Capitole

Black pencil drawing, mm 235x315, lower left: Capitole.

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, which was not translated into one of the lithographic plates in Rome dans sa Grandeur, shows a room of the Tabularium with a ramp that communicated with the Forum. The rediscovery of the Roman monument began in the nineteenth century, first with excavations in the Roman Forum that uncovered the temples of Vespasian and Titus and of Concordia at the foot of the Tabularium, then with excavations of the interior rooms. The Tabularium is described in Chapter II of Rome Antique, devoted to the current state of ancient monuments, edited by Eugenie de la Gournerie:

“Tabularium Cet important édifice, qui s'élève sur la pente du mont Capitolin et domine le Forum, fut construit par Quintus Lutatius Catulus, consul, en l'an 676 de l'ère romaine. Son nom vient des tables de bronze qu'on y conservait, tables qui contenaient les sénatus-consultes, plébiscites, traités et priviléges

Le portique du Tabularium repose sùr une haute et majestueuse substruction. Sa hauteur à lui-meme est de 7 mètres 37 centimètres, et sa largeur de 3 mètres 79 centimètres. L'ordre est dorique; les murs sont formés de gros blocs de pierres de Gabies, avec chapiteaux et entablement en travertin. […]

Au-dessus de ce portique étaient le Tabularium et probablement la bihliothèque Capitoline ainsi que l'Athénée. La bibliothèque n'était pas seulement une collection de livres, c'était un lieu ouvert aux poètes qui y récitaient leurs ver:s. L'Athénée était un atelier public et une école de beaux-arts.

«Les dernières découvertes» dit Canina «ont permis de reconnaitre la distribution de ce grand édifice, composée de différentes salles, dont l'une, au milieu, communiquait avec le Forum par un escalier et un passage pratiqué sous le portique».  Deux autres escaliers desservaient les étages supérieurs. Le porte qui s'ouvrait sur le Forum correspondait avec la piace où siégeaient les édiles curules. Elle fut plus tard supprimée lors de l'édification du tempie de Vespasien. Le portique du tabularium devait ètre suivi d'un autre portique par lequel on arrivait jusqu'à l'intermontium, en face du tempie de Jupiter”.