46. S. PUDENZIANA, PORTAL
de Bonis, A(driano)

The portal of the Early Christian basilica of S. Pudenziana was reworked during the renovations undertaken by Cardinal Enrico Caetani between 1585 and 1599. The Cardinal’s architect, Francesco da Volterra, made use of spolia, most notably the twin columns with helical fluting and the medieval frieze. The 11th-century frieze includes five reliefs set within roundels, linked by floral motifs. The central roundel represents the Agnus Dei; to the left are portraits of S. Pastore and S. Pudenziana; and to the right portraits of S. Prassede and S. Pudente. The photograph provides a valuable record of the appearance and condition of the frieze before portions of it were re-cut during the restoration of the facade in 1870.

47. S. CLEMENTE, PULPIT AND CANDELABRUM
de Bonis, A(driano)

The ambo (pulpit) and paschal candelabrum are part of the marble furnishings of the 12th-century schola cantorum of San Clemente. Both are fine examples of so-called Cosmatesque decoration. Workshops of marble workers (marmorari), many of them associated with families active from ca. 1100 through the middle of the 13th century, recycled ancient Roman marbles and fashioned them into church furnishings, pavements, and cloisters of great richness and geometric sophistication. The pulpit of this early Christian basilica is photographed with available light, making the textures of the marble feel like chocolate, while the back-lit columns and helical candlestick exhibit a luminist glow.

48. UNIDENTIFIED FOUNTAIN
Chauffourier, Gustavo Eugenio (attributed)

The subject of this photograph is clearly the space between the raised fountain basin with its sculpted Barberini bee and the sunken pool, where a person drinks from the water spout without the benefit of the two tin cups put there to ease the task. At first the photograph seems more like a snap-shot image that might have been taken with a 35 mm camera, but a closer look reveals how the photographer offsets the fountain to include the background arcade. This effect enhances our understanding and interest, while placing the photograph squarely in the body of Chauffourier’s other work.

49. THE ACQUA PAOLA
Chauffourier, Gustavio Eugenio (attributed)

50. OLEVANO, CASTELLO COLONNA
Simelli, Carlo Baldessare

In this striking image of a rural rock precipice, the lens is trained on the structural details of a lodging that blends into and surmounts this rugged, demanding landscape. The battlements of the 13th-century Colonna castle in the distance are cropped. Olevano had become a favorite destination for 19th-century artists and thus this photograph, which was taken by Simelli, was probably intended for use as an artist’s study.

51. THE FONTANA DEL TRITONE
de Bonis, A(driano)

Bernini’s Triton Fountain in Piazza Barberini is photographed with two well-dressed young boys leaning and sitting on the railing in the near-empty piazza, while work goes on in the open doorways of the surrounding dwellings. Laundry hangs drying along the way up to the Capuchin Church. The strong afternoon sun suffuses the composition with light, creating strong contrasts that serve to silhouette the fountain against the background of the piazza and sky. The moss-encrusted condition of the scallop shell on which the Triton kneels and the dark water stains that cover his body are in stark contrast to the bleached surfaces we see today.

52. PIAZZA BARBERINI
de Bonis, A(driano)

The Piazza Barberini became an enclave of the family of Pope Urban VIII Barberini early in the 17th century. The family palace on the slope of the Quirinal dominates the square from the south. Bernini designed two fountains that claimed the piazza as Barberini turf: the Triton Fountain (Fontana del Tritone) and the Fountain of the Bees (Fontana delle Api). The former is placed at the center of the piazza, while the latter once adorned its northwest corner on the Strada Felice (modern Via Sistina), as seen here. The bollards and railing around the Triton Fountain prevented horses from drinking from it; the horses’ needs were provided for by the Fountain of the Bees, which plays on one of the heraldic devices of the Barberini family. In 1865 the Fountain of the Bees was dismantled and in 1916 it was re-erected in a new position at the northeast corner of the piazza, anchoring one side of the Via Veneto. After waiting for the foreground shadow to frame the Bees Fountain, de Bonis faced the challenge here to photograph it while including the Triton in the center of the Piazza Barbarini. This might have been easier with a longer lens, something that was not available to de Bonis. The difficulty of this task is implied by the infrequency with which this combination is seen in 19th-century Roman photographs.

53. THE FONTANA DEL TRITONE
de Bonis, A(driano)

There are several subtle changes which have occurred in the piazza in the approximately five years between this earlier ca.1860 salted paper print and the albumen print of #51. The metal rods upon which the boys are sitting were changed from simple square bars to fashioned railings, and in the building beyond, a Caffé has reopened. The simple oil lamps have also been replaced by gas lamps. Since the trees were trimmed every few years, their height is deceiving in dating the images.

54. THE FONTANA DELLE TARTARUGHE
Lebel, Edmond

The Fontana delle Tartarughe, or Turtles Fountain, is embellished by bronze figures of four youths cast by the Tuscan sculptor Taddeo Landini in 1581. The turtles that give the fountain its name were only added in 1658, when the fountain was restored under Alexander VII. The view is to the south, with the Via della Reginella and the flank of the Palazzo Costaguti receding in the background. This image by Edmond Lebel of the fountain in the Piazza Mattei evokes a sense of presence with side lighting and the inclusion of a resting observer and a woman working. Lebel came to Rome 1870–71 to continue his studies as a painter. He had studied photography with Disderi in France and clearly used photographs for his painting. In Rome, he collected many photographs by Caneva, Altobelli, Tuminello, de Bonis and Simelli and was influenced by them in his photographic style and subject matter.