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 wasrediscovered 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." "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 onFacebook,XandInstagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or viaWhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.
Council's £100k appeal to buy lost Turner painting
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"Bristol City Council Launches Fundraiser to Acquire Turner Painting"
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TruthLens AI Summary
Bristol City Council has initiated a one-week fundraising campaign to acquire JMW Turner's earliest-known oil painting, "The Rising Squall," which depicts the Avon Gorge. The council aims to raise £100,000 to contribute towards the purchase of this historically significant artwork, which has not been seen for 150 years. The painting was rediscovered last year and is estimated to be valued at £300,000. Phillip Walker, the head of culture for Bristol City Council, emphasized the importance of this piece, stating that it is the first and likely only oil painting Turner created of a Bristol scene at the age of just 17. The council is actively seeking additional funding sources to cover the remaining amount needed before the auction scheduled for July 2. Walker remarked on the council's commitment to exploring all potential avenues to secure the necessary funds for bidding on the painting.
The artwork originally debuted at the Royal Academy shortly after Turner's 18th birthday and was later acquired by Reverend Robert Nixon, who was a patron of Turner's father's barber shop. After Nixon's death, the painting was inherited by his son and subsequently fell into obscurity, with its last known exhibition taking place in Tasmania, Australia. Should the council fail to secure the painting, they have assured the public that all donations will be refunded. Walker has urged community members to support the initiative, describing the opportunity as a rare chance for Bristol to reaffirm the significance of art and culture within the city. The council's fundraising efforts reflect a broader aim to enhance the cultural heritage of Bristol through the acquisition of this notable piece of art history.
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