Portrait of Pope Paul V

Portrait of Pope Paul V

Painting_150px|

title=Portrait of Pope Paul V
dim=200px
artist=Caravaggio
year=c. 1605-1606
type=Oil on canvas
height=203
width=119
museum=Galleria Borghese, Rome

Portrait of Pope Paul V (c. 1605-1606) is a painting by the Italian artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571–1610), now in the Galleria Borghese, Rome.

Camillo Borghese reigned as Pope Paul V from 1605 to 1621. Caravaggio's biographer Giovanni Bellori records that the artist painted a seated portrait of him as pope, which must place the work between Borghese's election on 16 May 1605 and Caravaggio's flight from Rome in May 1606 following the death of Ranuccio Tommassoni. The portrait is attested in the Borghese collection from 1650.

Many scholars have doubted the authenticity of this painting, considering the composition too uninspired for the artist's style. But the scholar John Gash in his authoritative (revised) 2003 catalogue of Caravaggio believes the work is genuine, pointing out that the pose would have been beyond the artist's control - Paul V was noted for his dignified and even taciturn demenour, and would be unlikely to accept direction. " [H] is unostentatious bearing exemplifies the sober, cautious and, in fact, genuinely religious spirit of the man...". Gash also points out that Paul's narrowed eyes, far from conveying suspicion and malevolence as many writers assert, are the result of chronic myopia. Also note the startling similarities between this portrait and Velázquez's "Portrait of Pope Innocent X".

According to Bellori Caravaggio obtained his introduction to Paul through the papal nephew, cardinal Scipione Borghese. Scipione was an avid art collector, destined to acquire many of Caravaggio's canvasses, but he was to prove of little value as a patron either to Caravaggio or to others, preferring to enhance his collection through extortion and sharp practice rather than by support and purchase. He would eventually become one of the crucial figures in Caravaggio's final days.

References

*cite book|first=John |last=Gash|title=Caravaggio|year=2003|id=ISBN 1-904449-22-0


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Pope Paul III —     Pope Paul III     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Pope Paul III     (ALESSANDRO FARNESE).     Born at Rome or Canino, 29 Feb., 1468; elected, 12 Oct., 1534; died at Rome, 10 Nov., 1549. The Farnese were an ancient Roman family whose possessions… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Portrait of Clarissa Strozzi — Artist Titian Year 1542 Type Oil on canvas Dimensions 150 cm × …   Wikipedia

  • Paul III —     Pope Paul III     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Pope Paul III     (ALESSANDRO FARNESE).     Born at Rome or Canino, 29 Feb., 1468; elected, 12 Oct., 1534; died at Rome, 10 Nov., 1549. The Farnese were an ancient Roman family whose possessions… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Pope Benedict XVI — Benedict XVI Benedict XVI during a general audience in 2010 …   Wikipedia

  • Pope Pius XII — Pius XII Papacy began 2 March 1939 Papacy ended 9 October 1958 ( 1000000000000001900000019 years, 10000000000000221000000221 days) Predecessor …   Wikipedia

  • Pope Clement VII — For the antipope (1378–1394), see Antipope Clement VII. Clement VII Portrait by Sebastiano del Piombo, c. 1531 Metropolis Florence …   Wikipedia

  • Pope Urban VIII — Urban VIII Papacy began 6 August 1623 Papacy ended 29 July 1644 ( 1000000000000002000000020 years …   Wikipedia

  • Pope Gregory I — Saint Gregory redirects here. For other uses, see Saint Gregory (disambiguation). Pope Gregory I Papacy began 3 September 590 Papacy ended 12 March 604 …   Wikipedia

  • Pope John Paul II — John Paul II John Paul II in 1993 Papacy began 16 October 1978 Papacy ended 2 April 2005 ( 1000000000000002600000026 years, 1000000 …   Wikipedia

  • Pope John Paul I — Infobox pope English name=John Paul I birth name=Albino Luciani term start=August 26, 1978 term end=September 28, 1978 predecessor=Paul VI successor=John Paul II birth date=birth date|df=yes|1912|10|17 birthplace=Canale d Agordo, Italy dead=dead… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”