Attributed to James Forrester

Possibly commissioned by Sir John Shelly, 5^th Bt (1730-1783) to hang at Maresfield Park, Sussex;
By descent to his great-great-grandson, Sir John Shelley-Rolls Bt (1871-1951), Avington Park, Hampshire;
With Leggatt Brothers, London, 1952 (part of a set of four views of the Tiber);
By whom sold to sold to Mrs J. P. Rutherford, New York;
Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 30 November 1966, lots 27 & 28 (as two of a set of four views of the Tiber), to B. Cohen for £3,500 and £1,600;
Acquired from the Trafalgar Galleries, London.   

The catalogue illustrations are fairly representative of both pictures. Both paintings have been lined. (As illustrated in the printed catalogue) Left hand painting – View of the Isola Tiberina The painting appears to be in good condition, with no extant damage or loss of paint. There is one spot of surface dirt in the sky, in the centre of the picture, which is on top of the varnish layer and is visible in the catalogue illustration. Also visible in the catalogue illustration is an area in the upper right of apparent overpaint, where the tone of the paint differs from the original, however this does not floresce under ultraviolet light and so must have been applied some time ago., and is likely to be excessive. Further examination under ultraviolet light reveals scattered minor retouching in the sky, but otherwise the painting appears to be in good, well preserved condition. The surface of the paint in the architectural details is in particularly good condition. Right hand painting – View of the Ponte Rotto The painting appears to be in good condition, with no extant damage or loss of paint except one very minor indent in the paint, lower left, which is fantly visible in the catalogue illustration. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals minor scattered retouching in the sky, especially in the upper right coerner, but otherwise the paint surface appears to be largely untouched. As with the other picture, the architectural details are in particularly good condition. Both paintnig have a slighly opaque varnish with some minor surface dirt specs. Both paintings are held in matching gild wood frames. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482, or at julian.gascoigne@sothebys.com.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

These two paintings depict two celebrated bridges over the river Tiber. The Ponte Rotto, the oldest Roman stone bridge, once spanned the Tiber to connect the Forum Boarium with Trastevere. In 1598 the eastern half of the bridge was carried away in a flood leaving a ruined edifice, the Ponte Rotto or broken bridge, which was a favourite subject with artists. The Ponte Cestio was one of two small bridges linking Isola Tiberina with the rest of the city of Rome. Originally built around the first century BC, the bridge was reconstructed in the fourth century AD using building materials taken from the demolished portico of the nearby Theatre of Marcellus, and was finally dismantled in the nineteenth century when the river was widened in 1892.

Please note that the attribution in the printed catalogue is incorrect. We are grateful to Michael Liversidge and Dr Nichola Figgis, University College Dublin, for suggesting an alternative attribution to James Forrester (Dublin 1730 – 1776 Rome), who settled in Rome in 1755 and spent the last twenty years of his life there. A View of the Ponte Sisto, Rome by Forrester was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1771. That picture is of identical proportions to the present pair, and stylistic comparison, particlualry in the proportions, the shady foreground, the elegant figures, and the buildings peeping out over the other side of the bridge, provide firm grounds for an attribution to this artist.