My first Publication Brochure Bienaime::Ducros

Luigi BIENAIME' (Carrara 1795-1878) Dancing Bacchante Carrara marble, height 149 cm. Signed and dated on the trunk: L. BIENAIME' F. A ROMA 1846 Provenance: Yeaton Pevery, near Shrewsbury, former home of the Wakeman family; Rome, Galleria Francesca Antonacci; Milan, Private Collection; Exhibited: Camuccini Finelli Bienaimé, Protagonisti del classicismo a Roma nell’Ottocento, Galleria Francesca Antonacci, Rome 2003 The present statue is a version of one of the most famous works by this great nineteenth century sculptor. Born in Carrara, in 1795, and son of a possibly Flemish sculptor, Luigi Bienaimé moved to Rome in 1818 when he won the Accademia di Belle Arti of Carrara scholarship prize. As for many other artists coming from several dif- ferent countries, Rome became Bienaimé’s adoptive town. In the Urbe, they all found the perfect condition for practicing sculpture: they were constantly in contact with the most celebrated models of the classical antiquity; they lived in the 19th century capital of the international art market for the flow of foreign travellers and col- lectors and, more importantly, they could enjoy the privilege of the mastery of Antonio Canova and Bertel Thorvaldsen – two of the most important sculptors of the age. Bienaimé was first a pupil of the Danish Bertel Thorvaldsen; when the master broke off with his favorite Pietro Tenerani, he then be- came the Dane main assistant. Despite being employed as chief as- sistant in Thorvaldsen’s workshop, Bienaimé could also establish himself as an independent artist. As a matter of fact, he often shared with his master very important patrons, such as the Count Gi- ambattista Sommariva, the Duke of Devonshire, the Tsar Nicholas I and the Prince Alessandro Torlonia (On the artist see: Hartmann 1984, Carozzi in Carrara 1993, pp. 172-173). Moreover, he was sought out and, in some cases, befriended by eminent members of the European nobility and the arts. For example, King Württenburg ordered two bacchantes in 1840 and the Italian poet Angelo Maria Ricci took an especial interest in Bienaimé’s works, ordering several statues from him and being one of the first persons to illus- trate Bienaimé’s oeuvre in his Scul- ture di L. Bienaimé da Carrara of 1838. He never left his adopted city and died there in 1878. The repertoire of Bienaimé’s creations, always available in a series of plaster models for new marble version, consisted of sacred subjects that recall Thorvaldsen’s works (The Guardian Angel, Baby Saint John), literary sub- jects that embody the idea of “beauty” (Telemachus), and mostly mythological subjects of “gra- cious” and “refined” inspiration. How- ever, unlike sculp- tures from Antiquity, Bienaime’s statues exuded not monu- mentalism, but soft- B. Thorvaldsen, Dancer, 1817, plaster model; Copenaghen, Thorvaldsens Museum. ness. This softness, to works such as the Psyche or the Zephyr, Italy in 1845. Although he ordered works determined the absence of a privileged side, from many different artists during this trip, thus benefitting a multitude of viewpoints. Bienaimé was particularly favored by the Tsar This work, intended for a decorative use, when he visited him in his studio. From most was one of the most successful sculptures sculptors Nicholas I had ordered only one, or within Bienaimé’s production. possibly two statues; from Bienaimé he com- A drawing of the Dancing Bacchante is missioned four, including a replica of the recorded on plate XIV of Angelo Maria Dancing Bacchante. The completed statue was Ricci’s book on Bienaimé’s oeuvre (Ricci transported to St. Petersburg in 1850 where it 1838), and is also described in Hawks Le was placed in the Winter Palace. Although Grice’s Walks through the Studii of the Sculp- Nicholas I’s Dancing Bacchante can now be tors of Rome (1841) as standing in Bienaime’s found in the National Gallery at Erevan, an- studio as having been executed for Prince other one of larger sizes, signed and dated Doldenburgh. The most interesting history 1840 and coming from the collection of the connected with this statue, however, origi- princes of Ol'denburgskij’s arrived at the Her- nates with the Russian expatriate community mitage in 1923, where it can still be found in Rome, a city that had attracted a number today. A further smaller version, also in the of Russian artists. At this time, a frenetic Hermitage, was probably commissioned by building activity had taken over the wealth- the Prince Boris Yusupov. It is not dated but iest inhabitants of St. Petersburg. These new in the catalogue for the 1996 exhibition I palaces and mansions needed to be deco- Marmi degli Zar it is argued that it must have rated, and with this in mind, the upper ech- been made during the 1840s as a copy of the L. Bienaimé, Dancing Bacchante, 1846, (detail) elons of Russian society travelled around earlier, larger versions. It is probable that, after Europe acquiring objects for their homes. the patronage of such illustrious collectors as Nicholas I himself entertained ambitions of founding a new Imperial Prince Doldenburgh and Tsar Nicholas I, the Dancing Bacchante enjoyed Museum in St. Petersburg. As demonstrated, he was already familiar with great fame and that the present version was executed for another presti- the art of Italy; thus, it is not surprising to find him travelling through gious client sharing similar tastes. A. Canova, Dancer with bells, 1812, marble; Berlin, Bode Museum. Realized for Andrei Razumovskij, Russian ambassador in Vienna. nevertheless, although sentimental, was not overly so as in the work of some of his elders or contemporaries. Through polished variations of subject, which had also been represented by Thorvaldsen, Bien- aimé found his own artistic vein, carrying out the same themes with a narrative and sentimental approach that was different from his mas- ter's severe “philosophical” style. The subject of this statue, the Dancing Bacchante, was also tied to works Thorvaldsen and, before him, Antonio Canova had previously treated, in particular the Dancer sculpted in 1817 by the Dane for Prince Nicolaus Esterhàzy (the model is now at the Thorvaldsen Mu- seum in Copenhagen). These works shared a common archaeological reference to antique statues’ draperies swelled by the wind such as the Hora at the Uffizi and the Hora that was at that time part of the Ludovisi collection; a reference also echoed in Pietro Tenerani’s Flora (di Majo, Susinno, in Rome 1989, p.322; Grandesso 2003, p.136). Compared to his master’s works, Bienaimé expressed an original face physiognomy that was not influenced by Thorvaldsen’s oeuvres. Fur- thermore, he notably amplified the movement by expanding the three- dimensional development of the figures, which turns out to be very different from the typical frontality of the Dane’s sculptures. The “ser- pentinato” development of the figure within the space, which is similar L. Bienaimé, Portrait of the Tsar Nicholas I, 1846, marble; Saint Petersburg, The State Hermitage Museum. Literature: Roma 2003 Camuccini Finelli Bienaimé, Protagonisti del classicismo a Roma nell’Ottocento, Galleria Francesca Antonacci Cited Literature Carrara 1993 Scultura a Carrara. Ottocento, essays by Mario De Micheli, Gian Lorenzo Mellini, Massimo Bertozzi, artists biographies by Renato Carozzi, Bergamo 1993. Carrara, Massa 1996 I marmi degli zar. Gli scultori carraresi all'Er- mitage e a Peterhof, (Carrara, Accademia di Abraham-Louis-Rodolphe DUCROS (1748 Moudon-1810 Lausanne) A noble group of Russian "Grand-Tourists" visiting the Neptune's Grotto at Tivoli, 1782 c. Oil on canvas, 90 x 132,2 cm. Provenance: Bern, private collection This painting 1 depicts a foreshortening of the inside of the so-called Neptune’s Grotto at Tivoli: a large cavern in the rock wall underneath the town where the river Aniene flows after a “Large Waterfall”. 2 The Neptune’s Grotto was one of the most notorious attractions of Tivoli and represented a fundamental stop for the “Grand-Tourists” of the 18th century. The following is a 1794 description by an anonymous traveller: “The grotto is in the depths, where the river, immediately past the large waterfall, vertically falls down from high rocks. A narrow path leads to these depths [...] along the rock wall, but one must be careful not to make a fatal jump […]. The grotto seems to be shaped by Nature and partially carved by the falling waters. It looks like a 15 feet high building, as much wide, that is transparent on three sides. The imposing view of water pre- cipitating for five storeys, the sound, the thunder of this powerful element, sometimes frightens, sometimes elicits pleasure and admiration; the body is shaken and the spirit gets confused. The whole grotto, and its vault, are wonderfully covered by moss and herbs of a beautiful green tone. You stand there, on the smooth stones, you get wet and yet you remain; the scene is too odd and extraordinary to leave immediately.” 3 Our painting represents the inside of the grotto. We can see the large dark and massive arch of the vault, behind which the waterfall runs on some rocks towards the foreground. Two gentlemen are depicted on the smooth stones described by the anonymous traveller; one is standing, already contemplating the grandiose view, whereas the other one is cautiously moving with the help of a local guide. Two other men are coming from the path on the right, followed by a dog. An additional dog is sniffing the plants in the foreground. In my opinion this painting is by the Swiss painter Abraham-Louis- Rodolphe Ducros who arrived in Rome in 1776. After a trip to Sicily with a group of Dutch “Grand-Tourists”, he settled in the Eternal City in 1778. Even if in 1770s and in the early 1780s the Roman market of views and landscapes was dominated by Jakob Philipp Hackert (1737-1807), Ducros could find his own place: in 1780 he formed a partnership with the Roman engraver Giovanni Volpato (1735-1803), successfully selling hand-colored engravings reproduc- ing ancient monuments. Moreover, he specialized in the technique of watercolors, that Hackert disregarded being famous for his brown ink drawings. These large watercolors painted with bright shades represent well-known sites, such as the Tivoli and Terni waterfalls or famous Roman monuments, which soon became Ducros’ “mark” who, thus, secured his own niche in the Roman art market. When Hackert left to Naples in 1786, Ducros further consolidated his position and worked with increasing success, at last helped by two assistants, Franz Kaisermann and Filippo Giuntotardi. In 1793, Ducros was compelled to leave Rome for Naples where he lived until 1805 4 , and where he also painted seascapes. In 1800/1801 he visited Malta Island. Back to Rome in 1805, the artist remained there until 1807. Then he moved moved back to Switzerland where, in 1809, he was appointed director of Berne Academy. Unfortunately, he died before he could get this position. While watercolors by Ducros are present in several private and public collections, he only made few oil paintings. In fact, he used this tech- nique just in a short period of time during the first half of 1780s. To 1785 dated two paintings, apparently missing at the moment, both described in the Roman art journal Memorie per le Belle Arti, which additionally tells us that they were commissioned by a certain “Milord Breadalbane”. Still according to the journal reporter, Ducros had painted another oil with the view of Syracuse and a wood in the fore- ground where Cicero uncovers the tomb of Archimedes, probably commissioned by Frederick Augustus Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol and Bishop of Derry (1730-1803) 5 . While these works are still missing, a painting with a view of the Temple of the Sibyl at Tivoli is rather well-known 6 . The catalogue of Kenwood exhibition of 1985 tells us about Ducros’ oil paintings production: “Between 1782 and 1785 Ducros painted several ‘conversation pieces’ in oil. This type of portrait, fashionable since Pompeo Batoni painted his masterpieces, was taken up by many […] But Ducros did not persevere in this particular field, being more at ease with the large water-colour landscapes which were to become his speciality after 1785.” 7 To these “conversation pieces” belong two additional oil on canvas, even though they depict characters in a landscape context. Both works of art were commissioned by a very high-ranking patron, the Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich Romanov: the future Tsar Paul I (1754-1801), who visited Rome in February 1782 with his wife Maria Feodorovna (born Princess of Württemberg, 1759-1828) her brother, Prince Friedrich of Württemberg, the future King Friedrich I (1754-1816), and Prince Nicolai Borisovich Yusupov. Although the noble couple travelled incognito under the name “Counts of North”, their presence in Rome awoke great interest and their movements, their visits to monuments and to artists’ ateliers were commented, for instance, by the Diario Ordinario newspaper, published by the Chracas brothers. On March 9, 1782, they went on a trip to Tivoli guided by the land- scape painter Jakob Philipp Hackert; also this event was commented by the Diario Ordinario 8 . Despite the Roman newspaper did not mentioned Ducros' presence, he was certainly part of the group who followed the Grand Dukes. Indeed, he was asked to document their L. Bienaimé, Shepherdess, 1854, marble; Saint Petersburg, The State Hermitage Museum. Belle Arti, Massa, Palazzo Ducale, April 13 - June 23 1996) exhibition catalogue edited by Massimo Bertozzi, Milano 1996. Hartmann 1984 Jorgen Birkedal Hartmann, La triade italiana del Thorvaldsen. Alcune considerazioni su temi mitologici e cristiani, in "Antologia di Belle Arti", 1984 nn. 23-24, pp. 90-115. Grandesso 2003 Stefano Grandesso, Pietro Tenerani (1789 - 1869), Cinisello Balsamo 2003. Jørnæs 1997 Biarne Jørnæs, Bertel Thorvaldsen la vita e l'- opera dello scultore, Roma 1997. Le Grice 1841 Hawks Le Grice, Walks through the studii of the sculptors at Rome with a brief historical and critical sketch of sculpture, 2 voll. Rome 1841 Ricci 1838 Sculture di Luigi Bienaimé da Carrara, Roma 1838 Roma 1989 Bertel Thorvaldsen 1770 - 1844 scultore danese a Roma, (Roma, Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna, November 1 1989 - January 28 1990), exhibition catalogue edited by Elena di Majo, Bjarne Jørnæs, Stefano Susinno, Roma 1989. Fig. 1: Abraham-Louis-Rodolphe Ducros, "The Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich and the Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna visiting Neptune's Grotto at Tivoli", 1782 c., oil on canvas, Pawlovsk, Palace Museum. Fig. 2: Abraham-Louis-Rodolphe Ducros, "The Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich and the Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna visiting the Roman Forum", 1782 c., oil on canvas, Pawlovsk, Palace Museum. visit to Nep- tune’s Grotto in a painting now at Pawlovsk (see fig. 1). 9 In the f o re g r o u n d there are some mas- terly painted figures de- picted with every detail of their clothes. We can see a lady with an imperial bear- ing, certainly t h e Gr a n d Duchess, of- fering her hand to a lord in a deep-red Fig. 3: Heinrich Friedrich Füger, Portrait of the Prince Yusupov, 1781, c loak, her oil on canvas, Saint Petersburg, The State Hermitage Museum. husband; he holds an um- brella over his wife’s head, perhaps because in the humid atmos- phere of the grotto some drops might have fallen. Other characters of the imperial couple’s entourage arrive from their right. The paint- ing shows the grotto from a more distant perspective than the one in our painting; besides, the large waterfall is represented on the left while Tivoli buildings are depicted at the summit of the rock wall. Ducros also painted the pendant of this canvas representing the Grand Dukes during their visit to the Roman Forum (see fig. 2) 10 ; here as well, the characters are depicted with great care and the fig- ure of the young Grand Duchess stands out, clearly taller than her husband. For what concerns our painting, its excellent description of figures clearly marks a difference when compared to the multitude of rep- resentations of the grotto by famous and less famous painters. Two gentlemen, escorted by two local guides, have already reached the water at the centre of the painting; while one is visible only from his back, the face of the second one, though partially covered by his hat, can be recognized by his profile. He is wearing white trousers and a red jacket, the sleeves of which show the laces of his shirt – equally white. From the right, two other gentlemen are getting closer. The one on the left, wearing a turquoise coat, a silvery waist- coat with a lace jabot and elegant white silk stockings, has put his left hand in his trousers pocket with nonchalance. Moving broadly the other hand, he shows the grotto pointing out by means of his saber as if it was a cane: he is apparently explaining something to his companion. This last one is keeping a folder under his arm, lis- tening with attention; his right hand is raised and pointing with a finger, as if he was only awaiting for the right moment to interrupt the speaker and add an important detail. Unlike the character at his side, he is wearing some boots that are less elegant but more suitable to the humid environment, his coat is in a less extravagant color, and, instead of the saber, he is holding a cane. We can gather that this man belongs to a lower social class; his folder might suggest he is a scholar, thoroughly competent in leading the visit to the grotto. The artist’s mastery in painting the figures of the gentlemen and of their guide is really striking. The round cheek and slight double chin face of the man in turquoise is as much visible as the rather hollow cheek face of his companion. It is fairly evident that they must relate to real people, thus suggesting they must be portraits. These analogies in depicting figures allow us to compare our paint- ing to the canvas now at Pawlovsk. Both paintings are the same sizes, and same sizes are also the figures compared to the surrounding grotto. Likely similar is also the representation of the dark rock and the partition of the image space in shade and light. The large leaf green plants, visible on the lower side, also appear on the left of the water in Pawlovsk painting. Therefore, I would like to formulate the hypothesis that Ducros painted our canvas at the same time, when he was also painting the View of Neptune’s Grotto at Tivoli now at Pawlosk, perhaps around 1782. The gentlemen repre- sented in our paint- ing might be members of the group who travelled with the Russian Gr a n d Du k e s ; maybe one of them Fig. 4: A.L.R. Ducros, A noble group of Russian "Grand Tou- wished to have a sou- rists" visiting the Neptune's Grotto at Tivoli, 1782 c., (detail) venir of their staying in Tivoli for himself, commissioning Ducros to paint a canvas. In our painting, Ducros only shows the grotto with the waterfall in the back- ground, maybe because his client thus requested it to him. The con- trast between the clear water, masterfully painted in its transparency and immateriality, and the massive rocks of the grotto, variously lighted (from total dark, to half-light, to sunny areas) discloses once and again the artist’s mastery and makes this canvas a masterpiece. It might be possible to give a name to the only face clearly visible among the gentlemen, the one wearing a turquoise coat. He could be identified with a member of the Grand Dukes’ entourage, Prince Nicolai Borisovich Yusupov (1750-1831), a great art lover and owner of one of the most important collections of his period 11 . There are two portraits of the Prince, by Heinrich Friedrich Füger (1751-1818, see fig. 3) 12 and by Johann Baptist Lampi the Elder (1751-1830) 13 which show the young Russian nobleman’s round face, slight double chin and pointed nose, comparable to the features of the gentleman in our painting (see fig. 4). Whereas the man to his side, depicted with the dignity of a professor and carrying a folder, could be identified with one of the four scholars who fol- lowed the Grand Dukes during their trip: that it is to say the poet Friedrich Maximilian Klinger (1752- 1831), lector of Pavel Petro- vich; Ludwig Heinrich Nicolay (1737-1820), (see fig. 5) Director of the Sci- ence Academy of St. Peters- burg; Andrej Samborskij (1732-1815), theologian; Franz Hermann Lafermière (1737-1796) 14 , Swiss librar- ian of the imperial couple. Though characters identifi- Fig. 5: Portrait of Ludwig Heinrich Nicolay cation can only be an at- tempt to interpreting the painting, indeed this canvas excels both in figures representation and grotto rendering with the waterfall in the background. This painting can be considered as one of Ducros’ masterpieces and equals the qual- ity and the importance of the canvas commissioned by the Russian Grand Dukes, now at Pawlovsk. General literature on Ducros: Images of the Grand Tour: Louis Ducros 1748-1810. Kenwood, The Iveagh Bequest, 1985. –Louis Ducros 1748-1810. Paesaggi d’Italia all’epoca di Goethe. exhibition catalogue edited by Pierre Chessex, Rome 1987. –Abraham-Louis-Rodolphe Ducros. Un peintre suisse en Italie. Exhibition catalogue edited by Jörg Zutter, Lausanne, Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts 1998. Dr. Claudia Nordhoff