03-07-2025
Bristol Museum outbid in attempt to buy Turner oil painting of city
Bristol Art Gallery's efforts to buy a Turner painting depicting the city have failed after being outbid at auction.
'The Rising Squall, Hot Wells, from St Vincent's Rock, Bristol' was painted in 1792, when JMW Turner was aged just 17.
The artwork depicts a former hot spring and spa viewed from the East Bank of the River Avon but before the Clifton Suspension Bridge was built.
It was his first oil painting ever exhibited - at the Royal Academy one year later.
The work was later 'lost' in a private collection for over a century and only rediscovered in a restoration project last year.
The art gallery had launched a crowdfunding campaign to support its bid to 'Bring Turner Home' which raised over £100,000 from 1,700 people in just five days.
Although auction house Sotheby's had put the estimate at £2-300,000 the winning bid reached £1.9m - around eight times as much - from a private UK collector.
Bristol Museum and Art Gallery says it will explore if the work might be put on loan for display to mark its link and history with the city.
All the money received for the fundraiser will be returned to those who donated.
