Villa d'Adrien

Drawing in black pencil, mm 466x307, lower left Villa d’Adrien. Ruines.

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 study for the plate Ruines de la villa d’Adrien, près de Tivoli. Intérieur de la grande salle des bains froids  included in the final chapter of the volume Rome Moderne, entitled Environs de Rome - Etat Pontifical edited by P. Jeanson.

“Avant de nous éloigner de Tivoli, nous visiterons la Villa Adriana. Une fantaisie impériale avait réuni, dans une petite vallée, aux flancs de la montagne qui porte Tivoli, un spécimen de tous les monuments les plus célèbres du monde connu. C'était une grande tàche, à cette époque où tous les fruits de l'art en pleine maturité, toujours se multipliant, n'avaient encore subi aucune atteinte ni dans leur nombre, ni dans leur éclat I La création, fruit d'une pareille idée, dut ètre elle-mème une merveille. Le temps et les révolutions l'ont défìgurée et presque anéantie; des musées entiers en sont sortis, et ce qui reste forme la plus étonnante, la plus intéressante des ruines par son étendue et la variété des beaux monuments encore reconnaissables. Le meme crayon exercé, qui nous donne de si justes idées des principales stations de notre voyage, nous représente les Thermes, monument de vaste étendue, et qui n'était qu'une minime portion des constructions réunies en ces lieux” (Rome dans sa Grandeur, Rome Moderne, c. V, p. 18).

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.