A masterwork depicting Rome that has been hailed as JMW Turner's profound artistic tribute to the city has made a fleeting return to the Italian capital after nearly two centuries away. The painting, Rome, From Mount Aventine, went on public display in Rome on 29 September, beginning an international exhibition tour that will take it to Hong Kong and New York before it reaches the auction block in London on 9 December, where it is anticipated to achieve a record-setting price.
One of the few Turner paintings still held in private hands, the work was displayed at Palazzo Rondinini in central Rome for a limited engagement. The golden-hued composition captures the Tiber River as viewed from the Aventine Hill, rendered with the luminous quality that defines Turner's mature style.
The painting's condition remains extraordinary. It has never been relined or restored since its creation, remaining on its original canvas within its original frame. Marks left by Turner's palette knife and brushes remain visible, along with his fingerprints from when he handled the canvas in his studio.
"Because it's unlined, the surface of the picture is extraordinarily well preserved," Julian Gascoigne, a senior specialist at Sotheby's London, told reporters in Rome. "You can see all the delicate glazes of translucent paint that he's built up over successive painting sessions that give the picture this extraordinary sense of light and depth and glow. You can see the teeth of the brush and the scrape of the palette knife in a way that is not really seen in almost any other work by the artist."
According to Italian news reports, Sotheby's Italy chief executive Lorenzo Rebecchini stated that the house expects bids around £50m, though the painting's exceptional condition could attract higher offers.
A Rare Survivor from Turner's Roman Period
Turner first journeyed to Rome in 1819 and returned in the late 1820s, when he participated in a vibrant artistic community centred around the Spanish Steps. The artist began this particular work in Rome and completed it in London, where it was first displayed at the Royal Academy in 1836 to mixed critical reception.
Turner produced several paintings of Rome throughout his career, but this work holds singular significance.
"However, this is the only painting by the artist of Rome as it looked during his time," Gascoigne explained. "Every other painting he did of Rome was an evocation of a bygone age. But this is the only portrait of the city. In many ways, it's his great love letter to the city that inspired him throughout his life."
The painting's ownership history spans nearly two centuries. It was commissioned in the late 1820s by Hugh Andrew Johnstone Munro of Novar, an amateur British artist who accompanied Turner on his sketching expeditions. The work remained in Munro's collection until 1878, when it was purchased on behalf of Archibald Primrose, the 5th Earl of Rosebery, as a wedding gift for his bride, Hannah de Rothschild. According to Sotheby's records, the 1878 transaction at Christie's valued the painting at 5,850 guineas.
Record-Breaking Expectations
The painting has changed hands only twice since its commission. Its most recent sale occurred in 2014, when it achieved a price of £30.3m including the buyer's premium, surpassing its estimate of £15m–£20m and establishing a record for any Turner work sold at auction at that time. The anticipated £50m valuation for the December sale would represent a substantial increase from that benchmark.
Mario Tavella, chair of Sotheby's, expressed hope that the painting would be acquired by a public museum, where it could be viewed by a broad audience rather than remaining in private hands.
Exhibition Schedule and Next Steps
Following its Rome presentation, the painting will travel to Hong Kong and New York as part of its pre-sale exhibition tour. The work is scheduled to be offered at Sotheby's London on 9 December 2026. Turner, who died in 1851, left behind a legacy of transformative landscape paintings, and this work stands as a testament to his enduring fascination with Rome and its artistic heritage.
