A Start Evidence Trail
[_SITE_INDEX_] ...[_ATTRIBUTION_EVIDENCE_SUMMARY_TEXT_ONLY_] ...[_EVIDENCE_NOT_EXPERIENCE_]
Oh! Looks like too much to read? Try - [_QUICK_COMPARISON_]
1. Peter Cunningham
described a 1793 oil by Turner and referred to it as
'Rising Squall over St. Vincent's Rocks at Bristol'.
[_PETER_CUNNINGHAM_]
2. A sketch of 'The Back
View of the Hot Wells...' [located at St Vincent's Rock, Bristol] appears
in Turner's 1791 'Bristol an Malmesbury Sketchbook' (Tate: D00074).
The building in this sketch was later copied by Turner in a more
elaborate small composition (Tate: D00389).
Both were part of the Turner Bequest and therefore remained with
Turner during his lifetime.
[_BACK_VIEW_SKETCH_]
3. Turner's impression of
'St. Vincent's Rock' is observed in D00389. It is a 'rock complex'
consisting of an 'Overhanging Rock' and a smaller 'Dome Rock' in close
proximity
with the dome rock slightly to the right and in front of the
overhanging rock. The dome rock has a little hump on top.
The view in D00389 is effectively from the river looking towards the
Hot Wells building.
[_BACK_VIEW_WATERCOLOUR_]
4. The same 'rock
complex' appears in the candidate oil picture from the opposite direction;
that is: from the riverbank looking out into the river.
This rock complex does not appear anywhere else. It appears that
Turner invented this rock complex to dramatize 'St. Vincent's Rock'.
The oil must be Turner's work.
[_ROCK_COMPLEX_]
[[_SKETCH_WATERCOLOUR_AND_OIL_]
St. Vincent's Rock, Hotwells,
Bristol.
5. Examination of the
1793 Royal Academy Exhibition catalogue shows that Turner exhibited an oil
and two watercolours that year.
The oil and one of the watercolours were paintings of St. Vincent's
Rock and their titles were similar.
‘The Rising Squall, Hot Wells, from St
Vincent’s Rock, Bristol’
‘View On The River Avon, Near St. Vincent’s Rock, Bristol’
These titles were transposed; the oil (No. 263) described as the
'View' and the watercolour (No. 323) as 'The Rising Squall'. Evidence is
twofold 1) Cunningham describes both paintings; 'View' being the
watercolour and 'Rising Squall' being the oil and 2) None of the
watercolours said to be 'The Rising Squall' actually show any sign of a
squall or any stormy weather at all.
Therefore the correct title of the oil exhibited at No.263 in the
'anti-room' in 1793 was:
The Rising Squall, Hot Wells, from St Vincent’s Rock,
Bristol’
[_TRANSPOSITION_OF_TITLES_]...[_TURNER'S_1793_EXHIBITS_]
...[_ROYAL_ACADEMY_EXHIBITION_1793_]
Contact: kevin.bates.postbox@outlook.com