Claustre de St. Pierre in Vincoli

Black pencil drawing, mm 448x276, lower left inscribed Cloitre de St. Pierre en Vincoli.

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.

Not used for one of the lithographic plates of Rome dans sa Grandeur, the beautiful drawing shows the cloister of the Church of St. Peter in Vincoli. The church is described, among other Monuments Chrétienne, in the first chapter of the volume Rome Chrétienne, edited by renowned historian Eugène de la Gournerie, which traces its founding history.

Vinculis (Latin for bonds/chains) is a reference to a miracle concerning the chains of St. Peter. In 439 Elia Eudocia, wife of Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius II, made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem where she found several relics, including chains which had been used to bind St. Peter in that city; she sent them to her daughter Licinia Eudocia, who was the wife of Western Roman Emperor Valentinian III; eventually the chains were given to Pope Leo I who decided to keep them together with the chains used to bind St. Peter in Rome; at this point the two sections spontaneously joined together.

S. Pietro in Vinculis was built as early as 442 by Licinia Eudocia in order to celebrate the miracle and to house the chains; for this reason it is also known as Basilica Eudossiana.

“Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens est souvent désigné dans l'histoire par le titre de Basilique Eudoxienne, en souvenir des deux impératrices Eudoxie auxquelles remonte sa fondation. L'une d'elles, fcmme de Théodosc le Jenne, étant allée à Jérusalem, obtint de Juvénal, évèque de celte ville, les dcux chaincs qui avaient attaché saint Pierre dans son cachot; Vinctus catenis duabus, disent les Actes des Apòtres. L'une de ces chaìnes fut envoyée par elle, à Rome, à sa fille Eudoxie, fernme de Valentinien III, et la basilique de Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens fut aussitòt construite par le grand pape saint Léon, avec le concours des deux impératrices, pour recevoir ce précienx trésor. Saint Léon réunit, en mème temps, à la chaine qu'avait fait tomber l'ange dans la prison de Jérusalem, celle qui attacha les membres de l'Apotre dans le cachot de Rome, ou plutòt, d'après la tradition, ces deux chaines, rapprochées, se réunirent d’elles-mèmes” (Rome dans sa Grandeur, Rome Chrétienne, c. I, p. 118).

The monastery of S. Pietro in Vincoli belonged to the Canon Regulars of the Lateran. It is generally attributed to Giuliano da Sangallo. The magnificent cloister of the convent of San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome, in whose church is the famous statue of Michelangelo's Moses, is now part of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Rome "La Sapienza”.

“Depuis le commencement du XVI siècle, Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens est desservi par les chanoines réguliers du Sauveur et le monastère contigu a titre d’abbaye. Le cloitre de ce monaslère a été dessiné par Julien de San-Gallo, l'un des architectes favoris de Jules II et l'un des plus habiles contemporains de Bramante” (Rome dans sa Grandeur, Rome Chrétienne, c. I, p. 119)