Authentication of the art of Joseph Mallord William Turner. British painter

    A true maestro in the realms of art history, the British painter of light'

Joseph Mallord William Turner produced countless exquisite works of art on paper in watercolour and landscape oil paintings well ahead of his time, far back in the 1700's. Indeed, he was simply the first true impressionist painter but a century before its birth!

 As a child artist he was superlative and at the age of only 25 he was exhibiting magnificent watercolours at the Royal Academy and by 1793 the Royal Society of Arts awarded him its 'Greater Silver Pallet' award for landscape drawing.

Unrivalled in colourful and atmospheric excellence, his life's work of paintings included seascapes, landscapes, architecture, industry, transport and portraiture.

 Though the majority of his works are well documented and catalogued, some do surface from time to time. Though where they have been for 200 years or more, no one knows.

 To be fair though, seldom, if ever do we investigate the authenticity of oil paintings attributed to J M W Turner of this magnitude. Like the oil painting by J M W Turner of Anglers fishing on the river Dee (above) or of Lake Lucerne on the right, as Turner's masterpieces are all by now, barring a miracle, tucked away in museums around the world. What we do see however are claimed to be, lesser Turner works. Such as J M W Turner oil sketches, Turner drawings and small paintings and watercolors which clients feel may have slipped through the net of time.

 J M W Turner was revered as an artist in England and in his time commanded high prices for his paintings. So much so that art forgery and fake Turner paintings were commonplace with Turner himself spending large amounts of money in prosecuting art fraud and suing imposters of his published works and prints.

It stands to reasoin therefore that many illicit works of art, both Turner watercolors and oil paintings purporting to be by the hand of J M W Turner and from that very time frame, probably still exist.

 For any art authentication investigation specialists or researchers, the problem in identifying authentic works by J M W Turner is the disparity of quality between works of the same subject, like the second picture below which is also 'Anglers fishing on the river Dee.'

Then there are those legitimate works which have survived from even earlier Turner times. 

Anglers fishing on the river Dee . J M W Turner

Joseph Mallord William Turner

^ Early Watercolour by J M W Turner aged 12

 Freemanart are expert professional international art authenticity investigators and quite unique in the art world. We are art consultants and authentication procedures experts with over 39 years of specialised experience dedicated to undertaking and conducting art authentication investigation projects, including JMW Turner art forgery identification and JMW Turner fake art detection. Pursuing the international investigation & prosecution of art fraud and forgery cases world wide for clients.

 We specifically undertake all of the necessary academic, in-depth archival and forensic measures which are required in building J M W Turner fine art authentication cases and confirming artist attribution matters for our private clients around the world, conducting art work legitimacy and art fraud investigations internationally.

Turner sketches and sketch book watercolors

JMW-Turner watercolor -View-of-Minster, Isle-of-Thanet-1784                                                       Turner watercolour of St. Johns church Margate, England

  The Freemanart Consultancy specialise in implementing art authentication investigations, expertly preparing the cases 'for' authenticity or 'against' authenticity for individuals and clients across the world.

These may be clients who may be considering the delicate matter of future family distribution, or for those requiring the underpinning of authentication prior to an investment purchase or for the brokerage of an existing piece, or for those in opposition, taking legal steps and litigating against an art fraud.

 Academic opinion alone is seldom enough in matters of authentication of art. So too signature verification as many  J M W Turner works have been left unsigned. Some are fully signed and more just initialled. The science of forensics therefore justifiably has a major part to play in the authentication process.

 We employ mainly non-destructive forensic methodology in investigative support of the authentication of all art works including; Spectrographic & Raman technology, examination and testing plus macroscopic & microscopic forensic analysis. Science therefore very effectively assists us in identifying and dating pigments, inks and artist materials but without any adverse effect on the work of art. So too, our expert court recognized handwriting and document examiners play a vital role in the authentication of art process.

 Freemanart's forensic experts also conduct expert chemical analysis and fibre identification processes which reinforces the investigation procedure in the identification of fake drawings & paintings, signature forgery identification & art and supportive document  fraud, such as illicit and fake provenance, forged letters, wills and sales receipts.

Pursuing complex J. M. W. Turner art authentication issues.

 The Freemanart Consultancy with bases across Europe and North America, are art authentication experts who specialise in art authentication investigations and its related procedures.

 We conduct detailed forensic art analysis alongside in depth academic investigations and have art experts, forensic art analysts and scholars on hand who specifically specialise in particular in the artwork and paintings of the artist J M W Turner.

  We are specifically here to assist you with both financial valuations of legitimate Turner works of art and advise on the all so important issues of J M W Turner authentication and attribution issues and at all levels, undertaking our investigative work completely confidentially and swiftly across the world.

With physical access to Turner records and documents distributed in archive across Europe, we are perfectly sited geographically to assist you.

 Preliminary authentication assessments of previously attributed J M W Turner paintings or paintings bearing the famous Turner signature, right at the start of an art authenticity investigation can save great personal heartache and unnecessary expense. So for information on that ongoing professional process and further details on art authentication issues in general, or to discuss a specific request about Turner and authentication at the preliminary assessment stage, simply  > Click Here

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Works of art in recent years attributed to J M W Turner

Battle for Fort Seringapatam – a watercolour J M W Turner   

Hoollay Deedy in the inner Rampart of Seringapatam attributed watercolor J M W Turner   

Queen Mabs Grotto  (Oil Painting) J M W Turner     

Landscape with a view of a bay and boats  (Works on paper) J M W Turner Residence of the Mysore Rajah within fort of Seringapatam watercolour attributed to J M W Turner  

Ship in rough seas -  watercolor J M W Turner     

Busy shipping lane  - watercolour attributed to J M W Turner     

Classical summer lake landscape with figures a watercolour attributed to J M W Turner     

Meeting at Bible Society with Duke of Sussex in chair.  Oil Painting attributed to J M W Turner     

At Bushey Heath a watercolour attributed to J M W Turner

Claudian landscape - Oil Painting attributed to J M W Turner

Interior of Canterbury Cathedral watercolour attributed to J M W Turner
Study of the West Gate at Canterbury watercolor attributed to J M W Turner

View of Edinburgh: Oil attributed to J M W Turner

Stangate Creek on the Medway watercolor attributed to J M W Turner

Oxfordshire  (Oil Painting)  attributed to J M W Turner

Temple of Minerva Oil Painting  attributed to J M W Turner

Landscape with a traveller J M W Turner attributed watercolour

Looking from Ulva to Mull, Scotland J M W Turner attributed watercolour

Portrait of D Wilkie  J M W Turner attributed watercolor

Langdale Pike watercolour attributed to J M W Turner

Dardanelles watercolor attributed to J M W Turner