Louvre, east façade (study for the First Project)
Maker
(artist)
1598-1680
1598-1680
Title
Louvre, east façade (study for the First Project)
Date of Production
1664
Medium
pen and brown ink on laid paper, with brown ink framing lines, laid down
Dimensions
Height: 17 cm
Width: 27.9 cm
Width: 27.9 cm
Accession Number
D.1984.AB.51.1
Mode of Acquisition
Anthony Blunt, Art Fund bequest & grant aid, 1984
Credit
The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)
Location
Not currently on display
Keywords
projects
Label Text
In 1664 the celebrated Roman sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini took part in a competition to design the east façade of the palace of the Louvre in Paris, which King Louis XIV wished to complete. This freehand drawing shows Bernini’s initial proposal for the façade, featuring a central oval pavilion. The arches and monumental columns derive from classical precedents, however Bernini’s unusually animated design was rejected in favour of Claude Perrault’s more conventional plan for a linear row of columns on a raised pavilion.
Notes
The only other surviving drawing for this early version of Bernini's design for King Louis XIV is in the Louvre (91 DE 4842/rec. 1, fol. 4), which is a more finished version of this sheet.
Provenance
Colnaghi (London); Margaret Whinney, London (1897-1975); given by her to Professor Anthony Blunt (1907-1983); Blunt Bequest via the Art Fund 1984
Exhibition History
Architectural Drawings Workshop, The Courtauld Gallery, 02/08/2013-03/08/2013
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Frick Collection, New York, 02/10/2012-27/01/2013
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, Courtauld Gallery, London, 14/06/2012-09/09/2012 ...More
Baroque 1620-1800 - Style in the Age of Magnificence, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 04/04/2009-19/07/2009
Roman Baroque Sculpture and Design in the Age of Bernini, Edinburgh & Scotland, 25/06/1998-20/09/1998
Drawing the Line - Reappraising Drawing Past and Present
(selected by Michael Craig-Martin), Southampton City Art Gallery; Manchester City Art Galleries; Ferens Art Gallery, Hull; Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, 07/07/1995-10/09/1995
Von Bernini bis Piranesi. Römische Architekturzeichnungen des Barock, Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart, 1993
Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 16/10/1991-19/01/1992 ...Less
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Frick Collection, New York, 02/10/2012-27/01/2013
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, Courtauld Gallery, London, 14/06/2012-09/09/2012 ...More
Baroque 1620-1800 - Style in the Age of Magnificence, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 04/04/2009-19/07/2009
Roman Baroque Sculpture and Design in the Age of Bernini, Edinburgh & Scotland, 25/06/1998-20/09/1998
Drawing the Line - Reappraising Drawing Past and Present
(selected by Michael Craig-Martin), Southampton City Art Gallery; Manchester City Art Galleries; Ferens Art Gallery, Hull; Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, 07/07/1995-10/09/1995
Von Bernini bis Piranesi. Römische Architekturzeichnungen des Barock, Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart, 1993
Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 16/10/1991-19/01/1992 ...Less
Literature
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, Frick Collection, New York and Courtauld Gallery, London London 2012-2013
no. 30
Fig. p. p. 151
Christie's, King Street, London, Old Master & 19th century paintings, drawings and watercolours, 7 Jul. 2010
under lot 317
drawing by Mattia de Rossi recording a design by Bernini
Baroque 1620-1800 - Style in the Age of Magnificence, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2009
cat. no. 22
p. 88
Fig. p. pl. 2.15 ...More
Hall, Michael, 'Gianlorenzo Bernini's third design for the east façade of the Louvre of 1665, drawn by Mattia de Rossi' in 'The Burlington Magazine', Jul. 2007 - pp. 478-82; 149, 1252
pp. 478, 480
Fig. p. fig. 25
Effigies and Ecstasies - Roman Baroque Sculpture and Design in the Age of Bernini, National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh, 1998, 1998
no. 92
Fig. p. p. 131
Merz, Jörg, 'Review: Roman architectural drawings. Stuttgart' in 'The Burlington Magazine', Dec. 1993 - pp. 843-44; 135, 1089
p. 844
Fig. p. fig. 67
wonders if this is by Hebborn instead
Von Bernini bis Piranesi. Römische Architekturzeichnungen des Barock, Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart, 1993
cat. no. 30
Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1991
cat. no. 9
pp. 26, 173
Fig. p. p. 27
Farr, Dennis, 100 Masterpieces from the Courtauld Collections, London: Courtauld Institute Galleries, 1987
p. 160
Fig. p. 161
Pesco, Daniela del, Il Louvre di Bernini nella Francia di Luigi XIV, Florence 1984
p. 13
Blunt, Anthony, Art and architecture in France, 1500-1700, London 4th ed., 1980
p. 231
Fig. p. repr. ...Less
no. 30
Fig. p. p. 151
Christie's, King Street, London, Old Master & 19th century paintings, drawings and watercolours, 7 Jul. 2010
under lot 317
drawing by Mattia de Rossi recording a design by Bernini
Baroque 1620-1800 - Style in the Age of Magnificence, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2009
cat. no. 22
p. 88
Fig. p. pl. 2.15 ...More
Hall, Michael, 'Gianlorenzo Bernini's third design for the east façade of the Louvre of 1665, drawn by Mattia de Rossi' in 'The Burlington Magazine', Jul. 2007 - pp. 478-82; 149, 1252
pp. 478, 480
Fig. p. fig. 25
Effigies and Ecstasies - Roman Baroque Sculpture and Design in the Age of Bernini, National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh, 1998, 1998
no. 92
Fig. p. p. 131
Merz, Jörg, 'Review: Roman architectural drawings. Stuttgart' in 'The Burlington Magazine', Dec. 1993 - pp. 843-44; 135, 1089
p. 844
Fig. p. fig. 67
wonders if this is by Hebborn instead
Von Bernini bis Piranesi. Römische Architekturzeichnungen des Barock, Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart, 1993
cat. no. 30
Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1991
cat. no. 9
pp. 26, 173
Fig. p. p. 27
Farr, Dennis, 100 Masterpieces from the Courtauld Collections, London: Courtauld Institute Galleries, 1987
p. 160
Fig. p. 161
Pesco, Daniela del, Il Louvre di Bernini nella Francia di Luigi XIV, Florence 1984
p. 13
Blunt, Anthony, Art and architecture in France, 1500-1700, London 4th ed., 1980
p. 231
Fig. p. repr. ...Less
Inscriptions
Watermark: Watermark: lower centre: unclear - possibly a bunch of grapes?
Inscription: Recto: lower left edge, brown ink, not a signature: “CAV. Bernini” and beside it in darker brown ink: “No. 42 110.V.”. Verso (hidden under backing sheet, visible via transmitted light): lower right corner, pen and brown ink. partially migrated through to recto: “Dal Bernino” [contrary to all the literature which has published this as reading "G.L. Bernini"].
Collector's mark: none.
Inscription: Recto: lower left edge, brown ink, not a signature: “CAV. Bernini” and beside it in darker brown ink: “No. 42 110.V.”. Verso (hidden under backing sheet, visible via transmitted light): lower right corner, pen and brown ink. partially migrated through to recto: “Dal Bernino” [contrary to all the literature which has published this as reading "G.L. Bernini"].
Collector's mark: none.
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