Porta del Popolo

Black pencil drawing, mm. 84x405, bottom center and right bears unreadable inscriptions.

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 one of the lithographic plates in Rome dans sa Grandeur sho

Preparatory study for the lithographic plate placed as titlepage of the volume Rome Moderne: Rome - Frontispice. Entrée de la Ville par la Porte du Peuple.

Porta Flaminia is the starting point of the promenade along Via del Corso to Piazza Venezia. He is invested with the role of Cicero Edmond Lafond, who masterfully describes the beauty of the monuments, palaces, and most picturesque corners:

“La ville de Rome est un océan qui devient plus profond à mesure qu’on s’y avance, disati Goethe, quoique protestant et mème païen, était devenu un enthousiaste dc la Ville Sainte. Vous allez, cher lecteur, faire ' l'expérience de la vérité de ces paroles du grand poùte allemand. Vous croyez peut-ètre avoir tout vu à Rome, parce que vous venez de parcourir, à travers deux gros volumes, les monuments anciens et les monuments chrétiens, les catacombes, les églises, les monastères, les ruines, les musées et toutes les antiquités inimaginables. Oui, vous avez visité Rome antique, Rome chrétienne, Rome sontcrraine, mais il vous reste ù voir Rome moderne, dont les monumenfs civils, les palais, les villas, les galeries vous inspircront cncorc mille pensées sublimes et religieuses, tant ils sont, eux aussi, imprégnés de celte atmosphère chrétienne qui est comme l'essence morale de la Ville Éternelle, que M. Sauzet appelle la ville des ruines qui durent toujours, la ville des promesses qui ne meurent jamais. D'une manière visible ou latente, le Christianisme a envahi les trois Rome: le signe de la Rédemption est partout planté sur les ruines païennes, et se retrouve dans les édifices profanes aussi bien que dans les églises et dans les monastères. Voulez-vous me prendre pour votre cicerone, et faire avec moi une longue et pittoresque promenade en visitant les rues, les places, les monuments publics, les palais, les villas, et en contemplant tous les grands horizons de cette cité incomparable, qui est le livre vivant dc l'histoire, le tempie des arts, le sanctuaire de la foi, le but dc tous les pélerinages, la consolatrice de toutes les disgràces, et l'hòtesse de toutes les grandeurs?

Je suppose que nous arrivons de Florence ou dc Lorette et que nous entrons à Rome par la porte Flaminia, que les modernes appellent la porte du Peuple, celle-là mème dont le dessin sert dc frontispice au volume dans lequel nous écrivons. Cette porte nous est chère et glorieuse, parce que c'est par elle que Charlemagne est entré à Rome” (Rome dans sa Grandeur, Rome Moderne, c. I, p. 37).

The last image which is not for sale, represents the tinted lithograph included in Rome dans sa grandeur. Vues, monument ancient et modernes, and allows us to compare it with the preparatory drawing.