Philippe Auguste Titeux

Little is known of the life of the architect and watercolour draughtsman, Philippe Auguste Titeux, who died young. He began his studies in 1835 at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris under the architect and architectural historian, Guillaume-Abel Blouet, and the painter and lithographer, Jean-Baptiste Debret. Titeux was awarded the Prix de Rome in 1842 and held a scholarship at the Académie de France in the city from 1843 to 1846. He presumably went straight from there to Greece or did so shortly afterwards, since he passed away the same year in Athens. The artist was laid to rest in the French national church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome. Works by Titeux that have survived include medallion portraits on graves in Paris and Rome and a drawing of the Caracalla thermal baths in the collection of the Institut national d’histoire de l’art (INHA) in Paris (inv. NUM OA 697). 

He drew these masterfully executed watercolours – interior views of the Roman churches San Lorenzo fuori le Mura and Santa Maria in Aracoeli – in 1845. Their meticulous attention to detail underlines the architect’s interest in the shapes of buildings as well as in perspective and decorative elements; at the same time the works serve as pictorial documents of the two churches that are of value for architectural history. This is particularly true of San Lorenzo, which was formed from the naves of two early Christian basilicas that were merged in the 12th century. The architectural complex underwent restoration several times in the following centuries; it was largely destroyed in the Second World War and subsequently reconstructed. From 1864 to 1870 San Lorenzo was restored and redesigned under Pope Pius IX, during which time the coffered ceiling still visible in the present drawing was removed. On the other hand, the visibly damaged 6th century triumphal arch mosaic with the enthroned Christ can now be found on the rear wall of the same arch on the choir side, while a mosaic from a later period can be seen on the side of the nave (information on the state of research into the mosaic is available in D. Mondini, “San Lorenzo fuori le mura”, in: Die Kirchen der Stadt Rom im Mittelalter, ed. by P. C. Claussen, vol. 3, Stuttgart 2010, p. 326 f.). The artist also makes effective use of figurative staffage. The women dressed in characteristic traditional costume and absorbed in prayer, together with the individual figures of shepherds, monks and pilgrims, enliven the depictions without appearing too anecdotal and introduce atmospheric local colour into the overall scene. In exceptionally fresh colours and impeccable condition.

9.500 €