The most famous work here is the Spanish master Velasquez’s portrait of the most prominent family member, Pope Innocent X Pamphilij. It shares a room with a bust of the said Pope, carved by Bernini.
(Diego Velasquez, Portrait of Pope Innocent X 1650)
When he saw Velasquez’s portrait, the Pope exclaimed ‘E troppo vero!’ – ‘It’s too real!’ You can see why; in this portrait, the Pope isn’t portrayed as some mythical or divine figure, surrounded by trumpeting angels or saints; he looks simply like an ageing man, weighed down by the burden of his office. The red velvet upholstery, curtains etc, all accentuate the true subject, the Pope’s all-too-human gaze.
Incidentally, the 20th century English painter Francis Bacon (see London posts on the Tate Britain and Tate Modern) reinterpreted this painting for one of his most famous works – I'd hoped this piece might've been at the Tate Britain, but it turns out it's in the US.
(Frances Bacon, Study After Velasquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X 1953)
There are also two Caravaggios, exhibited side-by-side. That the artist used the very same model (‘reformed prostitute’) for the female figures in both was the cause of major controversy, because the two figures are The Virgin Mary, and the ‘working girl’ Mary Magdalene! (And I thought the problematic ‘madonna-whore’ dichotomy was particular to twentieth century feminism.) Moreover, Caravaggio has painted the former as though she was a contemporary (16th century) prostitute, rather than a biblical one.
Other highlights include works by Titian, Raphael (which disappointed me a little), Breughel the Elder, Guercino and Lorenzo Lotto. There’s also a ‘mini-Versailles’ room, gilt with gold from floor to ceiling; oh, and full of mirrors, of course.
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