After his education at the Amsterdamsche Stadstekenacademie (Drawing Academy Amsterdam) Hendrik Voogd had an apprenticeship to Jurrian Andriessen (1742-1819). Just like his predecessor Daniël Dupré (1751-1817) he won a scholarship given by the Oeconomische Tak van de Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen Haarlem and supported by collector and patron Dirk Versteegh (1751-1822) Voogd set out for his sojourn to Italy in 1788 where he joined the Accademia di San Luca. Only very few foreigners were allowed to this membership, which shows how highly his drawings and paintings were appreciated in Italy already during his lifetime. In Rome he became friends with David P.G. Humbert de Superville (1770-1849) and J.C. Reinhart (1761-1847). Aside from his activities as painter and draughtsman, Voogd was also a very early lithographer and one of the very first to have his lithographs printed at the printshop of Giovanni dall'Armi (1777-18429) in Rome. Voogd would spend the rest of his life in Italy (he returned only several times to The Netherlands for short periods of time) where he made numerous drawings in Rome and surroundings (Albano, Castellano, Civita, Pozzuoli, Tivoli etc). He was nicknamed the Dutch Claude Lorrain by his fellow artists in Rome cause of the warm Southern light in his paintings. After Voogd's death, his workshop estate was auctioned on the 15th of August 1842 in Amsterdam. Among this were two large albums and one smaller portfolio with drawings. Voogd's fame would experience a true revival after the discovery of over 200 drawings in the collection of Duivenvoorde Castle, Voorschoten in 1959 which most assumptuous were these three albums. The contents were auctioned and bought by the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Kröller-Müller Museum etc.[1][2][3][4]
Three albums with drawings after local landscapes of Rome and surroundings are preserved in Amsterdam.[5][6]
Our recently discovered drawing shows the ruins the Tomba di Elio Callisto (Tomb of Aelius Callistus, which goes also by the name of Sedia del Diavolo or The Devil's Chair) located at the Piazza Elio Callisto, Rome. The brickstone Tomb or Mausoleum with Corinthian pilasters, which survives until today, dates from back to the first half of the 2nd century AD and is located in the African disctrict several hundred meters from the Via Nomentana. The ruins of the temple frequently provided shelter for shepherds and wayfarers who lighted fire in the temple at night, creating a sinister and evocative atmosphere. When standing in front of the Tomb, one can imagine the devilish macabre and purgatory atmosphere created, when fire burning at night on the inside, illuminating the front door and windows, like the burning eyes and mouth of the massive head of an ancient Devil representing the entrance gate to Purgatory like an anthropomorphic landscape.
When the facade collapsed, the temple was given the nickname Devil's Chair cause of it's remains which looked like an enormous chair with armrests. For centuries the Tomb was attributed supernatural properties, also because of it's location, for the Via Nomentana was used for transhumance, attested by the presence of statues of Hercules, protector of flocks. In our drawing the temple is depicted seen from the front on the left.
A similar, though more sketchy and less worked out view of the temple from exactly the opposite side compared to our drawing is with the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam and was a gift to the museum by (the heirs of) prof. dr. I.Q. van Regteren Altena (1899-1980), former Head of the Prints and Drawings Department (Rijksprentenkabinet), Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.[7]
The Rijksprentenkabinet Leiden also preserves a study of a temple by Voogd.[8]
[1] Ingrid Oud, Michiel Jonker, Marijn Schapelhouman, In de ban van Italië. Tekeningen uit een Amsterdamse verzameling.
Architecture & Natura, 1995. p. 54-55.
[2] J.W. Niemeijer et. al., Ontmoetingen met Italië. Tekenaars uit Scandinavië/Duitsland/Nederland in Italië 1770-1840. Rijksprentenkabinet Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, 1971. p.27-29.
[3] Ellinoor Bergvelt, Paul Knolle et. al., Reizen naar Rome. Italië als leerschool voor Nederlandse kunstenaars omstreeks 1800.
Teylers Museum, Haarlem, 1984/Istituto Olandese di Roma, 1984.
[4] Mooi Oud. Tekeningen uit de Kröller-Müllercollectie: 1500-1800.
Kröller-Müller Museum, 2021. p. 214-215.
[5] Two albums with drawings by Hendrik Voogd. Amsterdams Historisch Museum, inv. no. A 3295 and A 3300.
[6] Album with drawings by Hendrik Voogd. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, inv. no. 1967:102.
[7] Hendrik Voogd, The Ruins of the temple at the Via Nomentana, Rome.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Inv. no. RP-T-2014-13-51
[8] Hendrik Voogd, Temple of Minerva Medici.
Pencil, 187 x 233 mm.
Prentenkabinet der Rijksuniversiteit Leiden, inv. no. 59/09
