Ostia

Black pencil drawing, mm 461x308, lower right: Ostia.

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.

Preparatory drawing for the silographic vignette inserted in the text, in the volume Rome Moderne, on p. 3 of chapter V Environs de Rome edited by M. P. Jeanson. The vignette bears, at lower left, the signature “Felix Benoist”.

Below the vignette is the caption with a cross-reference to the footnote, edited by the publisher, which reads: “La nouvelle Ostie, que représente la vignette ci-dessus, a été fondée par Grégoire IV, en 830, à.un demi-mille des ruines de la ville ancienne. Elle n'offre de remarquable  qu'une belle forteresse, dont, les murs et les tours sont couronnés de machicoulis, el qui, commencée par le cardinal francais d'Estouteville, fut achevée par Jules I, alors  cardinal de la Rovère, sur les dessins de l'architecte San Gallo, el sa cathédrale, voisine du chateau et rebåtie par le méme cardinal de la Rovère, d'après les plans de  Baccio Pintelll.  Ostie est en ce moment l'objet d'une altention particulière du gouvernement pontifcal. Il s`agit de rendre à Rome son port naturel, en améliorant, par des travaux bydraaliques, a bouche inférieure du Tibre. Un habile ingénieur romain, M. Costa, propose de relier directement Ostie à Rome par un chemin de fer de 28 kilomètres, et de faire disparaltre  la barre de la Fiumara, en l'empéchant de se reformer. Par ce moyen, la navigation obtiendrait, à l'entrée da Tibre, une profondeur de sept mètres, se prolongeanl assez pour à  former un bon mouillage de 600,000 métres de superficie”.

The second photo, which is not for sale, represents the wooduct included in text of Rome dans sa grandeur. Vues, monument ancient et modernes, and allows us to compare it with the preparatory drawing.