Joseph Mallord William Turner The Forum, Rome from the Temple of Saturn, Looking towards the Palatine 1819
Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
Folio 67 Recto:
The Forum, Rome from the Temple of Saturn, Looking towards the Palatine 1819
D15423
Turner Bequest CLXXXII 66
Turner Bequest CLXXXII 66
Pencil on white wove paper, 113 x 189 mm
Inscribed by the artist in pencil ‘8’ in centre of floor of Temple of Saturn, ‘[?Path]’ in centre foreground and ‘via della consolazone’ centre
Inscribed by John Ruskin in blue ink ‘66’ top right and ‘301’ bottom right
Stamped in black ‘CLXXXII 66’ bottom right
Inscribed by John Ruskin in blue ink ‘66’ top right and ‘301’ bottom right
Stamped in black ‘CLXXXII 66’ bottom right
Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
References
1909
A.J. Finberg, A Complete Inventory of the Drawings of the Turner Bequest, London 1909, vol.I, p.538, as ‘The Forum, with remains of Temple of Vespasian and Arch of Severus on the left, Temple of Saturn on the right, and in centre the Column of Phocas leading to the Arch of Titus’.
1974
Gerald Wilkinson, The Sketches of Turner, R.A. 1802–20: Genius of the Romantic, London 1974, reproduced p.187, as ‘The Forum’.
1977
Gerald Wilkinson, Turner Sketches 1789–1820, London 1977, p.[158], reproduced p.157 bottom, as ‘The Forum, Rome’.
1984
Cecilia Powell, ‘Turner on Classic Ground: His Visits to Central and Southern Italy and Related Paintings and Drawings’, unpublished Ph.D thesis, Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London 1984, pp.116, 256 note 106, reproduced pl.57, as ‘The Forum, looking south’.
1987
Cecilia Powell, Turner in the South: Rome, Naples, Florence, New Haven and London 1987, pp.[42] note 17, 125 note 66, 197, reproduced pl.49, as ‘The Forum, looking south’.
1991
Horst Koch, William Turner, Kirchdorf/Inn 1988, trans. Stephen Gorman, London 1991, p.10 reproduced, as ‘The forum with remains of the Temple of Vespasian’.
Turner thoroughly explored the Roman Forum (Campo Vaccino) and made numerous sketches from various viewpoints. This sketch of the Temple of Saturn and the view looking towards the Palatine Hill continues a wider landscape vista from the opposite page of the north end of the Forum looking south-east towards the Colosseum and the Arch of Titus, see folio 66 verso (D15422; Turner Bequest CLXXXII 65a). Turner has marked the location of the Via della Consolazione which leads west from the Forum towards the Church of San Nicola in Carcere and the river.
The artist has drawn the Temple of Saturn square on from the northern end and the inscribed number ‘8’ at the base is a personal reminder that the ancient ruin is comprised of remaining eight columns, even though only four can be seen at this angle.
For a general discussion of the Forum and other sketches see folio 32 (D15355).
Nicola Moorby
May 2008
How to cite
Nicola Moorby, ‘The Forum, Rome from the Temple of Saturn, Looking towards the Palatine 1819 by Joseph Mallord William Turner’, catalogue entry, May 2008, in David Blayney Brown (ed.), J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours, Tate Research Publication, December 2012, https://www