'The rising squall, hot wells, from St. Vincent's rock, Bristol'
by JMW Turner; exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1793

Analysis of the full Text of Cunningham's 1793 Commentary:
His reference to Gainsborough and Others

*[4] Comparisons with Gainsborough and Others

In these notes what becomes apparent and important is that the comparisons of 'Rising Squall over St. Vincent's Rocks at Bristol' were made with artists who were known for their oil paintings. If 'Rising Squall over St. Vincent's Rocks at Bristol' had been a watercolour there were plenty of contemporaneous, well established watercolour painters with whom Turner's work could be enthusiastically compared. Likewise, if the whole idea of 'a wiser few' recognising Turner's 'genius' was Cunningham's invention a comparison with oil painters not watercolourists indicates that 'Rising Squall over St. Vincent's Rocks at Bristol' was an oil and not a watercolour.

In pages 17 and 18 of Cunningham's memoir he sets out what appears to be a contemporaneous account of a picture which Turner exhibited at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1793. Comparisons of Turner's picture (which Cunnungham calls 'Rising Squall over St. Vincent's Rocks at Bristol') are made with three of the 'great' artists of the period, Zuccarelli, Wilson and Gainsborough. Wilson had died in 1782, Zuccarelli and Gainsborough had died in 1788. Their reputations were therefore well established in 1793 and public perception of their art would be influenced by their great exhibited works not by minor sketches, pen and ink, or watercolour. The important works of these artists were oil paintings of which some examples are set out below.

These notes do not constitute an attempt to support the validity of Cunningham's comparisons. Cunningham was concerned with 'reporting' the views of his source(s) and it appears that Cunningham himself was stating an opinion; probably recorded in a newspaper or journal

'...was recognised by the wiser few...'

'The wiser few' may be Cunningham's judgement of these critics and indicates that not all contemporaneous commentators agreed with the assertions made in these few lines.

It is impossible to know exactly which pictures Cunningham's sources were referring to. The examples here are randomly selected from reliable internet sources and displayed at a scale of one pixel representing 5mm. These were comparisons of a broad stylistic nature. Cunningham has not suggested that Turner (aged 17 when his oil was painted) actually 'copied' any features of these paintings. An image of the recently discovered 'Squall at St. Vincent's Rock, Bristol', at the same scale is included (below the others) for comparison. NB: these comparisons were made in 1793 - none of Turner's now well known pictures existed at that time!

Footnote *[4] cont...

Gainsborough: The critique is clearly supportive of Gainsborough's work

Gainsborough 1747, 'Wooded Landscape with a Peasant Resting' Tate N01283, oil on canvas 24" x 31"

Gainsborough 1760, 'Carthorses Drunking at a Stream' Tate N00310, oil on canvas 57" x 61"

Footnote *[4] cont...

Wilson: The commentator or Cunningham (or both) describe him as the 'founder' of the 'school of landscape art'

Wilson 1775 'Falls Of Niagara' Wolverhampton Art Gallery, oil on canvas 61" x 73"
Tate N01891 is a smaller version (not a precise copy and of indefinite attribution) of this work said to have been owned by Turner.

Wilson 1774 'Llyn-y-Cau, Cader Idris' Tate N05596, oil on canvas 20" x 29"

Wilson 1762 'Holt Bridge on the River Dee' NG6196, oil on canvas 58" x 76"

Footnote *[4] cont...

Zuccarelli: There is clear bias against Zuccarelli in the commentary, but it is nonetheless a comparison with oils, not watercolours.

Zuccarelli 1765 'Cadmus Killing the Dragon' T04121, oil on canvas 50" x 62"

Footnote *[4] cont...

'The St. Vincent's Rock Oil' on the same scale

1793 'Rising Squall Over St. Vincent's Rocks at Bristol' oil on canvas 14" x 19" reduced from 15" x 20"

...and on a scale of 1pixel to 1mm:

This is 'The St. Vincent's Rock Oil' - The composition matches Cunningham's title and, at the time, in 1793 and without knowledge
of Turner's later work it was perhaps possible for commentators to see an emerging talent that might develop in the way Cunningham describes.