A lost painting by William Turner was rediscovered in Vienna

Famous works by one of the great masters of light are likely to grow: according to the Artziwna Gallery, a lost painting by the British Romantic has been rediscovered in Vienna. It is the sister image to Turner's classic “Venice, as seen from the Giudecca Canal, with the Church of Santa Maria della Salute”, which hangs in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. A scientific publication on the origins of the work was published on Wednesday.

In the analytical work titled “Joseph Mallord William Turner. Rediscovery”, experts such as Belvedere Museum curator Franz Smola and Katja Stirflinger have identified the image. This was examined for typical color pigments using X-ray fluorescence analysis. “Through our analysis, we were able to prove Turner's color palette,” Sterflinger was quoted as head of the Institute of Natural Sciences and Technology in Art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna.

One of the most important pioneers of the French Impressionists

Turner, who was born in 1775 and died in 1851, is considered one of the most important pioneers of the French Impressionists with his landscape paintings dominated by light and the play of color. The image now attributed to him, about 60 x 90 centimeters in size, has been compared not only by technological examination but also from an art-historical point of view. And the conclusions of experts are clear here too. “All scientific studies indicate that this can only be a painting by Turner,” said Franz Smola.

Until now, the work has been found on private property in Vienna, although the provenance of the 180-year-old image cannot be clearly traced regarding its early stage and route to Vienna, says Artziona. In 1980, there is evidence of the purchase of “Venice, visible from the Canale delle Giudecca, with the church of Santa Maria della Salute” by one of the previous owners in Vienna. In 2005, the current owner acquired the Turner painting from an Austrian art collector. His goal now is to sell the work, which dates from around 1840.

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