Joseph Mallord William Turner

View from Monte Mario, Rome, with the Ponte Molle and the River Tiber

1819

Image released under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND (3.0 Unported)

License this image

In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Room

View by appointment
Artist
Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
Part of
St Peter’s Sketchbook
Medium
Graphite on paper
Dimensions
Support: 114 × 189 mm
Collection
Tate
Acquisition
Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
Reference
D16176
Turner Bequest CLXXXVIII 10 a

Catalogue entry

Turner made a number of on-the-spot sketches and more elaborate drawings of the view of Rome from Monte Mario. This page depicts part of the prospect, the view looking north-east towards the sweeping bend of the River Tiber and the ancient Ponte Molle, also known as the Ponte Milvio. In the far distance is the mountain ridge of Monte Sorratte, known historically as Soracte. For a general discussion of Turner’s views from Monte Mario see folio 9 verso (D16174).
Turner completed a more detailed tonal drawing of the same composition (see Turner Bequest CLXXXIX 60; Tate D16391). This image confirms that the artist’s viewpoint was within the grounds of the Villa Madama, a sixteenth-century estate built for the Medici family on the eastern slopes of Monte Mario and famous for its garden loggia designed by Raphael.

Nicola Moorby
September 2008

Read full Catalogue entry

Explore

You might like

Left Right

In the shop

Browse the shop