Campanile et entrée laterale de la Basilique de St. Paul

Black pencil drawing, mm 248x325, lower left: Campanile et entrée lateral de la Basilique de St.Paul.

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, not translated into lithograph, shows the side with the Bell Tower of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.

The ancient basilica was largely destroyed in the devastating fire that broke out on the night of July 15-16, 1823. The building site for the reconstruction, one of the largest seen in 19th-century Rome, lasted about thirty years. On December 10, 1854, Pope Pius IX (1846-1876) consecrated the “new” Basilica, in the presence of many Cardinals and Bishops, who had come to Rome from all over the world for the proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception. At the time of the publication of Rome dans sa Grandeur, this is what the Basilica looked like according to the careful description provided by Eugène de la Gournerie:

“Peu après nous apercevons la basilique ressuscitée; elle s'annonce de loin par le haut campanile qui s'élève derrière la Tribune. Le vieux clocher de Saint-Paul, le plus vieux clocher de Rome, n'existe plus; mais le nouveause distingue entre tous par sa hardiesse et par son élégance. Ne cherchez point à entrer par les grandes portes. Dans quelques jours elles seront précédées d'un quadri-portique que supporteront, du côté de l'église, dix colonnes et deux piliers de granit du Simplon, à base et à chapiteaux de marbre blanc. Au-dessus sera représenté en mosaïque, le divin Rédempteur avec les princes des apôtres et les quatre grands prophètes. Mais aujourd'hui, les ouvriers, les pierres, les échafaudages obstruent encore l'entrée principale, et les cinq grandes nefs sans frontispice ressemblent encore à un édifice démantelé. Suivons donc la route jusqu'au transept dont l'extrémité forme un portique soutenu par douze colonnes de marbre grec veiné. Ce portique donne entrée dans un vestibule ou pronaos que deux portes mettent en communication avec l'église” (Rome dans sa Grandeur, Rome Chrétienne, c. I, p. 200)

“A trois papes revient la gloire de cette reconstruction Léon XII l'ordonna malgré les oppositions les plus vives; Grégoire XVI l'accomplit dans ses parties principales et c'est ave justice que sa statue colossale, par Rinaldi, a été placée dans le vestibule, du côté du cloître, où il semble recevoir les voyageurs. Enfin, Pie IX l'a terminée et a payé de ses deniers les peintures. Les armoiries de ces papes sont peintes dans les caissons du soffite, ainsi que celles du vénérable Pie VII, dont les derniers jours furent marqués par l'incendie de l'ancienne basilique. Cette basilique en ruines fut représentée, par ordre de Pie IX, sur la médaille qu'il se proposait de donner aux prêtres accourus de toutes les parties du monde pour assister à la canonisation des martyrsjaponais; mais, en même temps, la basilique nouvelle était reproduite sur la médaille destinée aux évêques. « Elle vous rappellera, dit l'auguste pontife en la donnant, que, malgré tous les efforts contraires,l'Église rétablit toujours ce qui doit rester debout” (Rome dans sa Grandeur, Rome Chrétienne, c. I, p. 202).