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Pinacotheca Hamptoniana Georgio Mag: Brit: Fran: et Hiber: Regi Septem de Actis Apostolorum Tabulas superstites ex pluribus quas, duobus circiter ab hinc seculis, jussu Leonis X. Pont. Rom., Raphael Sancius Urbinas Pictorum facile Princeps coloribus aquâ dilutis pinxit in chartis in Aulæorum texturam: Multosq; post annos Rex Carolus Primus, id suadente Petro Paulo Rubens Equite, magno pretio emptas, ex Flandriâ ubi præfata Aulæa confecta fuerunt, in Angliam advehi jussit: Deinde verò Gulielmus Rex (ut opus tam insigne, toto jam Orbe celeberrimum, præcipuumq; in hoc genere Regni ornamentum, debitâ gauderet majestate) in Palatio Hampton-Court dicto, XII. a Londino passuum millibus, in perpetuum conservandas fixit: Eas demùm, favente, quin et, propositâ præmii spe, excitante Reginâ Annâ, maximâ quâ potuit diligentiâ delineatas, et Inclytæ Nationis Britannicæ de se optimè meritæ, bonarumq, Artium amantissimæ gratiâ ære incisas Optimo, et Munificentissimo Principi Sub cujus felicibus auspiciis tam arduus, Septem Scilicet annorum, labor ad finem tandem perductas est Humillime offert, et dedicat Nicolaus Dorigny.

RA Collection: Book

Record number

03/2243

Imprint

[S.l.,: ], [1719]

Physical Description

8 dble. pl. (incl. t.-pl.); 562 mm. (Broadsheet).

General Note

In the Academy's second set there are bis plates 2-8, all counter-proofs.

Responsibility Note

All plates except the title plate are signed as painted by Raphael and drawn and engraved by 'Nicolaus Dorigny Gallus'.

References

T. Clayton, The English print, 1688-1802 (1997); A. Meyer, Apostles in England: Sir James Thornhill and the legacy of Raphael's tapestry cartoons in England (1996); J. Shearman, Raphael's cartoons in the collection of Her Majesty the Queen and the tapestries for the Sistine Chapel (1972). Detailed notes on the progress of Dorigny's commission are recorded in G. Vertue, Notebooks, ed. K. Esdaile and H.M. Hake, 6 v. (1930-55; repr. 1968).

Summary Note

Dorigny's engravings reproduce seven of ten surviving cartoons which Raphael painted in 1515-1516 as designs for tapestries for the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican palace. The plates are captioned in Latin, and show two events from the Gospels and five from the Acts of the Apostles: the miraculous draught of fishes (Luke 5), Christ's commissioning of St Peter (John 21), the healing of the blind man by St Peter and St John (Acts 3), Ananias (Acts 5), the blindness of Elymas before St Paul (Acts 13), St Paul and St Barnabas at Lystra (Acts 14), and St Paul preaching at Athens (Acts 18).

Dorigny began work on the drawings in 1712 and on the engravings in 1713 (assisted by Charles Dupuis and Claude Du Bosc), and presented a completed set of the engravings to the King in April 1719. In recognition of the quality of his work he was knighted by George I in 1720.

A collection of ninety heads from Dorigny's drawings was published in 1722 - Recueil de XC Têtes tirées des Sept Cartons des Actes des Apôtres.

The cartoons themselves are now on loan from the royal collection to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. The tapestries are in the Pinacotheca of the Vatican.

Provenance

[First set:] Acquired by 1802 (see A Catalogue of the Library in the Royal Academy, London, 1802, p.7).

[Second set:] 'Paid Moses Haughton for Dorigny's Cartoons after Raphael £13.13.0' (Royal Academy Accounts, RAA/TRE/1/2: 'Abstract of Bills ... Midsummer to Michaelmas 1815').

Binding Note

[First set:]18th-century marbled-papered boards; rebacked and recornered in 20th century; red morocco spine label, lettered, 'Dorigny Cartoons'.

[Second set:] 20th-century half calf, grey cloth-covered boards; spine lettered 'Raffaelle's Cartoons Dorigny' and 'R.A.' Bound with one other.

Name as Subject

Subject

Bible, N.T., Acts
Bible, N.T., Gospels
Apostles - Saints - Miracles - Church - History - 1st century - Christian art and symbolism - Bible stories - Iconography
Tapestries - Designs - Drawings, Italian - Cartoons (working drawings), Italian - Interior decoration, Italian - Churches, Italian - Palaces, Italian - Italy - Rome - Vatican City - Cappella Sistina (Vatican Palace, Vatican City) - History - 16th century - Renaissance
Cartoons (working drawings), Italian - Drawings, Italian - Interior decoration, British - Palaces, British - Great Britain - Hampton Court Palace - History
Collections - Great Britain - History
Pictorial works - Great Britain - 18th century

Contributors

Sir Nicolas Dorigny, draughtsman, engraver
Raphael, source artist
George I King of Great Britain, dedicatee