A painting attributed to JMW Turner, titled *The Rising Squall, Hot Wells, from St Vincent’s Rock, Bristol*, is set to be auctioned at Sotheby’s London on 2 July with an estimate of £200,000–£300,000. The work was sold last year at Dreweatts Donnington Priory for just £524.80, then catalogued as a follower of Julius Caesar Ibbetson. After a collector purchased it and arranged restoration, Turner’s signature was uncovered, and leading Turner scholars unanimously endorsed the attribution. The painting, made in 1792 when Turner was 17, depicts Hot Wells House in Bristol and was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1793.
This rediscovery matters because it adds a significant early work to Turner’s known oeuvre, offering insight into his technical ambition as a teenager. The painting’s dramatic leap in value—from £524 to an estimate of £300,000—highlights the transformative power of attribution in the art market. Additionally, Tate Britain will include the work in its upcoming exhibition *Turner and Constable* (27 November–12 April 2026), and the find coincides with the Turner 250 festival celebrating the artist’s 250th birthday.