Turner painting of Donnington to be auctioned, when is a Turner not a Turner? Options

[Andy Capp]

It would seem that Joseph Mallord William Turner, a world famous Romantic landscape painter, painted Donnington Castle. I have never heard of this before. I understand that William Turner of Oxford (a different Turner than the one famous for painting 'The Fighting Temeraire') painted a very similar picture to that listed at Dreweatts.

Are there any art gurus on this forum that could confirm whether the picture is a legitimate JMW Turner, or not? I have a feeling a mistake has been made.


Turner's Donnington Castle painting up at auction



Donnington Castle, taken from a Field adjoining the Road to East Ilsley, from Newbury - by William Turner of Oxford

[Nothing Much]

Bit of excitement there.
I thought I would mention how easy it is to make a faux attribution.

J-F Millet (the french chap from Barbizon) had a large family who it seems all became artists.
I bought an LP a long time ago because of the cover picture.It was Songs of the Auverne.
The cover was a scene of sheep walking up a path. I played it a few times (Philistine ....Moi?)

Credits were given to the Bridgeman art collection for the use of the Jean Francois Millet.
Only it wasn't him. I know because I have a watercolour by his less smart brother.
Jean Baptiste Millet. Sometimes J-Bapt. Millet. That cover and my picture have the same signature.

The picture I bought came from Highclere in 1968, for £6.00 is now worth about £1000.00.
If it had been J-F it would not be on my wall anymore! It had been through Christie's at some stage
as there is a sticker on the back.