Much of Towne’s commissioned work during the pre-Italian period was in oil, but in later years his clients more commonly ordered watercolours. Only three commissioned oil paintings survive (FT410, FT421, FT449), all from the early to mid-1780s. A fourth commission is lost (FT411).

Apart from the commissioned pictures, several of the oil paintings listed here were painted for exhibition at the Royal Academy between the later 1780s and the 1800s (FT572, FT616, FT617, FT646). They are valuable survivals, as they confirm Towne’s insistence, in his 1803 autobiographical letter, that he had never exhibited a drawing and because they show the kinds of work on which Towne was basing his claim for membership of the Royal Academy during the latter part of his career. Further exhibits are now lost (FT557, FT557a, FT574, FT575, FT576, FT598, FT627a).