The canvas, titled *The Rising Squall, Hot Wells, from St Vincent's Rock, Bristol*, was painted around 1792 when the artist was only 17 years old. It holds significant historical value as his first oil painting exhibited publicly at the Royal Academy in 1793. During restoration, a signature reading "W Turner" was revealed in the lower-left corner, triggering the critical reattribution from an unknown follower of Julius Caesar Ibbetson. At the Sotheby's evening sale, a private collector outbid competitors to secure the piece for roughly £1.9 million including fees.
Key points
The artwork marks a critical historical milestone as the very first oil painting Turner d…: The artwork marks a critical historical milestone as the very first oil painting Turner displayed publicly at the Royal Academy.
Technical analysis shows the teenager applied translucent oil layers to emulate watercolo…: Technical analysis shows the teenager applied translucent oil layers to emulate watercolour, foreshadowing his iconic mastery of light.
Bristol Museum and Art Gallery is pursuing a loan agreement after its public fundraising…: Bristol Museum and Art Gallery is pursuing a loan agreement after its public fundraising campaign failed to win the auction.
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An artwork that changed hands for little more than £500 at a regional British auction has turned into an extraordinary discovery in the art world. The painting, initially believed to be the work of an artist associated with 18th-century painter Julius Caesar Ibbetson, was later identified as an early landscape by renowned British artist JMW Turner. Titled The Rising Squall, Hot Wells, from St Vincent's Rock, Bristol, the painting was eventually sold for approximately £1.9 million at Sotheby's in London in July 2025, after its attribution to Turner was established. The discovery was reported by The Guardian, The Art Newspaper and Artnet News, which followed the painting's journey from an overlooked auction lot to a major Old Master sale.
A forgotten painting that resurfaced at a local auction
The story began in April 2024, when the painting appeared at Dreweatts auction house in Newbury, England. It was catalogued as House by the Water in a Stormy Sky and attributed to a follower of Julius Caesar Ibbetson, rather than Turner himself. With no confirmed connection to a celebrated artist, the landscape…
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