Panorama from the dome of St. Peter's

Drawing in black pencil, mm 386x265.

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 Palais et Jardin du Vatican – Vue générale prise de la couple di Saint-Pierre in the third volume - Rome Moderne - of Rome dans sa Grandeur.

Several pages are devoted to the description of the Vatican Palace, but in front of the panorama seen from the top of the dome of St. Peter's, the publisher feels the need to add in a footnote how insufficient words are to provide even a partial description, and here, then, to the rescue comes the artist - Benoist - who with his pencil has captured the vastness and complexity of the scenery: “Il est impossible, par une simple description, de présenter une idée nette du grand ensemble des bàtimenls des cours et des jardins du Vatican. lci le crayon de l'artist vient encore suppléer effìcacement ò l'insuffisance de la piume de l'écrivain. Qu'on jette les yeux sur ce panorama complei que notre paysagiste est allé saisir du haut de la coupole de Saint-Pierre et l'on se trouvera transporté au sommet de ce gigantesque observatoire, d'où l'on suivra à voi d'oiseau tous les compartiments de l'intéressant labyrinthe. Au foud du tableau et derrière le riche premier plan entièrement composé du palais pontifical et de ses dépendances, l'oeil suit le cours du Tibre , serpentant à travers la campagne de Rome, au delà du Monte Mario, et du Ponte Molle et ne s’arrète qu'aux silhouettes que profìlent a l'horizon les montagnes de la Sabine et de la province de Viterbe jusqu’au mont Soracte. C'est du mème observatoire que l'artiste a  pris le complément de ce vaste panorama qui embrasse toute la ville de Rome, du Vatican à la fontaine Pauline et qu’on trouvera plus loin dans cet ouvrage” (Note de l’Editeur, p. 4 Rome Moderne).

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.