Turner masterwork sold at auction for record price

[July 08, 2010]  LONDON (AP) -- A moody depiction of the city of Rome by one of Britain's most famous artists fetched nearly 30 million pounds ($44.9 million) at auction when it was bought by a U.S. museum.

Auctioneers Sotheby's called the 1839 painting "Modern Rome -- Campo Vaccino" by J.M.W. Turner one of the most important works by the landscape painter.

It had a guide price of 12 million to 18 million pounds ($18 million to 27 million), but when the hammer fell Wednesday in London the price tag was 29,721,150 pounds ($44,935,558).

Sotheby's says it was purchased by dealers on behalf of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. It was sold by a descendant of the 5th Earl of Rosebery, who acquired the work in 1878.

Turner's view of Venice fetched 20.5 million pounds at auction in 2006.

[Associated Press]

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