Statue of Pope Clement X

The Statue of Pope Clement X is one of the final sculptural works executed by the Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It depicts Pope Clement X in the act of benediction, and is housed in the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica in the Palazzo Barberini, Rome.

Statue of Pope Clement X
ArtistGian Lorenzo Bernini
Year1676 (1676)
Catalogue78a
TypeSculpture
MediumMarble
SubjectPope Clement X
Dimensions105 cm (41 in)
LocationGalleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome
Coordinates41°53′46.8″N 12°28′44.5″E
Preceded byTomb of Pope Alexander VII
Followed byBust of the Saviour

Origins

There is considerable confusion over the origins of the statue. According to Rudolf Wittkower, there were three versions in production during 1676. One was intended for the pope's nephew Cardinal Paluzzo Altieri, another to be placed the refectory of the church of Santa Trinità dei Convalescenti, and a third for the library of the Palazzo Altieri.[1] Wittkower believed that the last of these is the existing version in the Palazzo Barberini, although E. A. Barletta indicated that it may instead be the version for Santa Trinità dei Convalescenti.[2]

There is also a bronze bust, based on Bernini's designs, of Clement X. This is currently in the Minneapolis Museum of Art, but appears to have been executed earlier than the work in the Palazzo Barberini, in around 1671.[3]

Exhibitions

The statue has appeared in exhibitions at the Getty Museum in California[4] and the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.[5]

See also

References
  1. Wittkower, Rudolf (1955). Gian Lorenzo Bernini: The Sculptor of the Roman Baroque. London: Phaidon Press. pp. 298–9.
  2. Barletta, E. A. (1965). "Note su Clemente X di G. L. Bernini". Commentari. Vol. 16. pp. 282–6.
  3. "Attributed to Gianlorenzo Bernini / Portrait Bust of Pope Clement X / About 1670".
  4. "Bernini and Baroque Portraiture (Getty Center Exhibitions)".
  5. "The Italians : Three Centuries of Italian Art | Bust of Pope Clement X |".
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