Bristol Museum outbid in attempt to buy Turner oil painting of city
'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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Ellen DeGeneres's £22.5m Cotswolds mansion is all the inspiration you need for a modern take on the classic farmhouse aesthetic
Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more With Ellen DeGeneres ' idyllic Cotswolds home having just hit the market, it's every bit as warm, characterful, and beautifully appointed as you'd expect. High-end estate agent Sotheby's International Realty is marketing the seven-bedroomed home as 'a landmark country estate in the heart of the Cotswolds'. But one space that's capturing serious attention is Ellen's dressing room: a striking blend of country charm and contemporary luxury, brought to life with natural textures, statement lighting, and beautifully crafted cabinetry. The showstopper? A custom-made, curved island that anchors the room and strikes a rare balance: it's practical yet elegant, rustic and refined. Think shaker-style built-ins, wide-plank antique wood floors, and botanical wallpaper accents that feel right at home in the Cotswolds countryside, alongwith a very trendy fluted design. The US talk show recently revealed the farmhouse she moved into last year was now for sale for a whopping £22.5million, £7million more than Ellen paid for it when she purchased it with wife Portia de Rossi. But as the mansion hits the market, here's how you can get the look. Ellen's walk-in wardrobe provided the perfect backdrop for a dressing table, and the below items would make the perfect addition to any bedroom or living space. Homary Glass Top Dresser £999.99 Shop Neville Johnson Art Deco Island A sprawling cream sofa provides the perfect place to relax while elevating the look of any room and complements any colour palette. Hector Cosy Weave 3 Seater Sofa £999 Shop Blake Jumbo Cord 3 Seater Sofa £529 Shop STUNNING CENTREPIECES It's the little things that can make the big differences when it comes to decorating your home. These furnishings are sure to get any guests' attention. Massin Vase Large £48 Shop Grace Hurricane Lantern £55 Shop STYLISH CUSHIONS Add a touch of glamour to your home with a decorative light fitting. These elaborate and ornate designs exude elegance and sophistication. £189.99 Shop Kichler Lacey 9 Light Chandelier in Antique Pewter £598.87 Shop GET ELLEN'S GARDEN FURNITURE Make the most of the British summertime by sprucing up your garden with the addition of stunning seating and dining areas. Nustone L-Shaped Corner Rattan Garden Furniture Lounge Dining Set for Seating 8 People Ottinge Folding Dining Set £299 Shop Ravenna Rectangular Dining Set £487.50 Shop Alfresco 8 Seater Rattan Dining Set Garden Furniture Cushion Seat Woven Rattan £355.99 Shop
The Guardian
3 days ago
- The Guardian
Reframing the debate over Tate attendances and exhibitions
Tate Britain's visitor numbers continue to rise year on year, and Tate Modern is the most visited museum of modern art in the world. Over 6 million people visited a Tate gallery in 2024. Your report (Tate director blames Brexit and Covid for slump in visitors, 29 July) compares our latest attendance figures for Tate Modern and Tate Britain against the most visited year in their history, 2019, when they had 700,000 more visitors than the year before. It would be fairer to compare with an average of annual attendances before Covid. As your article notes, the number of UK visitors to Tate's galleries has returned to 95% of pre-pandemic levels. Attendances at paid-for exhibitions at both Tate Modern and Tate Britain are also back up to pre-Covid levels. Almost all of the remaining shortfall is in international tourists' visits to the free collections. However, a further 1 million people engaged with Tate works in exhibitions worldwide. While demographic changes in European visitation have had an impact, our success with local audiences, the achievement that your article notes of 76,000 visitors to Tate Modern's Birthday Weekend (70% of whom were under 35), and our upcoming programme of Pablo Picasso, JMW Turner, John Constable and Tracey Emin, have given us a stronger platform than ever for future BalshawDirector, Tate I would have to agree with those who blame Tate's woes on things other than Brexit and Covid. Since the heady years of the noughties and teens, it seems that the Tate has failed to really capture the imagination with its exhibitions offer. Where are the shows of the magnitude of Cruel Tender that shed new light on what a photograph could be and do? Nor has there been anything to match the gutsiness of the Mona Hatoum retrospective, the delight of Christian Marclay's The Clock, the immersiveness of Olafur Eliasson's The Weather Project or the political cogency of Ai Weiwei's Sunflower Seeds. Apart from the Lynette Yiadom-Boakye portrait show at Tate Britain and the El Anatsui pieces in the Turbine Hall, there has been little, in terms of contemporary art, to set the pulse racing of late. It doesn't help that the Turner prize – once a focus of national conversation – is now so low-key as to barely warrant a mention in the press. Maybe contemporary art has run out of energy, but surely in the current era we need a vibrant art and public gallery scene to engage us in discussion of pressing BlissTonbridge, Kent Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Glasgow Times
5 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Salvador Dali painting bought at house clearance sale identified as original
The art dealer who purchased the mixed media piece, who wished to remain anonymous, discovered it had previously been offered for sale at Sotheby's in the 1990s fully attributed to Dali. The painting is to be offered for sale by Cambridgeshire auctioneers Cheffins on October 23. Gabrielle Downie, an associate at Cheffins, said: 'The loss of an attribution is quite rare in the modern artworld making this a significant rediscovery for Dali scholars. 'To handle a genuine rediscovery of a work by who is easily one of the most famous artists in the world, and the godfather of Surrealism, is a real honour. 'It has been an exciting process researching and having this painting authenticated and it is a testament to the sellers' significant art knowledge that he was able to spot this picture at a house clearance sale. 'While Dali's work is often some of the most recognisable, this is an unusual piece which shows a different side to his practice when working in watercolour.' The artwork, titled Vecchio Sultano, was discovered in a Cambridge-based house clearance sale in 2023. It has been certified as authentic by Dali expert Nicolas Descharnes and has a pre-sale estimate of £20,000 to £30,000. The image, made with watercolour paint and felt tip, measures 38cm by 29cm. It is an illustration of a scene from The Arabian Nights, a series of 500 pieces which Dali intended to create of Middle Eastern folktales, which was commissioned by wealthy Italian couple Giuseppe and Mara Albaretto. The painting has been certified as authentic by Dali expert Nicolas Descharnes (Cheffins/PA) Ms Downie said: 'The Albarettos who commissioned this work had initially asked Dali to illustrate a bible in 1963, but upon Dali's insistence, he instead ended up illustrating scenes from 1,001 Nights – a collection of Middle Eastern folktales. 'It seems Dali was fascinated with Moorish culture and believed himself to be from a Moorish line. 'It seems that this project was abandoned, with Dali only having completed 100 of the intended 500 works. 'Of these 100, half remained with the publishing house Rizzoli and were either damaged or lost; the other 50 stayed with the Albarettos and were later inherited by their daughter, Christina, who was also Dali's goddaughter. 'It is the 50 that were retained by the family that were published in 2016 by the Folio Society. 'I think, given that Dali engineered the commission to suit his whims, that he very much enjoyed this project and the subject matter. 'It is most likely that the work in question came from the batch of 50 which were retained and later lost by the publishers.'
