Turner's Rome painting goes on show in Rome before auction
A well-preserved Turner painting of Rome, made in the 1830s, is on display in the Italian capital for three days before a tour and auction expected to attract bids of about £50 million.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A painting of Rome by the British artist William Turner has gone on display in the Italian capital for three days before it is sold at auction later this year.
The painting dates from the 1830s and is based on sketches Turner made in Rome. It is a view of the city that held deep importance for the artist and inspired him throughout his career. It is the first time the work has been displayed in Rome. The painting is regarded as one of the last great masterpieces by Turner remaining in private hands.
The picture is unusually well preserved. It is still in its original frame and is believed never to have been restored. Close inspection shows thick, wet-looking applications of paint that appear to dribble down the canvas, along with clumps of paint in the clouds where a knife was stopped and flicked off the surface. There are said to be fingerprints on the edge of the canvas beneath the frame.
The painting will be on show in Rome for three days. It will then go on tour before the auction later this year. The auction house expects bids in the region of 50 million pounds. When the painting last came up for sale it fetched a record price, and the expectation is that it will now sell for more.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News |
|---|---|
| A painting is on display in Rome for three days before it goes on tour and is auctioned. | |
| The auction house expects bids of around 50 million pounds. | |
| The painting is believed never to have been restored. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News led with a reporter-led dispatch from Rome, showing the painting up close and stressing its rarity, untouched condition and auction potential. It gave detailed visual description, including the original frame, fingerprints and thick paint. The report was mainly art and market focused, with little wider context beyond the display and expected sale.
- “Turner is regarded as one of the most important and influential landscape painters in the Western tradition”
- “this is one of the last great masterpieces by him remaining in private hands”
- “We're expecting bids in the region of 50 million pounds.”
Broadcast Timeline
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