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The Independent
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Campaign launched to bring only Turner oil painting of Bristol back to city
A fundraising campaign has been launched to bring one of the earliest works by JMW Turner back to the city of Bristol where the artist painted it when he was 17 years old. 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.'
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Lost JMW Turner painting could be bought by council at auction
The earliest-known oil painting by JMW Turner - which had been lost for 150 years - could be bought by a Monday, Bristol City Council agreed it would try to buy the work depicting the Avon Gorge - though it said no council budget would be spent on it. Instead, efforts will be made over the next two weeks to fundraise the £300,000 guide price for The Rising Squall through a public campaign. While it is not yet clear where exactly the money will come from, councillors unanimously approved efforts to purchase the artwork. The painting, thought to have been created by the "father of modern art" when he was aged just 17 in 1792, is listed for auction at Sotheby's on 2 July. It had lain in obscurity for more than a century before being rediscovered during cleaning in 2024, and shows the east bank of the River Avon before the building of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. If successful at auction, the council plans to hang the painting in the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery at the top of Park Street. 'Once in a lifetime' Bristol City Council's head of culture and creative industries Philip Walker told Monday's strategy and resources policy committee meeting "it would be hard to imagine another artist or another painting that is any more relevant to the city's stories". The upcoming auction, he said, was a "once in a generation opportunity to purchase a significant work of art by such a significant great master artist", adding that while the plan was for the council to actually make the transaction - should it bid successfully - the cost would be covered through fundraising. Councillor John Goulandris described the bid as a "once in a lifetime opportunity", but pointed out there was only a "narrow window" to raise funds at a time when the council's finances were "extraordinarily tight". In response to Mr Goulandris' requests for assurance that costs would not fall to the local authority, Mr Walker said the "intention" was to raise enough money to pay for the painting. "We won't necessarily have taken all the money in but we will have cast-iron contracts or commitments through public campaigns or trusts and foundations we may approach," he said. Councillor Ellie King also asked Mr Walker about the ongoing costs of maintaining such a prestigious artwork, to which the senior officer said conservation "would become business as usual". With a "reassuring" report on the state of the painting already released by its sellers, Mr Walker added, it was not expected that the work of art would need any exceptional treatment and would not significantly increase insurance policy costs. In response to a question from council leader Tony Dyer about public access to the painting, should a successful bid be made at auction, Mr Walker said the "intention would be to put it on display as soon as possible without charging for that, particularly if we have just mounted a public fundraising campaign".
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Experienced climber who broke his neck and may need both legs amputated sues partner 'who let go of rope and sent him plummeting 56ft into a ravine'
A climber who broke his neck and may need to have both his legs amputated following a terrifying fall blames his partner for his horrific injuries. David Littlejohn, 55, says fellow climber Shane Williams let go of his rope at a crucial moment, sending him plummeting down a 56ft rock face in the Avon Gorge, Bristol. Littlejohn is now suing Williams for £1 million in compensation after he also broke his sternum, pelvis, and feet during the ordeal in May 2023, The Telegraph reported. Mr Littlejohn claimed he was under the impression Mr Williams had a firm hold of the rope when he put his weight on it while taking part in a climb known as the Arms Race. But he said Mr Williams released the rope without informing him, causing him to fall into a deep ravine. Despite the accident happening two years ago, Mr Littlejohn still faces a long road to recovery. He suffers from constant back pain and may have to have both of his legs amputated if reconstructive surgery on his feet is unsuccessful, his orthopaedic surgeon told the court. Mr Littlejohn also claims to have experienced anxiety, depressed mood, irritability, and panic attacks following the fall. He said he believed Mr Williams to be a competent climber as he was a member of The Climbers Club - a climbing association where members have to be proposed and seconded before they can join. In documents lodged with the High Court, Mr Littlejohn alleged Mr Williams negligently failed to have 'due regard for his personal safety' and failed to act in accordance with his experience as a competent amateur climber. The documents claim he is able to walk with a four-wheeled walker, but struggles with stairs and basic daily tasks. The lawsuit comes just weeks after another terrifying rock climbing accident where a man miraculously survived a terrifying 400ft plunge that killed his three friends. Anton Tselykh, 38, had been climbing in Washington's North Cascades mountains when the anchor his group were tethered to gave way, sending them all plummeting down the rock face. Speaking from a hospital bed in Seattle, Tselykh recounted how the men fell for about 200 feet into a slanted gulch and then tumbled another 200 feet before coming to a stop. He described losing consciousness for several hours before waking up in the dark surrounded by a tangle of ropes and gear. Despite sustaining serious injuries, he fought for eight hours to free himself before working his way down the rough terrain of rock and snow to his car. He then drove to a nearby town to call for help, he told Cristina Woodworth, who leads the sheriff's search and rescue team. The four climbers were friends, some of whom had climbed together before and appeared fairly experienced, Woodworth said, adding that Tselykh was 'obviously very much affected by this.' The climbers killed were Vishnu Irigireddy, 48, Tim Nguyen, 63, and Oleksander Martynenko, 36, the Okanogan County coroner said.
BBC News
20-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Sheep brought in to maintain ancient Bristol Downs grazing rights
A flock of sheep has been enjoying one of Bristol's popular open spaces for the day to help keep an historic grazing law ewes and three lambs joined primary school children and residents on Durdham Down so that local groups and householders could exercise their rights to graze their sheep on the to the Downs Act of 1861, commoners must tether at least one sheep for one day every five years to keep the privileges Stevens, from Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project, said: "There's always been a bit of mystery about exactly how often it has to be done - however we go with every five years because it's easy to remember." Nearly 450 acres of open grassland was bought by the Society of Merchant Venturers (SMV) and the city council between 1700 and 1860, according to Robert Bournes from the SMV."The Merchant Venturers bought what was called the Manor of Clifton and the city council bought the Manor of Henbury and they're alongside each other here on the Downs," he said."In 1861 [they] decided to put their resources together under the Downs Act - to look after the Downs for the benefit of the people of Bristol." Under the act, 13 groups or individuals who have property bordering the Downs have the right to let loose up to 1,885 sheep on the include the University of Bristol Botanic Gardens, Badminton School, Trinity College, St Monica Trust as well as individual hundreds of sheep were grazed on the Downs and up until 1925 a full-time shepherd was employed to look after as the volume of motor traffic increased it started putting livestock at risk and the flocks were removed. Shepherdess Melinda Baker, who travelled up to Bristol from Somerset with her small flock of sheep, said it was a "historical right of commoners"."The sheep look very fitting here," she said."Unfortunately in modern-day life, we can't have them here free ranging, but in a pen for today it's just perfect." 'Stepping in poo' In a bid to keep the medieval rights of pasturage alive, the flock of of black Welsh mountain sheep were joined by more than 80 children from local Ted, said the school trip to the Downs had been "very cool"."We've been exploring the place and some people have been feeding the lambs and sheep," he said."[The sheep] are very clumsy and we keep stepping in their poo and everyone finds it very disgusting."
