Turner's masterpiece of Rome returns to city ahead of UK sale that could set a record

One of J.M.W. Turner ’s best-known landscapes went on display in Rome on Tuesday ahead of a U.K. auction where it could fetch about 50 million euros ($57 million), potentially setting a new auction record for the British artist.“Rome, From Mount Aventine” was unveiled at Palazzo Rondinini in the Italian capital, where it will be on public display for three days before being auctioned by Sotheby’s in London on Dec. 9.The 1836 work depicts a sweeping view of Rome from the Aventine Hill overlooking the Tiber River. Sotheby’s considers it to be among the most significant Turner works remaining in private hands.Its exhibition in Rome comes nearly two centuries after the city inspired the work. Sotheby’s said Turner based the painting on sketches made during an 1828 visit and probably began it in Rome before completing it in London for exhibition at the Royal Academy.Julian Gascoigne, a senior specialist in British paintings at Sotheby ’s, said the work is notable for its exceptional state of preservation, allowing viewers to appreciate Turner’s technique in unusual detail.Gascoigne said Turner applied oil paint “as if it was watercolor, building it up in successive translucent layers of...