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1866; A Century of Painters of the English School
by
Richard Redgrave (1804-1888) and
Samuel Redgrave (1802-1876)

Volume II [see also: Vol. I]

'A Century of Painters of the English School' is the first of a sequence of publications by the Redgraves. Samuel Redgrave was the elder brother of Richard Redgrave and Gilbert Redgrave (1844-1941) was Richard's son.

'A Century of Painters of the English School' was published in 1866 but would have taken some years to compile. It is published in two volumes and reprinted in 1890 (after both Samuel and Richard had died). [see vol. I]

In Vol. II there are references to:

'The Rising Squall' [look at page 96] as a 'work' of 1793
'Moonlight' [look at page 81] as JMW Turner's first exhibited oil. see also: List of Exhibited Works
In Vol. I page 380 line 3 Samuel and Richard wrote, in relation to a different artist, "We have searched the catalogues of the Royal Academy with great care".
The 1797 exhibition was the first year that Turner's work appeared in the Great Room. 'Moonlight' was exhibited at No. 136, (size 12"x 16") and the catalogue shows 'Fishermen Coming A Shore At Sun Set, Previous To A Gale' ('Mildmay') size: 36" x 48", a much larger work, exhibited in the Great Room at No. 279. However, The list of exhibitors at the end of the catalogue shows it at No. 344 in the Anti-Room.
According to Graves this was just a mistake in the catalogue. Other explanations seem to involve a dispute with Sir Francis Bourgeois RA with pictures being swapped. Whatever the truth of the matter a truly careful search of the catalogue would have resulted in finding two JMW Turners in the Great Room which must be oils and the claim that 'Moonlight' was his first exhibited oil is not sustainable.

Reserved for Pages 1 to 80

Pages 81 & 82

Comments:
Writing in 1866 Richard and Samuel found 'Moonlight' to be JMW Turner's first exhibited oil.
On page 82 'View of The Archbishop's Palace at Lambeth is mentioned (1790) and some earlier sketches 'now exhibited at South Kensington'.

Page 83

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Reserved for Pages 84 to 95

Page 96

From line 12 starting 'In 1793', 'The Rising Squall' is mentioned as a 'work' but at line 20 'we again find a pure subject picture' (again being a reference back to 'The Rising Squall') indicating that 'The Rising Squall' is itself 'a pure subject picture'
1798 is omitted.

Pages 97 & 98

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Pages 99 & 100

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