Introduction

Squall at St Vincent's Rock, Bristol

An old and damaged oil on canvas found in August 2018 in a casual antiques market in Hadleigh, Suffolk.
It is a rocky, stormy, coast scene with fishermen attempting to bring their boats in to harbour.

We searched tens of thousands of images. We found just one with the same complex of rocks but viewed from the opposite direction.* It is an artwork by JMW Turner from the 'Turner Bequest' in the Tate Gallery. The location and date of the scene in this artwork is found by reference to a second comparison artwork, again from the 'Turner Bequest'.

The two JMW Turner artworks show that the location of the scene depicted is St. Vincent's Rock, Bristol; The observed age and condition of the canvas is consistent with a late 18th century work. There is evidence of former repair and slight reduction in size and, under the repair, pollen evidence that the picture has visited Tasmania but otherwise no evidence of repainting. It would therefore appear that this is a painting 'from' St. Vincent's Rock as is known to have been painted by JMW Turner (a scene of his own invention) and exhibited at The Royal Academy in 1793. We therefore contend that this picture, 'Squall at St. Vincent's Rock, Bristol' is the work by JMW Turner originally known as:

'The rising squall, hot wells, from St. Vincent's rock, Bristol'

which, following the 1793 exhibition, was in the possession of Rev. Robert Nixon of Foots Cray, passed to his son, Rev. Dr. Francis Russell Nixon, Bishop of Tasmania and finally in the possession of picture dealer Joseph Hogarth after which it was lost. We have also identified a credible location** from which it may have emerged but acknowledge that this is tenuous and circumstantial. This was JMW Turner's earliest exhibited oil, one of two exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1793 and maybe only his third or fourth oil painting and is comparable only with his very early works.

[Introduction]; Chapters: [I] [II] [III] [IV][V][VI]; [All Files]