Forum de Trajan

Black pencil drawing, 358x250 mm. Inscribed at the bottom Forum de Trajan.

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 included in the Rome antique with the title Piazza e Colonna Trajana colle chiese di Santa Maria di Loreto e del SS° Nome di Maria.

“Les colonnes ne sont le plus souvent qu’une continuation des arcs de triomphe. La plus célèbre, la colonne Trajane, et, apres elle, la Colonna Antonbine, furent, en effet, surtout des monuments triomphaux, à la gloire de ceux dont ells portaient les statues. Mais la colonne Trajane servit, eu outre, de tombeau à Trajan; et l'iconographie des victoires de ce prince, qui se déroule autour d’elle, n'est en n définitive qu'une magnifiqueépitaphe. Cette histoire sculptée des deux guerres contre les Daces, comprend environ deux mille cinq cents figures d'une hauteur d'à peu près trois palmes (75 à 77 centimètres), sans compter les chevaux, les armes, les machines de guerre, les trophées, les enseignès, etc. Elle se développe en spirale sur une bande qui fàit vingt-trois tours. Le dessin est du meilleiur style et- révèle l'oeuvre d’un seul artiste, sinon pour l'exécution, toujours excellente cependant, du moins pour la composition  et la pensée.[…] Cette admirable colonne, la plus belle colonne qui existe, est faite de trente-quatre quartiers de marbre de Luni unis par des crampons de bronze. Huit blocs forment le Piedestal; un seul, la plinthe; vingt-trois, le fut de la colonne; un; le chapiteau qui est d'ordre dorique, et un dernier, la base de Ia statue. Au -centre, est un escalier de 'cent quatre-vingt-deux marches taillees dans le marbre, qu'eclairent quarante-trois soupiraux. Il conduit a une plate-forme qui reposesur le chapiteau et qu’entoure une balustrade en fer. On y jouit d’une magnifiche vue de Rome. Lacolonne était surmontée de la statue en bronze dorè de Trajan. Depuis Sixte-Quint elle l’est dela statue de saint Pierre” (Rome dans sa grandeur – Rome Antique, c. II, p. 63).

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.