BACKGROUND ~O~
The discovery of JMW Turner's oil on canvas exhibited at the Royal Academy
in 1793 ~O~ BACKGROUND
Oils on Panel or Unknown Substrate
between returning from 'six weeks tour' and the painting of 'The
Rising Squall'
Therefore the last quarter of 1792
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Turner had probably moved into Hand Court by this time.
At this time three known things (in oil) had engaged Turner: The Landscape around Rochester Castle; the idea of stormy seascape, and Self Portraiture.
So he may have sought out previous Landscape with Building Themes and he may also have looked towards stormy seascapes. He may have already been planning the 'St. Vincent's Rock' work even possibly commissioned by Rev. Robert Nixon (to partner the stormy Rochester picture?). The idea of the two 'St. Vincents' one in Naples (that Turner had earlier 1790/91? copied) and one in Bristol might have appealed to Turner's sense of poetical association. If he had just moved to Hand Court he may already have kept the Naples watercolour on show.
Italian (Naples St Vincent's Tower) inspired:
Described in B&J 537 &b 538 almost certainly the same
picture.
B&J describes it as 'from among his old canvasses' but there is
nothing to suggest it was not a panel
Seascape inspired:
Here we must extract what is probably a muddle of pictures and
misquotes
The Burdett-Coutts picture a 12" x 16.5" at which size most
likely a panel. 'Off Scarborough', Note that B&J got the date wrong!
The sale was 1922 not 1942.
The long description comes from the 1856 catalogue but is misquoted
... 'and shipping' does not appear in the catalogue - neither does
'Scarborough' - These are two different pictures. - In Redford p120
'Sea-piece, fishing-boats, gale coming on'
B&J suggest that 1801 Duke of St Albans is this picture B&J
again misquote there is no 'off a pier head' in the catalogue
@GRAVES; 1884,Feb. 15,Christie's; W. Cox. 602. Wreck off Scarborough. With Ibbetson ,Richardson,34,13,0,
redford page 120 left 1853 a sea shore fishing boat lugger mouth of
harbour ELLIS Gambert
@GRAVES; 1853,June 20,Christie's; B. G. Windus. 5. Approach to Venice
,Gambart (?),850,10,0, together in redford
redford p121 1868 'A Storm at Sea' W. HOLMES Gilbert
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