Latest news with #TheRisingSquall
ITV News
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- ITV News
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.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Council's £100k appeal to buy lost Turner painting
A council has launched a one-week fundraiser to return JMW Turner's earliest-known oil painting "to its home". Bristol City Council, which owns Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, is trying to raise £100,000 to help purchase The Rising Squall, which depicts the Avon George. The painting had been lost for 150 years before it was rediscovered last year. Phillip Walker, head of culture for Bristol City Council, said: "It's an incredibly important and relevant painting for Bristol because it's the very first and probably only oil painting that Turner ever painted of a Bristol scene." More news stories for Bristol Watch the latest Points West Listen to the latest news for Bristol "This is the very first oil painting he ever painted... what's more incredible is that he was only 17 at the time," Mr Walker added. The guide price for the painting is £300,000, and the council hopes to raise the rest of the money from other sources before the auction on 2 July. Mr Walker said the council is "putting all of its feelers out" to "try and raise the money it can to stand a chance at bidding". The painting was debuted at the Royal Academy in 1793, three days after Turner's 18th birthday, before being bought by Reverend Robert Nixon, a customer of Turner's father's barber shop. Mr Nixon's son inherited the painting after his death, and it then fell "into obscurity", having last been exhibited in Tasmania, Australia. If the council is unsuccessful in purchasing Turner's work, it said all of the money that has been donated will be returned. "We want to make this work, so we're asking anyone who can to help and share the enthusiasm and the opportunity," Mr Walker said. "This really is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for Bristol to show how important art and culture are to it." Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Lost Turner masterpiece could be bought by council Lost Turner oil painting found after 150 years Bristol City Council Bristol Museum and Art Gallery
BBC News
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Council's £100k appeal to buy lost Turner painting for Bristol
A council has launched a one-week fundraiser to return JMW Turner's earliest-known oil painting "to its home".Bristol City Council, which owns Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, is trying to raise £100,000 to help purchase The Rising Squall, which depicts the Avon painting had been lost for 150 years before it was rediscovered last Walker, head of culture for Bristol City Council, said: "It's an incredibly important and relevant painting for Bristol because it's the very first and probably only oil painting that Turner ever painted of a Bristol scene." "This is the very first oil painting he ever painted... what's more incredible is that he was only 17 at the time," Mr Walker guide price for the painting is £300,000, and the council hopes to raise the rest of the money from other sources before the auction on 2 Walker said the council is "putting all of its feelers out" to "try and raise the money it can to stand a chance at bidding".The painting was debuted at the Royal Academy in 1793, three days after Turner's 18th birthday, before being bought by Reverend Robert Nixon, a customer of Turner's father's barber Nixon's son inherited the painting after his death, and it then fell "into obscurity", having last been exhibited in Tasmania, Australia. If the council is unsuccessful in purchasing Turner's work, it said all of the money that has been donated will be returned."We want to make this work, so we're asking anyone who can to help and share the enthusiasm and the opportunity," Mr Walker said."This really is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for Bristol to show how important art and culture are to it."
Rhyl Journal
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Campaign launched to bring only Turner oil painting of Bristol back to city
The Rising Squall, Hot Wells, from St Vincent's Rock, Bristol, had remained tucked away in private collections since it was last exhibited in Tasmania, Australia, in 1858. Last year, it was authenticated as a pivotal early work by Turner – after the artist's signature was discovered during cleaning. The piece, depicting the Avon Gorge before the Clifton Suspension Bridge was built, was the first oil painting exhibited by Turner at the Royal Academy in 1793 aged just 18. Bristol Museum & Art Gallery is now keen to acquire the work, which is believed to be the only oil painting Turner made of the city. It has launched a one-week public fundraising campaign, called Bring Turner Home, to raise £100,000 towards the purchase of the painting, which will go under the hammer at Sotheby's on July 2. If the bid is successful, the piece will become part of Bristol's public collection and go on display this summer. Philip Walker, head of culture and creative industries at Bristol City Council, said: 'This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring a lost masterpiece back to Bristol, a painting that connects our city to one of the greatest artists in history at a defining moment in his life. 'Turner painted this scene when he was just 17, inspired by the dramatic beauty of the Avon Gorge. 'Now, over two centuries later, we have the chance to bring it home where it can belong to everyone. We want this painting to be part of the city's story, accessible to all and inspiring to future generations. 'We know this is a hugely ambitious fundraising campaign with a ridiculously small window to raise the money, but Bristol is internationally renowned for its art and culture, and we just can't miss the opportunity to try and go for it. 'It would be an absolute travesty if Bristol's lost Turner is sold to a private or overseas buyer.' The council is believed to be the only public bidder attempting to secure the piece, which has an estimate of £200,000 to £300,000. Turner painted The Rising Squall during a visit to Bristol in 1792, when he became fascinated by the dramatic scenery of the Avon Gorge. It is based on an on-the-spot drawing found in Turner's Bristol and Malmesbury sketchbook, which he used on a tour of the West Country in 1791, and a watercolour the following year. The piece was bought by the Rev Robert Nixon, an early supporter of Turner who the artist used to stay with. Early biographies of Turner record that the artist painted his first oil piece in Rev Nixon's house. Rev Nixon's son, the Rev Dr Francis Russell Nixon, Lord Bishop of Tasmania, inherited the painting before it was acquired by the publisher Joseph Hogarth in the early 1860s. It went up for auction at Christie's in London in 1864 before going to a private collection in Northamptonshire until it was anonymously sold in April 2024. During that auction, at Dreweatts in Newbury, the piece was wrongly attributed to 'follower of Julius Caesar Ibbetson', an 18th-century artist. Restoration work then took place – revealing the signature 'W Turner' on the lower left of the canvas. Until that point, it had been believed that Turner's earliest exhibited oil painting was a piece known as Fisherman at Sea – which he exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1796. Bristol Museum & Art Gallery aims to exhibit the piece in as early as August this year, before it travels to Tate Britain for its major exhibition Turner and Constable in November. A council spokeswoman said: 'No council funding will be used to buy the painting. 'Instead, the museum is turning to the people of Bristol and supporters of art and heritage across the country to help raise the funds needed to ensure the painting remains in public ownership, rather than entering a private collection.' The Crowdfunder page can be found at
South Wales Guardian
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Campaign launched to bring only Turner oil painting of Bristol back to city
The Rising Squall, Hot Wells, from St Vincent's Rock, Bristol, had remained tucked away in private collections since it was last exhibited in Tasmania, Australia, in 1858. Last year, it was authenticated as a pivotal early work by Turner – after the artist's signature was discovered during cleaning. The piece, depicting the Avon Gorge before the Clifton Suspension Bridge was built, was the first oil painting exhibited by Turner at the Royal Academy in 1793 aged just 18. Bristol Museum & Art Gallery is now keen to acquire the work, which is believed to be the only oil painting Turner made of the city. It has launched a one-week public fundraising campaign, called Bring Turner Home, to raise £100,000 towards the purchase of the painting, which will go under the hammer at Sotheby's on July 2. If the bid is successful, the piece will become part of Bristol's public collection and go on display this summer. Philip Walker, head of culture and creative industries at Bristol City Council, said: 'This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring a lost masterpiece back to Bristol, a painting that connects our city to one of the greatest artists in history at a defining moment in his life. 'Turner painted this scene when he was just 17, inspired by the dramatic beauty of the Avon Gorge. 'Now, over two centuries later, we have the chance to bring it home where it can belong to everyone. We want this painting to be part of the city's story, accessible to all and inspiring to future generations. 'We know this is a hugely ambitious fundraising campaign with a ridiculously small window to raise the money, but Bristol is internationally renowned for its art and culture, and we just can't miss the opportunity to try and go for it. 'It would be an absolute travesty if Bristol's lost Turner is sold to a private or overseas buyer.' The council is believed to be the only public bidder attempting to secure the piece, which has an estimate of £200,000 to £300,000. Turner painted The Rising Squall during a visit to Bristol in 1792, when he became fascinated by the dramatic scenery of the Avon Gorge. It is based on an on-the-spot drawing found in Turner's Bristol and Malmesbury sketchbook, which he used on a tour of the West Country in 1791, and a watercolour the following year. The piece was bought by the Rev Robert Nixon, an early supporter of Turner who the artist used to stay with. Early biographies of Turner record that the artist painted his first oil piece in Rev Nixon's house. Rev Nixon's son, the Rev Dr Francis Russell Nixon, Lord Bishop of Tasmania, inherited the painting before it was acquired by the publisher Joseph Hogarth in the early 1860s. It went up for auction at Christie's in London in 1864 before going to a private collection in Northamptonshire until it was anonymously sold in April 2024. During that auction, at Dreweatts in Newbury, the piece was wrongly attributed to 'follower of Julius Caesar Ibbetson', an 18th-century artist. Restoration work then took place – revealing the signature 'W Turner' on the lower left of the canvas. Until that point, it had been believed that Turner's earliest exhibited oil painting was a piece known as Fisherman at Sea – which he exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1796. Bristol Museum & Art Gallery aims to exhibit the piece in as early as August this year, before it travels to Tate Britain for its major exhibition Turner and Constable in November. A council spokeswoman said: 'No council funding will be used to buy the painting. 'Instead, the museum is turning to the people of Bristol and supporters of art and heritage across the country to help raise the funds needed to ensure the painting remains in public ownership, rather than entering a private collection.' The Crowdfunder page can be found at
