Introduction: Squall at St Vincent's Rock, Bristol: Evidence that this picture was painted by JMW Turner or someone working closely with him

Squall at St Vincent's Rock, Bristol

Evidence that this picture was painted by JMW Turner or someone working closely with him

3. The Comparative Artwork D00389

JMW Turner painted D00389 at the very latest in 1793 and that research associated with the Tate Turner Project established that it was the basis for the 1793 exhibit 'The rising squall, hot wells, from St. Vincent's rock, Bristol' (thought incorrectly - but with good reason - to be a watercolour at the time that the Tate Turner page for D00389 was written).

So this is not just a comparative artwork - D00389 is the original sketch from which 'The rising squall, hot wells, from St. Vincent's rock, Bristol' was produced. It is also the artwork bearing an identical rock complex to that on 'Squall at St Vincent's Rock, Bristol'. So whoever painted 'Squall at St Vincent's Rock, Bristol' must have had access to D00389.

• Research associated with the Tate Turner Project
  It is shown that D00389 (and D00074) remained with JMW Turner throughout his life and formed part of the Turner Bequest.
  D00389 is the only work from which the rock complex on 'Squall at St Vincent's Rock, Bristol' could have been copied'. Therefore the only possible explanation is that JMW Turner, or someone very close to him, could have painted 'Squall at St Vincent's Rock, Bristol'.

This therefore establishes a relationship between 'Squall at St Vincent's Rock, Bristol' , JMW Turner's D00389 and JMW Turner's 'The rising squall, hot wells, from St. Vincent's rock, Bristol' . On the next page of this introduction we consider people who may have seen Turner's 'The rising squall, hot wells, from St. Vincent's rock, Bristol' . This presentation then continues with results of a detailed investigation of 'The rising squall, hot wells, from St. Vincent's rock, Bristol' which shows it to be an oil exhibited at the RA in 1793 and is presented in evidence that our 'Squall at St Vincent's Rock, Bristol' is JMW Turner's 'The rising squall, hot wells, from St. Vincent's rock, Bristol' .