Lot Essay
Turner was notoriously averse to having his portrait painted and, apart from his own self-portraits, this is the only more or less formal portrait of him in oils. The others are side or back views, or pencil sketches; indeed, what was formerly held to be the most closely studied portrait in pencil, that done by Cornelius Varley by means of his Graphic Telescope (R.J.B. Walker, op.cit., pp. 24-5, no. 14, repro.), has now been doubted, in part because Turner would never have sat long enough for his likeness to have been taken with such a device (see A. Lyles, review of Making and Meaning: Turner, The Fighting Temeraire, exhibition, London, National Gallery, in The Burlington Magazine, CXXXVII, September 1995, p. 634, repro. fig. 52).
In 1835 Linnell asked Turner if he would sit for a portrait, but Turner refused as he had done in the past to similar requests from other artists. Three years later on the 25 June 1838 Linnell was able to get round this refusal with the help of his friend the Rev. E.T. Daniell. Daniell invited Turner to dinner with several other artists and arranged it so that Linnell sat opposite Turner and could study him unobserved. Linnell mentions the dinner in the letter written on 26 June to his daughter Hannah, who was on her way to her honeymoon in Italy with Palmer '...Mr. Severn however is now in London, I met him yesterday evening at Mr. Daniells where were Turner, Callcott, Eastlake etc...'. Three days later on 29 June, Linnell began the portrait '...Made scetch (sic) from recollection of J.M.W. Turner RA'.
Linnell appears to have done no further work on the portrait until it was seen in his workshop by the dealer David Thomas White on 29 July 1850. Linnell's journal records '...Mr. D.T. White agreed to give #50 for the portrait of J.M.W. Turner RA finished'. A fortnight later Linnell wrote in his journal '...Mr. D.T. White came and paid for the portrait of J.M.W. Turner RA' and the artist's Cash Book entry for 14 August reads '... R of Mr. D.T. White for Portrait of J.M.W. Turner & Frame #52 - 10/-'.
A year later on 12 August 1851 White wrote to Linnell '... When I bought the Turner portrait from you I was informed that no sketch or any other material for repeating the said portrait was in being. I have sold the picture to Mr. Birch with that assurance and unless he consents to a replica I must beg most earnestly of you not to compromise my yet untarnished honor. Indeed your kind paragraph 'but I would not do anything contrary to your interests in such a matter' disposes me to say 'I know in whom I have trusted'. Most happy I shall be to spend some hours with you at Redstone Wood...'. This letter may have been written because the portrait was now in the hands of another dealer Mr. Pennell, as on 24 June Linnell wrote in his journal '... Mr. Pennell said Mr. Birch had bought Woodlands of him & given Turner in exchange'.
A letter from Linnell to Walter Thornbury, who Walker states owned the picture, declares: 'I believe the portrait was painted about 1837, and as the friend for whom it was intended died, it remained with me until I sold it to Mr. D.T. White, the Picture Dealer, in Maddox Street, Hanover Square. The picture was intended for Mr. Birch of Birmingham, and was, I believe, valued at 200 guineas - it is now worth triple that sum. It is a vivacious likeness, and highly interesting to those who knew the great painter twenty years ago' (W. Thornbury, op.cit.).
In 1872 a William Holmes of Cherry Street, Birmingham, wrote to Linnell about the portrait asking for '... the story attached to it'. Unfortunately Linnell misunderstood and thought he wanted the portrait authenticated and asked him to send it with a five pound authentication fee. Holmes wrote again explaining that he wanted to know '...something about the circumstances under which it was painted as I understand the sittings for it were arranged without the knowledge of the sitter'. Whether Linnell replied or not is not known as there is no trace of another letter on the subject. It should be noted, however, that the implication that Holmes owned the picture was not proven and indeed, in the belief that it was in Thornbury's collection by 1877 (the year that he published his Life of J.M.W. Turner), may perhaps be doubted.
In 1835 Linnell asked Turner if he would sit for a portrait, but Turner refused as he had done in the past to similar requests from other artists. Three years later on the 25 June 1838 Linnell was able to get round this refusal with the help of his friend the Rev. E.T. Daniell. Daniell invited Turner to dinner with several other artists and arranged it so that Linnell sat opposite Turner and could study him unobserved. Linnell mentions the dinner in the letter written on 26 June to his daughter Hannah, who was on her way to her honeymoon in Italy with Palmer '...Mr. Severn however is now in London, I met him yesterday evening at Mr. Daniells where were Turner, Callcott, Eastlake etc...'. Three days later on 29 June, Linnell began the portrait '...Made scetch (sic) from recollection of J.M.W. Turner RA'.
Linnell appears to have done no further work on the portrait until it was seen in his workshop by the dealer David Thomas White on 29 July 1850. Linnell's journal records '...Mr. D.T. White agreed to give #50 for the portrait of J.M.W. Turner RA finished'. A fortnight later Linnell wrote in his journal '...Mr. D.T. White came and paid for the portrait of J.M.W. Turner RA' and the artist's Cash Book entry for 14 August reads '... R of Mr. D.T. White for Portrait of J.M.W. Turner & Frame #52 - 10/-'.
A year later on 12 August 1851 White wrote to Linnell '... When I bought the Turner portrait from you I was informed that no sketch or any other material for repeating the said portrait was in being. I have sold the picture to Mr. Birch with that assurance and unless he consents to a replica I must beg most earnestly of you not to compromise my yet untarnished honor. Indeed your kind paragraph 'but I would not do anything contrary to your interests in such a matter' disposes me to say 'I know in whom I have trusted'. Most happy I shall be to spend some hours with you at Redstone Wood...'. This letter may have been written because the portrait was now in the hands of another dealer Mr. Pennell, as on 24 June Linnell wrote in his journal '... Mr. Pennell said Mr. Birch had bought Woodlands of him & given Turner in exchange'.
A letter from Linnell to Walter Thornbury, who Walker states owned the picture, declares: 'I believe the portrait was painted about 1837, and as the friend for whom it was intended died, it remained with me until I sold it to Mr. D.T. White, the Picture Dealer, in Maddox Street, Hanover Square. The picture was intended for Mr. Birch of Birmingham, and was, I believe, valued at 200 guineas - it is now worth triple that sum. It is a vivacious likeness, and highly interesting to those who knew the great painter twenty years ago' (W. Thornbury, op.cit.).
In 1872 a William Holmes of Cherry Street, Birmingham, wrote to Linnell about the portrait asking for '... the story attached to it'. Unfortunately Linnell misunderstood and thought he wanted the portrait authenticated and asked him to send it with a five pound authentication fee. Holmes wrote again explaining that he wanted to know '...something about the circumstances under which it was painted as I understand the sittings for it were arranged without the knowledge of the sitter'. Whether Linnell replied or not is not known as there is no trace of another letter on the subject. It should be noted, however, that the implication that Holmes owned the picture was not proven and indeed, in the belief that it was in Thornbury's collection by 1877 (the year that he published his Life of J.M.W. Turner), may perhaps be doubted.