(Paris 1798–1860)
Fireworks over the Castel Sant’Angelo, St. Peter’s Basilica in the background, indistinctly signed and inscribed, dated 1846, oil on canvas, 73 x 92 cm, framed, (GG)

The present work depicts the fireworks held annually at the Castel Sant’Angelo on Easter Monday and 29 June, marking the feast days of the Saints Peter and Paul.
Set against the night sky, the dome of St Peter’s Basilica is illuminated by the fireworks beyond.

Jules Coignet successfully captures the excitement caused by the annual fireworks by means of the decorative figures gathered along the banks of the Tiber.
Like Camille Corot (1796–1875) and Charles-François Daubigny (1817–1878), Jules Coignet trained under the historical landscapist Jean-Victor Bertin (1767–1842).

In 1821 he left Paris to continue his training in Italy and here he developed his interest in vedute.
He carried pocket notebooks in which he recorded his impressions, accumulating a rich collection of sketches and drawings. These he used as the basis for his paintings which executed on this return to the studio, and remaining true to his observations.
He returned to France in 1827 but again left for Italy in 1840 where he stayed until 1843. This was followed by several years exploring the Near East. He exhibited at the Salon for the first time in 1824, and regularly thereafter until 1859. He published his first collection of illustrations entitled Vues pittoresques d‘Italie in 1825.
The Illumination of St Peter’s Basilica is a common motif in late 18th and early 19th century paintings. Jules Coignet executed several versions of this subject, one of which was exhibited at the Salon in 1831 (L’illumination de Saint-Pierre de Rome; vue prise sur le Tibre, no. 365).