The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This oil on gessoed paper is unreinforced on the reverse. The corners have been strengthened slightly, particularly the lower left corner. It is therefore a loose piece of paper which can remain loose but should be framed behind glass. The paint layer is most likely clean and has been lightly varnished and retouched. The retouches that have been applied are clearly visible under ultraviolet light. Across all four corners there are restorations, particularly the lower right hand corner which bears the largest reinforcement on the reverse. Elsewhere throughout the picture small dots of retouch have been applied here and there to diminish fly specks and blemishes. The varnish seems to be appropriate, as is the framing and presentation, and the picture should be hung as is.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This painting can be compared with a slightly different version of this composition by Corot in the collection of the Musée du Louvre (see fig. 1), signed and dated from December 1825, when the artist had just arrived in Rome to further his training.¹  Corot had studied with Achille-Etna Michallon and, after his death in 1822, with Jean-Victor Bertin, both former students of Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes and proponents of his technique of plein air painting.  Corot stayed in Italy until 1828 and, adhering to Michallon's dictum to paint out of doors directly from nature, made numerous oil studies in and around Rome.  He usually painted on paper, but sometimes used canvas, board or panel, and most are in a small horizontal format.

This study shows Monte Testaccio at left, in the southern outskirts of Rome, a man made hill composed of discarded, crushed amphorae dating from the first to fourth century A.D.  It was not until the end of the 19^th century that its archeological significance was fully recognized.  At right is the Pyramid of Cestius near the Porta San Paolo (formerly the Porta Ostiensis).  Corot's keen observation of atmosphere and clouds evident in this small study is typical of Corot's early Italian work and can be seen in another sketch done in February 1826 of a View of the Roman Compagna (more recently identified as The Convent of San'Onofrio on the Janiculum) in The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge).

According to Martin Dieterle, the present painting appears to be the first version, giving the viewer a more spontaneous impression, in comparison to the one in the Louvre which looks more detailed and elaborated.  Both compositions show similarities with Géricault's well-known Romantic skies.

We are grateful to Martin Dieterle for confirming the authenticity of this painting which will be included in the sixth supplement to L'Oeuvre de Corot currently in preparation.

1  The work from the Louvre was part of the Etienne Moreau-Nélaton collection and is catalogued in A. Robaut, L'Oeuvre de Corot, Catalogue raisonné et illustré, Paris, 1905, t. II, no. 45.