1153 - ENGLISH SCHOOL

ENGLISH SCHOOL 19th century Title: View of Edinburgh Featuring the Original North Bridge, Which No Longer Exists. Date: Circa 1830/31. Technique: Oil on canvas. Dimensions: 30.5 x 56. Reverse: On the stretcher, an old collection label reads: “JMW Turner RA ‘A view of Edinburgh.’ 11 inches x 21 inches. From the Wynn Ellis collection, 1876,” as well as an old label from the Heinemann Galerie, Munich, and two numbered labels. Frame: Framed. Certificate: Pigment analysis (XRF analysis), Cologne. Cologne Institute of Conservation Sciences, November 18, 2012; Scientific analysis to identify the materials, June 5, 2002. Even though the painting is not dated, it is possible to narrow down its date of origin relatively precisely based on the depicted architecture as well as available research into the artist’s painting technique and material composition. The View of Edinburgh, seen from Carlton Hill, shows, among other things, the North Bridge, which was demolished in its original form in the 1890s. However, it is striking that the prominent Dugald Stewart Monument, which would be visible from this vantage point, is missing. The monument was not completed until 1831 and thus serves as a significant terminus post quem for dating the painting. Furthermore, the available dendrochronological report and the material-technological report are significant, as they confirm the use of synthetic ultramarine. This pigment entered the market in the early 1830s and was subsequently used more and more by artists. Together with the topographical evidence, these clues point to the painting having been created around 1830–31. This early attribution to William Turner, which persisted over the course of several decades, is verifiable. From today’s perspective, this history of provenance and attribution is particularly significant because it not only documents the painting’s early reception but also provides a crucial starting point for a new art-historical and technical investigation of its authorship. However, unequivocal confirmation of Turner’s authorship was not possible prior to the auction. Notably, there were no sufficient comparative analyses or examination results available that would have justified attributing the painting to Turner with the certainty required to list it as such in the catalog. Therefore, for reasons of scholarly transparency and from a market perspective, we have decided not to offer the painting as a work by William Turner but, more cautiously, as a work by the English school, first half of the 19th century. The historically documented attribution to Turner remains an explicit part of the painting’s provenance and reception history and should be taken into account accordingly in any further art-historical investigation. Provenance: Private collection, Germany; Galerie Heinemann, Munich, 1906–1921, no. 842 (as a work by William Turner); Schofield Collection (?); Christie’s auction, London, May 6, 1876, lot 111 (as “J.M.W. Turner, R.A., A View of Edinburgh”); Wynn Ellis Collection (1790–1875), London (attributed to William Turner). Exhibition: Exhibition of 18th-century English masters and a collection of modern paintings from the Heinemann Gallery, Munich. Kunsthalle Basel, March 1906. No. 88 (attributed to William Turner). Estimated shipping costs for this lot: This lot is not suitable for parcel shipping. Transport is available only through a shipping company after consultation following the auction. Additional shipping insurance Shipping insurance up to a total invoice amount of 25,000 euros: max. 41.65 euros over a total invoice amount of 25,000 euros: 1.8 per thousand Shipping to the U.S. by individual arrangement after the auction. #English School #Cityscape #Architecture #Paintings.