The Redgrave Investigation

The early part of the Redgrave Sequence

Redgrave Sequence 1866 to 1905

1866 Richard and Samuel (writing 'A Century of Painters') examine the catalogues and conclude that Turner's first exhibited oil is 'Moonlight'.
If Richard and Samuel examined catalogues from around 1790 onwards then looking at the Great Room where oils were hung they might conclude that the first Turner exhibit in the Great Room was 'Moonlight' in 1797. We can say with confidence that this search of Great Room only was their modus operandi because in the same year (1797) there was another Turner oil in the exhibition but although it was at first hung in the Great Room it was moved to the Anti-Room; this was the 'Mildmay' picture.

On another reading of this it may be that they ARE saying Mildmay was an oil but painted after 'Moonlight'

On page 81 'Moonlight' is described as the first oil picture... I think they think that this is the Bell picture 'the first oil' [it cannot be - can it? - B&J say it might be - against is the notion that it would be an insult to the Academy to submit a picture he painted in 1792, five years earlier and of a much lesser standard - also Moonlight is not of a lesser standard.]

They mention 'The Rising Squall - hot wells, from St. Vincent's Rocks' [catalogue title: 'The rising squall, hot wells, from St. Vincent's rock, Bristol' ]

Their catalogue search did not reveal the move of Mildmay. Their catalogue search clearly did not include the Anti-Room. But it must have because Mildmay (Fishermen coming ashore) is included in the text on page 96 as is 'Fishermen At Sea'

HERE MAKE A MILDMAY 1797 EXHIBITION CATALOGUE BANNER

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'.

WHY WHY WHY! did Samuel say that the first exhibit was 'The Rising Squall' in 1793

It is easy to envisage that looking again at 1797 he discovered the 'Mildmay' move to the Anti-Room and thus conclude that the Anti-Room housed oils.
From there he could look back in detail at the Anti-Room:
. . . . . He would look back at 1796... He would find 'Fishermen At Sea'... an oil.
. . . . . He would look back to 1795 and 1794 and find no Turners in the Anti-Room
. . . . . Then looking back at 1793 he would find an entry in the catalogue for a Turner in the Anti-Room:
. . . . . . . . . . This entry reads: 'View on the river Avon, near St. Vincent's rock, Bristol'

So Samuel should have said (by this logic) that Turner's first exhibited oil was 'View on the river Avon' but he doesn't.