Vatican Gardens

Black pencil drawing, mm 364x267.

Belongs to a collection of 127 works unearthed from a French antiquarian who, in turn, had acquired them from the heirs of publisher Henri-Désiré Charpentier (La Rochelle 1805 - Vertou 1882); they are all done in black pencil, some have white lead highlighting; they never bear the date and signature of the author, but only a brief caption relating to the subjects depicted. The drawings denote a skilled and expert hand - especially in the delineation of buildings, ruins and architecture - that restores the monuments of Rome from interesting and unusual perspective points. The reference of most of the drawings to some of the tinted lithographs by Felix and Philippe Benoist, published in the three-volume work Rome dans sa grandeur, immediately became clear. The fact that this is a large group of original drawings related to the famous work edited by Henri-Désiré Charpentier is clearly supported by the prestigious provenance; it is a part of Charpentier's heir fund, among which the material of the famous chalcographic workshop had been divided.

Rome dans sa grandeur. Vues, monument ancient et modernes was printed in Paris in 3 volumes, in 1870. The publication, illustrated by 100 lithographs, was preceded by a campaign of preparatory drawings, dating from 1864 until 1869, executed mainly by Félix Benoist and partly by Philippe Benoist. On the eve of the Concilio Ecumenico Vaticano I, on August 11, 1869, Pius IX decreed the creation of a Roman Exhibition of the works of every art executed for Catholic worship, which was inaugurated, on February 17, 1870, in the cloister of the Carthusian monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli. On that occasion, the three folio volumes Rome dans sa grandeur were presented. The lavishly bound volumes, with the coat of arms of Pius IX stamped in the center in gold, are divided into three sections. The first volume deals with ancient Rome, the second, with Christian Rome, and the third, with the monuments and achievements of modern Rome. A valuable view of papal Rome on the eve of Rome's profound transformation into the capital of united Italy. A document that highlights the remarkable imprint left by Pius IX on the Eternal City. The work represents the French artist's masterpiece, so much so that it places Benoist among the ranks of the greatest artists of interiors and views of his time.

The sheets used for the preliminary studies vary in size (from 170 mm x 240 to 490 x 300 mm), weight and even color gradation (from beige to green).  Many of the drawings undeniably represent different preparatory stages - more or less complete - of some of the dyed lithographs illustrating the magnificent work, others of the silographic vignettes included in the text, while other sketches do not find translation in print. Belonging to this second group are both sketches relating to monuments and views of Rome and its surroundings: ancient Ostia, Grottaferrata, Olevano Romano, Anzio, Nettuno, Velletri and Vicovaro. Far beyond from Rome are drawings relating to Naples and Loreto. The suite was to form part of the entire fund, later dispersed, of preparatory studies from which the hundred intended for lithographic printing were selected.

The drawing, untranslated for one of the lithographic plates in Rome dans sa Grandeur shows a perspective view of the Vatican Gardens. The drawing is to be related to Chapter I of Rome Moderne, edited by Ernest de Toytot, whose first paragraph is devoted to the Vatican:

“Tout n'est point fini cependant quand on Il visité la demeure du pontife et du roi, quand on a entrevu les pompes sacrées de la religion dont il est le chef suprême, quand on a parcouru les galeries, les collections, les musées il reste à errer à travers les jardins du Vatican, immenses dépendances,dignes, par leur étendue, leur majesté et leur grandeur, du palais qu'ils entourent. […] Qui pourrait dire l'émotion dont l'âme est saisie, à la chute du jour, près de ces grands arbres, gardiens silencieux, mais éloquents des traditions du passé, quand du haut de la colline vaticane, on aperçoit, étincelant aux rayons du soleil couchant,le dôme de Saint-Pierre, les édifices sans nombre du palais, les grandes ruines de la campagne romaine, les montagnes bleues de la Sabine profilant au loin leurs silhouettes sur la vaste étendue d'un ciel incomparable.Après avoir admiré tant de merveilles, on cherche dans une contemplationsilencieuseà recueillir sa pensée et ses souvenirs; il semblequ'uneharmonie grandiose s'élève des extrémités de la cité vaticane, dominant tous les bruits, s'étendant sur toutes choses, pour proclamer, par la voix inspire de la papauté, comme par la bouche de la raison et de la justice, par la philosophieet par l'histoire, par les monuments de la sculpture antique et par ceux de la peinture chrétienne, par les arts, par les sciences et par les lettres, par les murailles de pierre comme par les arbres séculaires des jardins, la grandeur de la vérité catholique dont le Vatican est le centre et l'asile vénéré” (Rome dans sa Grandeur, Rome Moderne, c. I, pp.24-25).