793 Hotwells Oil'. (Details about price and its destination are examined later.)

Showing the Rev. Nixon's initial as 'J' is almost certainly a typesetting mistake. The report goes on to say 'from the collection of Dr. Nixon'; Rev. Robert Nixon died in 1837 and his second son, Rev. Dr. Francis Russell Nixon, Bishop of Tasmania, is the likely reference here. (Again, this is examined later)

Documents showing correct names and confiming that Rev. Dr. Francis Russell Nixon, Bishop of Tasmania was the second son of Rev. Robert Nixon are reproduced at *[2].

• An oil picture very close in description to 'The 1793 Hotwells Oil' was said to be painted for the Rev. Nixon

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Footnote *[1]

Footnote *[2]