Analysis of the List of Sales of JMW Turner's works
for 1864
as described in George Redford's 'Art Sales' (published 1888) Vol.
II, page 120; 'Modern Painters, British School - Oil Paintings'
Including the 'Huskisson' Sale, Christies, 27th April
1864, and
The 'Hogarth' Sale, Christies, 9th July 1864.
References to these sales are found in:
Redford Lists six works, oils, at sales of 1864. Two, seller Hogarth; one, seller Fripp and three, seller Huskisson. The (bought in) sale of 'Battle of the Nile' appears in the B&J entry and in the Redford.
C. F. Bell lists the 3 Huskisson works. This C. F. Bell list consists only of works that C. F. Bell considered exhibited works. Note that C. F. Bell's 'Redgrave correction' is mistaken - see 'Redgrave Sequence' below. Note that in the Redgrave Sequence references to 'Rising Squall' are references to 'St. Vincent's Rock Oil'.
B&J Cat. No. 10 (Battle of Nile) shows seller: L Huskisson, address: Frith Street, Soho, date of sale: 27th April 1864, auctioneer: Christies, lot: 91.
Christies e-mail shows that the date of the Hogarth and Fripp sales was Saturday 9th July 1864.
The Art Journal reports the Fripp sale in similar terms to Redford and Christies e-mail. More details are provided for the two 'Hogarth' sales; Hogarth appears to have been selling on behalf of Rev. Dr. Francis Russell Nixon (Bishop Of Tasmania), the two pictures having descended from his father the Rev. Robert Nixon of Foots Cray (although Art Journal endows him with the initial 'J', perhaps by association with the Rev. James Douglas who lived in nearby Rochester, perhaps just mistaken for John Nixon ). The Art Journal shows a combined sale of 202 guineas which coincides with 88 guineas and 114 guineas shown by Redford but names the buyer as 'Reynolds'.
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The 1864 sales are listed here in the same order as Redford:
1. Waggon, Snowdon, early morning
[Redford]..............'Waggon, Snowdon, early morning', Date of
sale: 1864, oil, seller: Hogarth; buyer: blank; 88 guineas.
[Christies e-mail]... 'The Country Waggon, Snowdon, early morning',
Lot 151, Date of sale: 9th July 1864; seller: Hogarth; buyer: bought in 88
guineas.
[The Art Journal]... 'The Country Waggon, Snowden, early morning',
Date of sale: 9th July 1864; oil, early work, seller: Dr Nixon; buyer:
Reynolds (202 guineas for this and 'The Hotwells - Bristol - Storm coming
on')
This picture is recorded and described by Armstrong (1902).
This is what I wrote earlier, before locating the picture in
Armstrong, I have left it here in case it should become relevant: (I
have examined every plate in B&J for a mountain that could be Snowdon
together with a waggon. I found just one possible match, 'View In Wales' B&J
29 plate 26; 23" x 29"; 1799-1800; Tate: N00466 canvas:
581x727x20mm, frame:822x972x140mm. The picture is an oil on canvas of a
(Welsh) mountain scene with trees, a lake, some fisherment and prominent
right of centre what appears to be a waggon loaded with brush and grass.
This picture was first exhibited in 1912 and therefore does not appear in
C.F. Bell's list of 1901.
However, the provenance in B&J, whilst allowing for a little
doubt, suggests that it was included in the Turner Bequest in 1856 in
which case it cannot have been in Nixon's or Hogarth's posession in 1864.)
The Art Journal shows that this picture sold to 'Reynolds' see 'Hot Wells, Bristol' below. 'Waggoners, Snowdon' was sold by Reynolds to Sir William Drake.
2. Hot Wells, Bristol
[Redford].............. 'Hot Wells, Bristol', Date of sale: 1864,
oil, seller: Hogarth; buyer: blank; 114 guineas
[Christies e-mail]... 'Hot Wells, Bristol', Lot 152, Date of Sale:
9th July 1864; seller: Hogarth; buyer: bought in 114 guineas
[The Art Journal].. 'The Hotwells, Bristol - Storm coming on' Date of
Sale: 9th July 1864, oil, early work, seller: Dr. Nixon, buyer: Reynolds,
(202 guineas for this and 'The Country Waggon, Snowden, early morning'
There is an UNRESOLVED discrepancy between The Art Journal and the Christies e-mail information; 'The Hotwells, Bristol - Storm coming on', compared with 'Hot Wells, Bristol', Lot 152.
The description of this picture in The Art Journal, 'The Hotwells,
Bristol - Storm coming on', 'early work by Turner painted for the Rev. J
Nixon' strongly resembles Turner's title for his 1793 RA Exhibit, The
rising squall, hot wells, from St. Vincent's rock, Bristol. The Art
Journal's description of the seller, 'from the collection of Dr. Nixon'
together with Redford's statement that the seller was 'Hogarth' indicates
that Hogarth was selling on behalf of Dr. Nixon. The Art Journal shows the
original owner, Rev. Nixon, with initial 'J' but this was not so. The
Nixons referred to here are undoubtedly the Rev. Robert Nixon of Foots
Cray, Kent (1758-1837) (married Ann Russell, Foots Cray, 1799) and his son
Rev. Dr. Francis Russell Nixon(1803-1879) (Bishop of Tasmania). (The
mistaken initial 'J' may have originated by association with the Rev.
James Douglas who lived in nearby Rochester and for whom Turner also
painted an 'early' picture. 'The Hotwells, Bristol - Storm coming on'
being from the collecton of the son, Rev. Dr. Francis Russell Nixon
clearly indicates descent from Rev. Robert Nixon and thus that this
picture was definitely the 'Nixon' picture and not the 'Douglas'.)
Rev. Dr. Francis Russell Nixon served in Tasmania from 1843 until
March 1863, in Yorkshire until 1865 when he retired to Italy in ill
health.
Rev. Robert Nixon would have known that this was the 1793 exhibit. Seventy years later it is almost certain that his son would also know that this was the exhibit so why not promote it as such in the sale? The answer may lie in the Huskisson sale of 27th April 1864, if having failed to sell when presented as 'St. Vincent's Rock, Avon, Bristol Ex 1793' it was, at the 9th July sale, merely described as an 'early work'. There is no indication that the other two 'Huskisson' works originated from Nixon. Alternately Hogarth may have omitted the exhibition detail due to the uncertainty in the 1793 RA catalogue.
The picture was sold to 'Reynolds' so it is necessary to find the identity of Reynolds.
But Who was Reynolds? I would like to identify 'Reynolds' and find his address and descendants because after the sale of 9th July 1864 he was in posession of the pictures in which I am interested.
There are entries in Redford as follows but I cannot determine whether
or not they are Christie sales.
1867: Sir Joshua Reynolds' 'Portrait of Mrs. Billington' seller:
Reynolds, bought in (£38/-/- ?)
1882: Berghem's 'The Farrier' (Papin collection) seller: Reynolds,
bought in (£215/-/-)
1882: van Dalen's 'An Italian Palace, Return of the Prodigal Son'
seller: Reynolds, bought in 118 guineas
1883: Nasmyth's 'View in Edinburgh' seller: Reynolds, buyer: McLean
94 guineas
1883: Uwins' 'On The Thames, Greenwich in Distance' seller: Reynolds,
buyer: Agnew 360 guineas
1883: Marieshi's 'View on the Tiber' seller: Reynolds, buyer M.
Colnaghi 105 guineas
1883: Sassoferrato's 'Madonna and Child, Angels in Clouds' (Barker
collection), seller: Reynolds, buyer: Hay 125 guineas
1883: A van de Velde (& der Heyden) 'Peasants and cattle near a
château, sunset', seller: Reynolds, buyer: Fraser (£153/-/-)
1893-07-15 Christie's Catalogue F.D.Reynolds.(deceased)
1883-04-10 Christie's Catalogue F.W.Reynolds
3. Barnes Terrace on the Thames 1827
[Redford]...............'Barnes Terrace on the Thames 1827', Date of
sale: 1864, oil, seller: Fripp; buyer: bought in; 1050 guineas
[C.F Bell].............. 'The Seat of William Moffat Esq., at
Mortlake. Early (Summer's) Morning.' Exh 1826 (324); oil on canvas 35"
x 47"; Date of sale: 1864, seller: Fripp; buyer: bought in
[Butlin & Joll 235]. 'The Seat of William Moffat Esq., at
Mortlake. Early (Summer's) Morning. Exh 1826 (324)', Date of sale:
Christie's 9 July 1864(as 'Barnes Terrace on the Thames' Lot 126), oil on
canvas 37" x 49", seller: E. I. Fripp; buyer: 'G.E. Fripp
therefore probably bought in'
[Christies e-mail]... 'Barnes Terrace on the Thames' Lot 126, Date of
sale: Saturday, July 9, 1864, seller: Fripp, buyer: bought in; 1050
guineas
[The Art Journal]... 'Barnes Terrace on the Thames' Date of sale: 9th
July 1864, oil, seller: not named; buyer Webster; 1000 guineas
4. Remains of Waltham Abbey Ex 1796
[Redford]...............'Remains of Waltham Abbey Ex 1796', Date of
sale: 1864, oil, seller: Huskisson; buyer: bought in; 135 guineas
[C.F Bell].............. 'Remains of Waltham Abbey' Exh 1796 No.702;
Date of sale: 1864, watercolour but notes the price supports Redford's
view it was an oil, seller: Huskisson; buyer: bought in; 135 guineas
[Butlin & Joll]........ n/a
[Christies e-mail]... drawing, seller: Huskisson; buyer: bought in;
[The Art Journal]... n/a
This was 702 in the Council Room - it is therefore unlikely to be an
oil. The Christies e-mail does not cast doubt on the statement that the
three Huskisson works were in the same 27th April Sale; the same sale as
'Battle of the Nile' and 'St. Vincent's Rock, Avon, Bristol'. The
Christies e-mail groups these three works as 'drawings'.
Redford has them clearly in oils. B&J confirms (Redford) that
'Battle Of The Nile' was an oil which also supports 'St. Vincent's Rock,
Avon, Bristol' 1793 being an oil.
Huskisson's lots were probably one watercolour-drawing and two oils.
There are other references to 'Remains of Waltham Abbey' (Tate), Palser Gallery 1905, Messrs Leger 1981, D00355 (sketch), D40240, D00356 all references to watercolours.
The complete list for 1796 is as follows: - The one actual oil exhibit for 1796 was in the Anti Room; 305 'Fishermen At Sea', being Turner's second oil exhibit after the first in 1793.
Anti Room:
305 Fishermen At Sea [TATE Size: 36" x 48"]
Antique Academy:
369 Close Gate, Salisbury. A watercolour based on a pencil sketch
D00426
395 St. Erasmus in Bishop Islip's Chapel. (Westminster Abbey)
described with D00999. A watercolour in the British Museum
Council Room:
651 Woolverhampton, Staffordshire
656 Landilo Bridge and Dinevor Castle
686 Internal of a cottage, a study at Ely
699 Chale Farm, Isle of Wight
701 Landaff Cathedral, South Wales
702 Remains of Waltham Abbey, Essex
711 Trancept and Choir of Ely Minster
715 West front of Bath Abbey
5. St. Vincent's Rock, Avon, Bristol Ex 1793
[Redford]...............'St. Vincent's Rock, Avon, Bristol Ex 1793',
Date of sale: 1864, oil, seller: Huskisson; buyer: bought in; 30 guineas
[C.F Bell].............. 'View on the River Avon, near St. Vincent's
Rock, Bristol' RA 1793 No. 263. Date of sale: 1864, watercolour, seller:
Huskisson; buyer: '?'; 30 guineas
[Butlin & Joll]........ n/a
[Christies e-mail]... Date of sale: the 3 Huskissons at the same sale
hence April 27 1864, drawing, seller: Huskisson; buyer: bought in;
[The Art Journal]... n/a
Redford lists this as a oil. Christies e-mail as a drawing. Clearly both cannot be correct. Redford's exhibition claim is merely 'Ex 1793'. He does not say whether this is the Anti-Room exhibit or the Library Exhibit; he does not give an exhibit number (263 or 323). Both exhibits were displayed with part of their titles being 'St. Vincent's Rock, Bristol' ('The rising squall, hot wells, from St. Vincent's rock, Bristol' and 'View on the river Avon, near St. Vincent's rock, Bristol'
C.F.Bell's title is the same as the RA Exhibition catalogue title. He misconstrued Redgrave, his 'anti-room' comments are misleading (see. Butlin & Joll cat.1) and therefore his statement that this is a watercolour is unreliable.
As things stand: This is either the Bristol Watercolour or the St. Vincent's Rock Oil, the picture that Redgrave calls 'The Rising Squall'. In 1793 it is possible that both of these were about the same size, 15" x 20". A description is needed to distinguish them for certain. Christies e-mail confirms the Redfords title.
If this is the oil exhibit, RA 1793 No.263, the one that Redgrave calls 'The Rising Squall', then the question is, "How does it appear in this sale of April 27 1864 in the posession of Huskisson?". This picture was in the Rev. Dr. Francis Russell Nixon collection and sold to Reynolds at a later sale on July 9 1864 (No. 2 above).
The Rev. Dr. Francis Russell Nixon was apparently unwell in Yorkshire during 1864. This Huskisson ('L Huskisson' in B&J 10) could have been selling on behalf of Nixon. The picture was unsold; perhaps it was not believed to be the exhibit or perhaps Huskinsson was indeed selling the watercolour (RA 1793 No. 323).
Evidence may yet emerge. However, whatever the situation regarding Huskisson, Nixon and the St. Vincent's Rock Oil on April 27th 1864, the position at the close of the sale of 9 July 1864 is most probably that 'Reynolds' was in posession of the picture... see 2. above.
6. Battle of the Nile L'Orient blown up Ex 1799
[From the 1799 RA Exhibition catalogue]...275 Battle of the Nile,
at 10 o'clock when the L'Orient blew up, from the station of the gun boats
between the battery and castle of Aboukir
275 was in the anti-room
[Redford]...............'Battle of the Nile L'Orient blown up Ex 1799',
Date of sale: 1864, oil, seller: Huskisson; buyer: bought in; 10 guineas
[C.F Bell].............. 'Battle of the Nile, at 10 o'clock when the
L'Orient blew up, from the station of the gun boats between the battery
and castle of Aboukir' RA 1799 No. 275. Date of sale: 1864, oil, seller:
Huskisson; buyer: bought in; 10 guineas
[Butlin & Joll 10]... is a long entry and covers the evidence
for this picture in depth
[Christies e-mail]... Date of sale: the 3 Huskissons at the same sale
hence April 27 1864, drawing, seller: Huskisson; buyer: bought in;
[The Art Journal]... n/a
This picture is lost.
B&J cat.No. 10 and C F Bell page 73 No. 89 provide the following information:
To briefly comment on L. Huskisson's identity: His initial 'L' is from B&J 10 only. We have no direct link (as yet) between William Huskisson (who may have inherited the collection from Dr. (Richard?) Gem) and 'L' Huskisson.
...
Notes on April 27 and July 9 1864 Sales- What I Actually Think
I think that 'The Art Journal' published September 1864 is the current 'last point of contact' with the 'St. Vincent's Rock Oil'. Thus the picture was owned by Rev. Dr. Francis Russell Nixon and sold to Reynolds on July 9 1864.
I think that Huskisson or 'L' Huskisson is a descendant of William Huskisson because the name is relatively rare and there are good reasons for taking an overall view that the family, as a whole, had interests in art collections starting with Dr. (Richard ?) Gem's legacy to William in 1800 and sales and donations by Mrs Huskisson after William's death.
However, in respect of, at least, 'The Country Waggon' and 'The Hotwells, Bristol' (The Art Journal information for 9 July sale) these were owned by Nixon and thus L. Huskisson at the earlier 27 April sale ('St. Vincent's Rock, Avon, Bristol Ex 1793' being identical with 'The Hotwells, Bristol') was acting as an agent ... It is therefore not unreasonable to explore the possibility that before April 27th 1864 Nixon owned:
'Waggon, Snowdon, early morning' was never exhibited. The very early 'Rochester Castle with Fishermen drawing Boats ashore in a Gale' was never exhibited. So the ailing Rev. Dr. Francis Russell Nixon, early 1864, attempted to sell the three exhibited works enlisting Huskisson as an agent. These were offered for sale on April 27th but none sold:
That left two of the '1864 sales' pictures with Nixon who next had Hogath try to sell them (the fate of Nixon's earlier 'Rochester' picture is unknown (the Douglas Rochester picture was by 1860 owned by Hering). At the sale of July 9 1864 (according to The Art Journal)
were sold to Reynolds.
The identity of Reynolds must now be established.
There are entries in Redford as follows but I cannot determine whether
or not they are Christie sales.
1867: Sir Joshua Reynolds' 'Portrait of Mrs. Billington' seller:
Reynolds, bought in (£38/-/- ?)
1882: Berghem's 'The Farrier' (Papin collection) seller: Reynolds,
bought in (£215/-/-)
1882: van Dalen's 'An Italian Palace, Return of the Prodigal Son'
seller: Reynolds, bought in 118 guineas
1883: Nasmyth's 'View in Edinburgh' seller: Reynolds, buyer: McLean
94 guineas
1883: Uwins' 'On The Thames, Greenwich in Distance' seller: Reynolds,
buyer: Agnew 360 guineas
1883: Marieshi's 'View on the Tiber' seller: Reynolds, buyer M.
Colnaghi 105 guineas
1883: Sassoferrato's 'Madonna and Child, Angels in Clouds' (Barker
collection), seller: Reynolds, buyer: Hay 125 guineas
1883: A van de Velde (& der Heyden) 'Peasants and cattle near a
château, sunset', seller: Reynolds, buyer: Fraser (£153/-/-)
*[2]
Footnote *[3] Huskisson / CF Bell
NB: Bell's comments about Redgrave are in the wrong order see Redgrave Sequence below
*[4]
The Redgrave Sequence 1866 to 1905
Redgrave Sequence 1866 to 1905
With chronological notes in italics
1852 Cunningham preface to Burnet - Cunningham names 'Rising Squall over St. Vincent's Rocks at Bristol' as the RA Exhibit of 1793 and implies that it is an oil.
1860 Hering Sale, Christies, 14th May 1860 - Rochester Castle (and adjacent grounds) Rev J Douglas - Margaret Martha Douglas, Nephew, Hering - bought in.
1862 Thornbury
1864 Huskisson Sale, Christies, 27th April 1864. Took place before publication of the Redgraves books.
1864 Hogarth Sale, Christies, 9th July 1864. Took place before publication of the Redgraves books.
1864 Art Journal September issue review of 9th July sale names 'The Hotwells, Bristol - Storm coming on' as one of two pictures (specifically oils) painted for the Rev. J Nixon and from the coll. of Dr. Nixon.
1866 Richard and Samuel (writing 'A Century of Painters') examine the catalogues and conclude that Turner's first exhibited oil is 'Moonlight' in1797. At this time the Redgraves clearly examined only the Great Room entries because another oil, Fishermen Coming A Shore At Sun Set, Previous To A Gale was exhibited in the Anti-Room (having been allocated to the Great room but subsequently swapped and placed in the Anti-Room).
1874 During the eight years since publication of 'A Century of Painters' Samuel discovered that Turner's first exhibited oil was 'The Rising Squall' in 1793 and that his second was 'Fishermen at Sea' in 1796. This information was published in 'A Dictionary of Artists'.
1877 Thornbury second edition
1878 A new edition of 'A Dictionary of Artists' was published after Samuel's death. (The first exhibit information was unchanged).
1879 Cosmo Monkhouse published 'Turner' and is uncertain about the first oil exhibit (see *[7] above).
1890 A new edition of 'A Century of Painters' was published (Samuel and Richard were both deceased) but the compilers failed to change Turner's information in respect of Samuel's discovery of 1874.
1901 C F Bell clearly looked at the latest editions and thought incorrectly that the information in 'A Century of Painters' (originating from 1866) was updating 'A Dictionary of Artists' (originating from 1874).
1905 Gilbert sets it out clearly in his 'History of Watercolour Painting in England'.
In 1984 Butlin & Joll set out the position for 1796 succinctly. Similar arguments apply to 1793. This may have been Samuel's reasoning in 1874 but he did not record it.
*[4] continued
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Waggoners
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Battle of the Nile
