the rijksmuseum bulletin 52 the rijks the restorationa ofquestion womanmuseum ofin framingblue reading a letter bulletin Jacques-Louis David’s 1 ‘Thrones’ Identified • femke diercks • n 1997 the Rijksmuseum acquired Fig. 1 many citations of antique works I a drawing by Jacques-Louis David jacques-louis recorded in the albums – including (fig. 1) from Lodewijk Houthakker’s david (1748-1825), chairs of both general types in his collection, where it had been accom- Sketch of a Marble Lictors Returning to Brutus the Bodies Throne, c. 1775-80. panied by a similar sheet, both show- of his Sons of 1789 (fig. 3).5 Several Pen and brown ink, 2 ing antique marble thrones (fig. 2). brown and grey of David’s sketches also proved a The throne in the Rijksmuseum’s wash over a black source of inspiration for other French drawing has a concave back and a chalk sketch, artists, among them the furniture solid base decorated with a volute and 212 x 153 mm. makers Georges Jacob and the Jacob- acanthus-leaf motifs, while the front Amsterdam, Desmalter workshop.6 The throne supports take the form of lion’s feet Rijksmuseum, sketches were in the sixth album until inv. no. rp-t-1997-50; and legs extending to the hock. The it was taken apart in 1979.7 Among purchased with one in the other drawing, now in a the support of the other drawings in this album private collection, is of the klismos the Rijksmuseum- were sketches of sculptures at the type, the curvature of the legs echoing Stichting. Villa Giustiniani, the Villa Borghese the deeply curved upper element of and other popular sites, and it also the back. David’s sources for these objects have not been identified, and it has been suggested that they were not based on specific examples but were generic representations.3 In fact, as we shall see, they are reasonably accurate portrayals of existing marble thrones. After winning the Prix de Rome in 1774, David spent five years in Rome, from 1775 to 1780. During this period he made over a thousand drawings, mostly of antique sculpture and Italian Fig. 2 paintings, which he later assembled jacques-louis in twelve albums, often misleadingly david, Sketch of referred to as the ‘Roman sketch- a Marble Throne, books’.4 David’s stay in Rome and c. 1775-80. Pen and brown ink, the repertory of images he made brown and grey wash there played an important role in the over a black chalk development of his Neo-classicizing sketch, 213 x 154 mm. style, and his later paintings contain Private collection. 53 the rijksmuseum bulletin Fig. 3 contained copies of Raphael’s Sistine and garden with his collection of jacques-louis tapestries and illustrations in publica- classical sculpture, much of which david, Lictors tions on antiquities.8 remained there until the late eight- Returning to The most important indication of eenth century (fig. 4). The site played Brutus the Bodies David’s source for the thrones is the an important role in the extensive of his Sons, 1789. Oil on canvas, inscription ‘a la villa Negroni’ which urban renewals Sixtus initiated during 323 x 422 cm. occurs on both drawings. This refers his papacy. After his death, the villa and Paris, Musée du to the sixteenth-century casino and his extensive library and art collections Louvre, inv. no. 3693. gardens, now usually called the Villa passed to his nephew Alessandro Photo © rmn – Montalto-Negroni, which occupied Peretti, Cardinal Montalto (1571-1623), Gérard Blot/ the site of the present Termini railway who subsequently added to them.9 It Christian Jean. station in Rome. Along with the Villa remained in the Peretti family until the Borghese and the Villa Albani, this end of the seventeenth century, when was one of the most popular sites for an inventory of the antique sculptures artists and tourists visiting Rome. drawn up between 1680 and 1685 Situated at the edge of the vast complex records no fewer than 864 items in of the Baths of Diocletian, the house the house and gardens.10 These were was built in 1579 by the architect presumably included in the sale when Domenico Fontana for Cardinal Felice the last of the Peretti was constrained Peretti Montalto (1520-1590), later Pope to sell the property in 1696. The Sixtus v (r. 1585-90), who used it as his purchaser was Cardinal Gianfranceso principal residence and filled the house Negroni (1629-1713), and it was under 54 jacques-louis david’s ‘thrones’ identified his name that the complex was known Staderini, who sold off the collections when David made his sketches.11 to the British artist and agent Thomas David must have visited the Villa Jenkins in September 1785.15 British Montalto-Negroni on one or more aristocrats, inspired by their Grand occasions to study the antiquities, and Tours, were avid buyers of classical it was also during his stay in Rome antiquities, and they were often advised in 1777 that a series of frescoes was by British agents in Rome such as excavated from an ancient house found Jenkins, who was one of the principal under the gardens of the complex, middlemen in sales to wealthy British which excited the interest of the whole collectors.16 Even with vast amounts artistic community.12 Apart from the of ancient marbles finding their way two thrones, five more drawings in to Britain during this period, Jenkins’s David’s albums are annotated as purchase of the Villa Negroni collec- having been made at the Villa Negroni, tions was to create a stir among the including sketches of two seated col lecting community; he himself philosophers, a bas-relief of two boasted that his acquisition of its sphinxes and male figures around a sculptures would cause ‘as much Noise vase, now in the Musei Vaticani, and in Rome, as a Pitt or Fox in London, a seated Roma in Castello Massimo Jealousy & consequent Envy have an in Arsoli.13 David also drew a clump Extensive field, let them feed on it’.17 of pines and cypresses there: although It was Jenkins who negotiated the sale this is not annotated it can be identi- to Sir Joshua Reynolds of one of the fied from drawings by other artists.14 most spectacular items from the Villa In 1784, coincidentally while David Negroni, Bernini’s Neptune and Triton, was on a second, briefer visit to Rome, which later came into the possession of the villa and its contents changed Charles Anderson-Pelham, 1st Baron hands again. They were acquired by Yarborough (1748/49- 1823), in the the Tuscan entrepreneur Giuseppe garden of whose seat, Brocklesby Park Fig. 4 Fountains in the garden of the Villa Montalto-Negroni, from G.F. Venturini, Le fontane ne palazzi e ne giardini di Roma, vol. 3, Rome 1969, p. 16. 55 the rijksmuseum bulletin in Lincolnshire, it remained until it of a sumptuous catalogue of his collec- was acquired by the Victoria and tion, the Museum Worsleyanum, in Albert Museum in 1950.18 which texts by the Italian expert on Among Jenkins’s clients was Sir classical sculpture, Ennio Quirino Richard Worsley, 7th baronet, of Visconti, were illustrated with detailed Appuldurcombe (1751-1805). Worsley engravings of all the items in his col- visited Rome twice as part of a tour lection.22 These include two marble to the Levant – during the winter of thrones that the accompanying text 1784/1785, and again at the end of indicates were both from Sixtus v’s his journey in 1787, when we can be Villa Montalto. The German scholar, certain he was at the Villa Negroni, Adolf Michaelis, later stated that they for he addressed a letter from there.19 had been purchased through Jenkins During his travels Worsley bought a (fig. 5).23 The thrones are also men- large quantity of predominantly Greek tioned in the export licence Worsley 24 antiquities, which he later displayed obtained in Rome on 31 March 1788. Fig. 5 at Appuldurcombe House, his seat on There can be little doubt that these Engraving of the Isle of Wight.20 The highlights of are the thrones that David drew.25 The the two thrones, his collection were the Greek stele with throne on the left of the engraving from Museum a girl with doves from Paros, now in in the Museum Worsleyanum and Worsleyanum (1824 edition). the Metropolitan Museum, New York, the one in the Rijksmuseum drawing Amsterdam, and a Roman group of Bacchus and are essentially identical, except that University of 21 Acratus. On his return to England, he David’s throne is slightly tilted and Amsterdam, turned his attention to the publication he has exaggerated the curvature of Special Collections. 56 jacques-louis david’s ‘thrones’ identified the back. The differences between the result of artistic licence and that David klismos chair and David’s drawing are drew one of these other chairs.28 David greater, since David entirely omitted was not the only artist to have drawn the marble support at the rear of the thrones at the Villa Negroni: the Danish throne shown in the engraving and sculptor Johannes Wiedewelt visited added a decorative motif to the base between 1754 and 1758 and portrayed Fig. 6 of the chair corresponding with that the klismos throne in a drawing now in 26 29 Marble Throne, on the other drawing. It is clear, the Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Brocklesby Park, nonetheless, that David must have The thrones’ later history brings Lincolnshire. been inspired by the thrones at the us back to Brocklesby Park.30 When H.