Antique collector buys Turner’s painting for £400 and sells it for £1.9 million

An antique collector made a huge profit after buying an oil painting for £400 and selling it for £1.9 million. He later discovered it was a lost work by the famous British artist Joseph Mallord William Turner.

The late 18th-century painting, depicting a spa scene in Bristol, was sold at auction by Sotheby's in London for £1.9 million, nearly eight times its estimated value.

The painting, initially attributed to another artist, Julius Caesar Ibbetson, was carefully cleaned and experts discovered Turner's signature. This discovery surprised scholars, who confirmed that the painting dates back to 1792, when Turner was 17 years old. Just three years before this painting's date, it was believed that Turner's earliest known work dated 1795.

The sale of the painting coincided with Turner's 250th birthday, adding an extra historical dimension to the discovery. Further research established that the painting was inspired by a direct drawing by Turner found in his sketchbook, which he made during a trip to the West of England in 1791.

The painting first appeared at the Royal Academy in 1793, then passed through several private hands and dealers before disappearing from the art world for 150 years. After appearing at Sotheby's last year, it attracted four bidders, reaching a price of £1.9 million, in one of the most exciting stories in the art world.