J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours

The subject of this sketch is the Tomb of the Plautius family (or Tomb of the Plautii), a cylindrical first-century funerary monument of Travertine stone, which stands on the Via Valeria, approximately two miles west of Tivoli. When travelling on the road from Rome to Tivoli it was one of the first sights to relieve the featureless plain of the Campagna, and, in conjunction with the adjacent Ponte Lucano, it represented a popular subject for artists. Turner himself made over twenty variant studies during his visit to Tivoli, see folio 27 verso (D14975). The twenty-mile journey would have been covered by carriage. However, the large number of sketches of the bridge and Plautian tomb indicate that Turner was afforded enough time to fully explore the site from a number of different angles, on foot, as well as from the road. This view depicts the approach from the north-east and therefore may represent a drawing taken during the return journey from Tivoli to Rome.