December 2021, partial updates May 2022

JMW TURNER
'Self Portrait age 16'
Oil on canvas; 20½"x 16½"
c.1792
Indianapolis Museum of Art; 72.206

'Self Portrait age 16' is of interest because it was painted at approximately the same time as 'The rising squall, hot wells, from St. Vincent's rock, Bristol'. These must have been together in JMW Turner's studio around September/October 1792 (age 17). Thus if the proposition that our picture, 'Squall at St Vincent's Rock, Bristol' is 'The rising squall...' there should be some similarities between it and 'Self Portrait age 16'. Working only from photographs makes comparison difficult. However, one certain similarity is size; 'Squall at St Vincent's Rock, Bristol' was 19¾"x 14½" before it was cut down and 'Self Portrait age 16' is now 20½"x 16½" but may have originally been a little larger (21½"x 17½"). For comparison, Turner was working on paper of approximately the same size at that time; 'The Pantheon, The Morning After The Fire', watercolour, exh. RA 1792 is 15" x 20". Direct comparison of stretcher types has shown that the stretchers are very different. (This study is ongoing at the time of writing)

A catalogue description on the Indianapolis Museum of Art website shows that this is JMW Turner's 'first' oil painting. Actually it is not the 'first' (and a more accurate description would be 'one of the first oils on canvas') because it was preceded by two oils made during a tour of North Kent incorporating visits to Rev. James Douglas in Rochester and Rev. Robert Nixon in Foots Cray during September 1792 [Finberg 'The Life Of JMW Turner']. The visit to Rev. James Douglas in Rochester saw Turner's first purchase of canvas; evidenced by a letter by the nephew of Rev. James Douglas' daughter, Margaret Martha Whiteman Douglas. [Nephew's Letter] This canvas was purchased in Rochester and the timing suggests that the 'Self Portrait age 16' is painted on a section of that canvas. The two paintings which preceded it are, respectively:

• 'Rochester Castle and the Adjacent Ground ', painted on the newly purchased canvas in Rochester and given to the Douglas family.
• The second oil, the one completed at Foots Cray on the return journey from Rochester, was 'The Country Waggon, Snowdon - Early Morning'. This is confirmed by exhibition and auction catalogues and a written statement by Rev. Dr. Francis Russell Nixon, Bishop of Tasmania. Miller and Finberg together give the timing - September 1792. (The tour during which these works were painted had included Canterbury; these oils must have been painted on the return journey because Foots Cray lies between Rochester and London.)
• Some sources suggest that the second oil was 'Rochester Castle with Fishermen Drawing Boats Ashore In A Gale of Wind' completed at Foots Cray where it remained with Rev. Robert Nixon. It is recorded, as a candidate for the first oil, in Miller as 'doubtful' but others have taken it up as 'fact'. It is probably another name for 'Rochester Castle and the Adjacent Ground' which Miller recorded as 'View of Rochester'

'Self Portrait age 16' was hung in Brantwood, John Ruskin's house, from 1854 to 1931.

'Self Portrait age 16' seems comparable with a small watercolour-drawing made at the Narraways in 1791, NPG-MW06422 [Self Portrait (miniature)]:

INDIANAPOLIS MUSEUM OF ART

The provenance given by Indianapolis Museum of Art is:

• Before 1851: Gift by JMW Turner to Hannah Danby
• 1853 Bequest by Hannah Danby to John Ruskin
• No Date: Gift by Mr. & Mrs. Kurt F. Pantzer to Indianapolis Museum of Art

[Indianapolis Museum of Art Datasheet (copy)]...[Indianapolis Museum of Art (external link)]

BUTLIN & JOLL

These notes are extracted from the 1984 edition.Butlin and Joll [20]. Their concluding paragraph:

"The authenticity of ['Self Portrait age 16'] continues to be questioned...on the grounds of quality. ... Martin Butler is only very reluctantly persuaded by the provenance and by these similarities [NPG MW06422], that the work must be genuine."

Butlin and Joll discuss the date and conclude that "c.1793 is the most convincing".

The provenance is given as:

• Before 1851: Gift by JMW Turner to Hannah Danby
• 1854 Bequest by Hannah Danby to John Ruskin (1819-1900)
  • 1878 Exh. Fine Art Society (121)
• THEN Bequest by John Ruskin to Arthur and Joan Severn at Brantwood
• 1931 Sale (Arthur Severn deceased); Sotheby's 20th May 1931 (lot132) buyer Sir Arthur Russell
• 1964 Bequest by Sir Arthur Russell to his widow Lady Marjorie Russell
  • 1964 Exh. Arts Council (90)
• 1969 Sale by Lady Marjorie Russell, Christie's 21st March 1969 (lot 76) buyer Agnew for Kurt Pantzer
• 1972 Gift by the children of Dr. and Mrs Hugo O. Pantzer to Indianapolis Museum.

James Dearden is reported to have said that the frame at Brantwood was different to the modern frame. He may have also said that the frame at Brantwood was not Turner's original but it is not clear whether Turner had given the picture to Danby framed or unframed.

So if Ruskin was responsible for reframing it he may have also had it set on a new stretcher. The present stretcher could be from c. 1854. E-mail from Indianapolis says that it is probably not relined which would fit Ruskin's comment about it being in a good state of preservation when he received it in 1854.

In the photograph taken at Brantwood c. 1890 it looks like the picture is glazed.