Joseph Mallord William Turner

The subject of this inverted sketch is the Temple of Venus and Roma, seen from the Esquiline Hill, with the adjacent bell-tower of Santa Francesca Romana to the right. On the left-hand side is part of the Colosseum and the distant Arch of Constantine. For another sketch of the Temple see folio 75 (D16292; Turner Bequest CLXXXVIII 74). Turner’s location may have been a point near the Torre dei Capocci, a medieval tower on the Via Cavour near the Church of San Martino ai Monti, which might also be the structure briefly outlined in the bottom right-hand corner.

Turner made a number of sketches depicting the view in different directions from the Esquiline Hill in Rome, see folios 90 verso–92 (D16322–D16325; Turner Bequest CLXXXVIII 89a–91).