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Lot Essay
This spectacular drawing is related to Panini's painting dated 1756 now in the National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh. That painting is one of four commissioned by Etienne-François de Choiseul, comte de Stainville, later duc de Choiseul, while he was the French ambassador to Rome from 1754-57 during the pontificate of Benedict XVI. Ferdinando Arisi suggests that the present drawing was either drawn in preparation for the painting or was made as an independent commission in parallel with the painted work (F. Arisi, op. cit., 1961, p. 272). Two other versions of the painting are known, one in the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, and another in a French collection, which Arisi suggests is a replica (Arisi, op. cit., 1986, p. 466). The other three paintings commissioned by Choiseul are Interior of St. Peter's Basilica on the occasion of the visit of the duc de Choiseul (Boston, Boston Athenaeum), Ancient Rome (Edinburgh, National Gallery of Scotland), and Modern Rome (Boston, Museum of Fine Arts).
The present drawing shows the ambassador and his retinue leaving the Vatican after a Papal ceremony. Panini arranged the composition to emphasize the rank and importance of the members of the procession, and to show the sweeping grandeur of the setting. The ambassador sits in his carriage, the second from right in the foreground, flanked by a pair of priests. The foreground line of carriages is illuminated by a sliver of sunlight breaking through the clouds. A multitude of onlookers observe the pageantry: noblemen and footmen surround the carriage, while other aristocrats, members of the clergy and peasants turn towards the ambassador's carriage. The perspective opens up in the middle- and background to a sweeping view of the piazza with the obelisk of Sixtus V and Bernini's colonnade leading to the Vatican, which dominates the skyline in the background. Panini's exaggerated perspective allows for the cortege to unwind expansively before the obelisk, while the rest of the piazza is peppered with groups of figures. The lively and animated figures, some jostling for a glimpse of the ambassador and his exquisite entourage are as equally well-observed as the precise architectural renderings in the background, a quality for which Panini's works are best-known. Together, these elements make for a wonderful visual record of an historical and social event as well as demonstrate Panini's virtuoso technique for creating panoramic, dramatic perspectives in vedute scenes.
A number of small studies for figure groups and architectural elements, some of which seem to have been drawn from life, have survived. These include a double-sided drawing at Windsor, previously attributed to Watteau, but clearly a study for several figures in the lower right quadrant of drawing and painting (C. Stuart Wortley, op. cit., pp. 45-6); and several sheets of studies of figures, buildings, sculptures and carriages from a sketchbook now at the British Museum (Arisi, op. cit.,1961, dis. nos. 280, 281, 308, 312, 315, 318 and 319). The numerous preparatory studies are evidence of the care and precision with which Panini executed this important commission, an importance emphasized by the existence of this full-scale drawn rendering of the composition.
The duc de Choiseul was one of the most important and influential patrons of the arts in France in the eighteenth century, and his collecting interests extended from works by contemporary Italian and French artists to antiquities. An unusual record of his collection can be seen on the so-called 'Choiseul box' (Paris, private collection), a gold snuff-box by Louis Roucel that includes five miniatures by Louis-Nicolas van Blarenberghe of Choiseul and his friends amongst his art collection. Choiseul owed his success in part to the patronage of the King's mistress Madame de Pompadour, but also to his skills as a politician. After his successful tenure in Rome, Madame de Pompadour obtained his transfer to the Imperial court in Vienna. He returned to Paris in 1758 and was appointed the King's minister for Foreign Affairs, as well as being created a peer of France as duc de Choiseul.
Ferdinando Arisi confirmed the attribution of this drawing in a letter dated 12 July 1998.
The present drawing shows the ambassador and his retinue leaving the Vatican after a Papal ceremony. Panini arranged the composition to emphasize the rank and importance of the members of the procession, and to show the sweeping grandeur of the setting. The ambassador sits in his carriage, the second from right in the foreground, flanked by a pair of priests. The foreground line of carriages is illuminated by a sliver of sunlight breaking through the clouds. A multitude of onlookers observe the pageantry: noblemen and footmen surround the carriage, while other aristocrats, members of the clergy and peasants turn towards the ambassador's carriage. The perspective opens up in the middle- and background to a sweeping view of the piazza with the obelisk of Sixtus V and Bernini's colonnade leading to the Vatican, which dominates the skyline in the background. Panini's exaggerated perspective allows for the cortege to unwind expansively before the obelisk, while the rest of the piazza is peppered with groups of figures. The lively and animated figures, some jostling for a glimpse of the ambassador and his exquisite entourage are as equally well-observed as the precise architectural renderings in the background, a quality for which Panini's works are best-known. Together, these elements make for a wonderful visual record of an historical and social event as well as demonstrate Panini's virtuoso technique for creating panoramic, dramatic perspectives in vedute scenes.
A number of small studies for figure groups and architectural elements, some of which seem to have been drawn from life, have survived. These include a double-sided drawing at Windsor, previously attributed to Watteau, but clearly a study for several figures in the lower right quadrant of drawing and painting (C. Stuart Wortley, op. cit., pp. 45-6); and several sheets of studies of figures, buildings, sculptures and carriages from a sketchbook now at the British Museum (Arisi, op. cit.,1961, dis. nos. 280, 281, 308, 312, 315, 318 and 319). The numerous preparatory studies are evidence of the care and precision with which Panini executed this important commission, an importance emphasized by the existence of this full-scale drawn rendering of the composition.
The duc de Choiseul was one of the most important and influential patrons of the arts in France in the eighteenth century, and his collecting interests extended from works by contemporary Italian and French artists to antiquities. An unusual record of his collection can be seen on the so-called 'Choiseul box' (Paris, private collection), a gold snuff-box by Louis Roucel that includes five miniatures by Louis-Nicolas van Blarenberghe of Choiseul and his friends amongst his art collection. Choiseul owed his success in part to the patronage of the King's mistress Madame de Pompadour, but also to his skills as a politician. After his successful tenure in Rome, Madame de Pompadour obtained his transfer to the Imperial court in Vienna. He returned to Paris in 1758 and was appointed the King's minister for Foreign Affairs, as well as being created a peer of France as duc de Choiseul.
Ferdinando Arisi confirmed the attribution of this drawing in a letter dated 12 July 1998.