Coypel ’ s educational journey to Rome at the end of 1672 and the beginning of 1673

The aim of this article is to present the circumstances of Noël Coypel’s appointment as rector of the French Academy in Rome and to trace the route of his didactic journey from Paris to Rome with the Prix de Rome scholars entrusted to him. The paper is an attempt to answer the following questions: why a more difficult route through the Alps was chosen (and not, for example, a river and sea route), in what way was the journey educational, and what role did the documents given to Coypel play in securing the expedition. The article is based on an analysis of administrative records during the reign of Louis XIV, lists of superintendents and directors of the French Academy in Rome, accounts of royal buildings, and minutes of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Paris. The paper uses the analytical method, the comparative method, the synthetic method, source criticism, argumentum ex silentio inference, and the geographical method when discussing the itinerary. Rocznik Filozoficzny Ignatianum The Ignatianum Philosophical Yearbook Vol. 27, No. 2 (2021), s. 217–232 PL ISSN 2300–1402 DOI: 10.35765/rfi.2021.2702.11

Although the trip was purposeful and related to Coypel's new position, he designed it in such a way as to not so much get to the destination quickly, but to show his students as much as possible. Coypel introduced the royal scholars to masterpieces of painting and sculpture at centers along a route through Dijon, Lyon, Chambéry, the Mont Cenis Pass, Turin, Milan, Bologna and Florence. The crossing of the Alps, though dangerous, was most often chosen because of the artistic reputation of the cities there. The trip was educational at the expense of comfort or safety. Coypel, as a guide and teacher (paidagōgósπαιδαγωγός) led his charges by overseeing their learning during and through the journey. Wandering to the Eternal City was part of a painter's education (paideíaπαιδεία) in the seventeenth century and was part of Coypel's didactic work allowing young people to be inspired by direct exposure to masterpieces. The journey had an eminently didactic and artistic character, but also an initiatory one, as it gradually initiated and prepared the students for the experience of Rome, the center of artistic life at that time.
Keywords: Noël Coypel, didactic journey, Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, French Academy, Rome, Paris
Słowa klucze: Noël Coypel, podróż dydaktyczna, Królewska Akademia Malarstwa i Rzeźby, Akademia Francuska, Paryż, Rzym All roads followed by the 17th-century artists, especially those connected with academic art, led to Rome. The Eternal City was a particular magnet for young artists, so it is not surprising that the city on the Tiber was the main destination for artistic journeys in the modern era. 1 The need to educate artists in Rome, the city teeming with both ancient and modern works of art, was also acknowledged by art patrons, including Louis XIV, King of France, who -in 1666 -established the French Academy in Rome (Académie de France à Rome). Charles Errard (1606-1689), its first rector, for over 6 years was responsible for the work of young Roman artists who had been awarded the scholarship in this city. In  9 This is contradicted by the fact that the painter's appointment took place earlier, i.e. in October, and Coypel presented his elaborate gift to Le Brun in November, which should, therefore, be treated as a token of his gratitude, and not a bribe. The only thing that Coypel might have possibly hoped to obtain by this ostentatious and extravagant gift was the permission to take his 12-yearold son Antoine and his two brothers-in-law, Louis Henri Hérault and Charles Antoine Hérault, to Rome. Apart from the family members of the newly appointed rector, the passport issued on 9 November 1672 by Jean Baptiste Colbert listed: Simon Chupini, an architect, Benoît Farjat, an engraver, de Voulan, a sculptor, 10 together with the five above mentioned Prix de Rome awardees; 11 the group was accompanied by servants carrying luggage, who were called valets in the passport.
The document stated that their journey was undertaken by the order of Louis XIV, who requested the local authorities to facilitate the artists' journey, to exempt them from customs, toll, and any other charges, and, should the need arise, to provide assistance to them. 12 The ruler's authority guaranteed the bearer of the passport a safe journey across the country, although it applied only to France. After the travellers crossed its borders, this role was to be taken over by letters of recommendation. The royal minister provided Noël Coypel with recommendations addressed to Ennemond Servien, the French envoy at the court of the Duke of Savoy, Charles Emanuel II in Turin, 13 and to Abbot Luigi Strozzi, the representative of the King of France at the court of Cosimo III de Medici in Florence. 14 On 11 November 1672, Coypel collected 500 livres from the royal treasury to cover the travel expenses, 15 and left Paris as the head of a group of artists who either walked, rode a horse, or travelled on a cart. The pace of the journey was set by the valets carrying the luggage. 16 The size of the group, 17 an experienced painter as its leader, and the documents issued by the royal chancery were to ensure a successful expedition. The fact  that the group included the students' supervisor and teacher additionally emphasised its educational character. As Dijon and Lyon were located on their route, the artists most probably visited them [ Fig. 2]. From Lyon they could have taken one of two possible routes: down the Rhone and then by sea or through the mountains, which, again, opened up several possibilities of the further travel, e.g. from Marseille to Genoa or Pisa. 18 After leaving Lyon, Coypel's group most probably went to Chambéry and crossed the Alps through the Mont Cenis Pass. 19 The first documented point of their journey was Turin, where they were received by Ennemond Servien, the French envoy at the Savoyard court. On Monday, 12 December 1672, the ambassador's relative showed the artists around the capital of Piedmont. 20 Taking into consideration who the guide was, the French artists most probably visited the residences belonging to the House of Savoy ruling dynasty, including the royal palace (Palazzo Reale) erected between 1646 and 1658, with its collection of engravings based on the works by Giovanni Bellini, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael, 21 which -through its west wing -was connected to the Renaissance Cathedral and Chapel of the Holy Shroud designed by the court architect Guarino Guarini and built between 1667 and 1668. They visited not only the city but also the suburban palace Venaria Reale, built during the reign of Charles Emanuel II as a residence for courtly entertainment and hunting. 22 25 It is worth emphasising that a dense network of roads connected Turin and Milan, and travellers had different options regarding the choice of the means of transport, which included horses, carriages, carts, or an alternative river trip. 26 The artists arrived in Milan in the second half of December and were greeted by Giampietro Graneri, who -probably meeting the request of Ennemondo Servien -personally showed them the monuments of the city. 27 It can be assumed that the Jesuit also offered them accommoda- tion: they might have stayed in the monastery at Santa Maria della Scala in San Fedele, which at that time was the main seat of the Order in the city, or in the Jesuit college, located in the building of the present Pinacoteca di Brera.
Although there are no documents confirming that the French stayed in Bologna, it is almost certain that they visited this town because it was located on the Roman route through the Apennines [Fig. 2]. How crucial, especially for painters, Bologna -famous for its Academy founded by the Carracci family -was is evidenced by its description in Pierre Du Val's French guidebook to Italy published in the 17th century, 28 which contained a lot of information about Bologna's masterpieces of painting and sculpture.
The next place on their itinerary, this time confirmed by written sources, was Florence. Tuscany was a mandatory point on the artistic journey of all young artists travelling to Rome, which is stated in the correspondence between Colbert and Abbot Luigi Strozzi, who offered hospitality to Coypel and his companions in late December or early January. 29 Artists usually stayed longer in the capital of Tuscany, with its works of art in abundance, as they found both the town and its surroundings exceptionally beautiful. 30 In Colbert's letter to Strozzi, the Minister of Finances explicitly requested that the artists be free to see "everything that is beautiful and unusual in painting and sculpture" 31 in this town. Because Noël Coypel and most of his companions were painters, it can be assumed that they were mostly interested in paintings, which included the works of Renaissance painters displayed in the Galleria degli Uffizi (opened to the public as early as 1591) and a number of paintings in churches and palaces. In the aforementioned letter, Colbert also asked for allowing them to visit monuments usually inaccessible to outsiders. One can venture a guess that these were private Florentine palaces housing valuable works of art. Admiring all of them was to "teach them what was necessary to carry out the orders that were given to them. " 32 In these words, the superintendent clearly indicated the need for artists to perfect themselves in their arts, so that they could serve the King better by reflecting his glory with their works. After leaving Florence, the travellers headed towards their destination, the Eternal City, where they arrived before the end of January 1673 33 [Fig. 2]. The journey from the French capital took them about two and a half months. They were accommodated in the seat of the French Academy in Rome, on the Janiculum Hill, near the monastery of Sant'Onofrio. 34 Upon arrival, the artists might have been guided around Rome by Rev. Hugues-Humbert Servien, who received such an order in a letter from his father. 35 At that time the former chamberlain of Pope Clement IX (1667-1669) lived in Palazzo Farnese and probably showed them the paintings in his seat, including the famous frescoes of Annibale Carracci.
After reaching the city on the Tiber, Noël Coypel wrote a report detailing the course of their educational journey, which he sent to Paris. The report was read by an engraver Guillaume Château during the meeting of the Paris Academy held on 29 April 1673. 36 The fact that Coypel was required to submit such a report testifies to the great importance attached to a journey to Rome. It was usually treated as an excellent opportunity to visit the towns along the route, especially the Italian ones, and to gain first-hand experience of the works collected there, and, consequently, to develop one's artistic skills. The specificity and fame of particular cultural centres on the Apennine Peninsula motivated artists to take the route 32 "afin d' en tirer les lumières nécessaires pour l' exécution des ordres qui leur ont esté donnés": ibidem. through the Alps, although it was more difficult (because of the terrain), more dangerous (because of highwaymen), and more time-consuming than travelling by boat. 37 Additional problems were caused by the cold and humid climate, acutely unpleasant during the winter. 38 And it was in winter when Coypel and his companions travelled to Rome. The route they took -longer and more difficult -was chosen due to its educational and artistic value provided by the works of art in the towns along the way. The possibility to appreciate them was the reason why the route through the Alps was the one most frequently chosen by artists travelling from France to the Eternal City. Their artistic journey, first of all, was to be educational, even at the expense of comfort or safety. The desire to admire the masterpieces of the towns along this demanding route was sufficient justification for Coypel for choosing it. The main aim of the journey was to extend the artistic education received by students at the Paris Academy. The extant correspondence reveals that during the trip Coypel's companions were mostly interested in painting and sculpture, which directly stemmed from their artistic specialization. The letters of recommendation that Coypel had received proved beneficial, as they allowed the artists not only to visit the towns located on their route, but also to visit places usually inaccessible to outsiders. Thanks to this, the journey itself became a source of artistic inspiration. Journeying was an important element of the artistic education of young people, offering them a direct contact with masterpieces: it shaped artistic inventiveness, enriched the repertoire of the patterns they were familiar with, and introduced them to Italy's invaluable artistic heritage.
Although this journey was directly connected with his new post, Noël Coypel planned in a way that allowed him to see and show to his students as much as possible rather than to reach the final destination as quickly as possible. As a guide and teacher (paidagōgós -παιδαγωγός), Coypel led his students and supervised their educational process during and through the journey. In the 17th century, the journey to the Eternal City was a part of painters' education (paideía -παιδεία). Coypel used this journey as an opportunity to demonstrate to his students the vital role played by a direct contact with a work of art and by experiencing it first-hand. The journey included sightseeing cities, churches and palaces, and admiring great art collections usually inaccessible to the public, access to which was granted to Coypel thanks to reference letters from important persons both in Paris and in Italy. Although the journey had 37 Bolard, Le voyage des peintres, 36,38. 38 Ibidem,47. primarily educational and artistic nature, it also served as a rite of passage, as it gradually prepared students for the experience of Rome -the centre of artistic life at that time.