A previously recorded but untraced watercolour painting by JMW Turner, which has been kept in a private family collection since before 1956, has sold for £93,375 at Cheffins in Cambridge as part of The Fine Sale on 22nd March. The picture had a pre-sale estimate of £30,000 - £50,000, and sold to Chepstow Museum.
Chepstow Castle by JMW Turner
The painting, which shows a view of Chepstow Castle, was created by Turner when he was only 19 years old, and this was the first time in nearly 100 years that it had been offered to the open market.
There are only two known paintings of this view of Chepstow Castle and bridge in Monmouthshire by Turner known to be in existence, this, and one other, which is currently held in the Courtauld Institute. The painting depicts Chepstow Castle overlooking the River Wye, showing the view from downstream of a wooden bridge, complete with a boat in the foreground and the castle alongside a series of cottages. The version held at the Courtauld Institute is undated, less finished and smaller than the painting to be offered by Cheffins, and differences can be observed in the arrangement of the boats, the detailing of the town and castle and the position of the figures on the bridge.
Signed ‘Turner’ and dated 1794, the attribution has been confirmed by Andrew Wilton, the leading scholar on Turner and who was the first Curator of the Clore Gallery for the Turner Collection at the Tate Britain.
Patricia Cross, Associate at Cheffins, comments: “Turner is considered one of the greatest landscape painters in the world, and this is an important collectors’ piece, offering a glimpse into his style in the early part of his career. With this in mind, we saw bidders from across the world join us both in the saleroom and online as the painting went to the auction block. As an important record of Turner’s early style which was developing at a quick pace at this time of life, the painting was offered in immaculate condition, having been held in a private London home since the 1950s. It has likely remained in the same family since it was last offered on the open market in 1917. Given its large scale and highly finished composition, we believe that it probably was painted as a presentation piece for one of Turner’s important patrons. We are delighted to have sold it to Chepstow Museum.”
Auction: The Fine Sale – 22nd March 2023 from 11am
Location: Cheffins, Clifton House, 1-2 Clifton Road, Cambridge, UK, CB1 7EA