Bristol Museum & Art Gallery is preparing a special exhibition featuring four rare J.M.W. Turner watercolor paintings as a gesture of gratitude to the community that supported their unsuccessful attempt to purchase a lost Turner masterpiece at auction. The exhibition comes after a private collector outbid the museum's £1.4 million offer for "The Rising Squall," a painting of Bristol that had been missing for over 150 years before its rediscovery in 2024.

The museum's "Bring Turner Home" campaign generated overwhelming public support, raising more than £109,000 from over 1,700 individual donations in just one week. Combined with national funding and private contributions, this grassroots effort enabled the council-run gallery to submit a competitive £1.4 million bid at the Sotheby's auction on July 2. However, an unidentified private collector ultimately secured the artwork for £1.87 million, nearly eight times the original estimated price.

Philip Walker, head of culture and creative industries at Bristol City Council, expressed both disappointment and gratitude regarding the campaign's outcome. "Bring Turner Home was the most ambitious fundraising campaign we've ever attempted, and we were overwhelmed by the support it received," Walker said. "While we'd still love the new owner to loan us The Rising Squall, this exhibition is our way of thanking supporters and celebrating Turner's deep connection to Bristol."

The upcoming exhibition, titled "Prince of the Rocks," takes its name from a nickname Turner acquired during his visit to Bristol in 1761 at age 16, when he explored the dramatic Avon Gorge. The four watercolors that will serve as the exhibition's centerpiece have not been displayed publicly for over a decade due to their fragile condition. These precious works include "View of Bristol from the South-East," "South Porch of St Mary Redcliffe," "Avon Gorge and Bristol Hotwells," and "The Mouth of the Avon, near Bristol, seen from Cliffs below Clifton."

Museum officials remain hopeful that the exhibition might persuade the anonymous owner of "The Rising Squall" to consider loaning the work to Bristol. "We would still love the opportunity to have The Rising Squall in Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, following the overwhelming support our campaign to secure it at auction received," a museum spokesperson said. "There is no news at this stage, but we are hoping this exhibition will be another way of showing the new owner of the painting how much it means to Bristol."

The exhibition will extend beyond Turner's watercolors to provide visitors with a comprehensive cultural experience. Turner prints will be featured alongside works by other artists, including Bristol's own Samuel Jackson. The display will also incorporate natural elements that inspired Turner's work, including fossils and quartz specimens found in Avon Gorge, unique plant species from the area, and taxidermy displays of notable animals that inhabit the Gorge, such as the peregrine falcon.

"The Rising Squall" holds particular significance as Turner's first work executed in oil paint. The painting depicts a view of the Hot Wells spring and spa from the eastern bank of the River Avon, capturing a scene that was familiar to Bristol residents of Turner's era. The artwork's astronomical auction price reflects both its historical importance and the rarity of Turner works appearing on the market.

Following the unsuccessful auction bid, all crowdfunded money was returned to public donors, and Bristol City Council emphasized that no taxpayer funds were used in the auction process. Councillor Tony Dyer, Leader of Bristol City Council, praised the community's response to the campaign. "I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the people of Bristol for rallying behind our campaign," Dyer said. "Their support reflects the pride we all share in our commitment to making world-class art accessible to everyone. I look forward to the Turner watercolors coming out on display and sharing the opportunity with everyone to enjoy them."

"Prince of the Rocks: JMW Turner and the Avon Gorge" will run from September 27, 2025, to January 11, 2026, in the Temporary Exhibition Gallery 2 on the first floor of Bristol Museum & Art Gallery. The exhibition will be free to the public, ensuring that the community that supported the original campaign can enjoy these rare Turner works without financial barriers.