Joseph Mallord William Turner was, arguably, England's greatest painter. His command of all artistic media was unequalled, but the inspiration for many of his greatest works came from elsewhere - his mate Dave.

Dave's surname, sadly, is lost in the mists of time, so he will never win the acclaim that he so richly deserves. He and Turner first met in a pub in Deptford, and struck up a warm friendship from the first. Turner was a common man, proud of his working-class background, and got along well with most people. Records are sketchy, but it would seem that Dave was a painter and decorator, and after a few drinks together, Turner invited him to visit the studio so that he could quote for giving it a lick of paint.

Two days later Dave turned up at Turner's studio, pencil behind his ear and cigarette packet in hand, ready to do the calculations and give Turner a price. But the studio was never painted, and four years later Dave was still there.

Having seen Turner's work, he had realised his true calling in life, and stayed constantly at Turner's side to learn the craft. Soon he was producing a more or less constant stream of paintings of great originality and insight. Ironically, modern research has shown that many of Turner's most lauded works are, in fact, inferior reworkings of ideas originally executed by Dave. Though we shall never know his full name, we are proud to reproduce here three of Dave's finest works; those of a scholarly bent may enjoy comparing them with the Turner paintings that are so obviously derived from them.

"Right Nasty Weather" This powerful painting is Dave's first known work. Already, he displays a full mastery of the difficult art of painting sea and sky-scapes, and of representing bad weather in oil paints. Turner's famous "Snowstorm at Sea" is very obviously a copy of this painting.

"The Fighting Temeraire Sinking on the Way to Her Last Berth" This evocative picture captures the melancholy of a blood-red sunset, as the brave warship sinks in despair while being towed to her last berth. Is this a metaphore for the depression associated with creativity? Probably not, actually. Turner's copy of this picture lost much of the pathos by keeping the ship safely above water.

"Lindisfarne Castle Painted Very Quickly Because the Light Was Going, and Also Because My Hands Were Getting Cold. It's Right Parky Up There" A wonderful, golden sunset settles upon one of the most atmospheric places in England. Turner and Dave visited the area together, but Turner spent most of his time in the pub. His painting of Norham Castle is thought to have been based upon this picture, or at least inspired by it, but the resemblance is superficial.

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