Bust of Pope Gregory XV
Bust of Pope Gregory XV is a marble portrait sculpture by the Italian sculptor and architect Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini, made in 1621. It is one of three busts Bernini created on this subject; the other two were cast in bronze. The work is part of the permanent collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario, where it was donated by Joey and Toby Tanenbaum. Bernini approached portrait sculpture in a highly distinctive way, building his subjects’ likenesses from sketches and clay models rather than relying only on formal sittings. In this bust, he emphasized shadows around the eyes, nose, wrinkles, and pupils to counter the pale effect of white marble and create a vivid, expressive image of the pope.
January 2016 © Reg Natarajan · CC BY 2.0
August 2013 © WikiPaintings · Public domain
August 2013 © Laslovarga · Public domain
Identification | |
| Title | Bust of Pope Gregory XV |
| Type | Bust |
| Subject | Pope Gregory XV |
Creator | |
| Artist | Gian Lorenzo Bernini |
| Artist nationality | Italian |
| Artist occupation | Sculptor and architect |
Historical context | |
| Date of creation | 1621 |
| Creation period | Started immediately after Gregory XV's election in February 1621; completed in September 1621 |
| Related work | Bust of Pope Paul V (1618) |
| Related versions | Three busts of Pope Gregory XV by Bernini exist; the other two were bronze casts made by Bernini himself during the same period |
| Reuse of earlier model | Bernini reused the pattern and arrangement of the cope, amice, and alb from the Bust of Pope Paul V (1618) |
| Changes from earlier model | Minor changes were made to the side depictions of Saints Peter and Paul, and the details of the cope clasp were retouched |
| Stylistic relationship to earlier work | The bust is strongly similar to the Bust of Pope Paul V |
| Composition | The pope's head is set low into the cope collar, creating a triangular silhouette |
Materials | |
| Material | Marble |
| Related versions material | Bronze |
Location and ownership | |
| Current location | Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto |
| Display status | On permanent display |
| Donor | Joey and Toby Tanenbaum |
History and restoration | |
| Reason for price increase | Art historian Irving Lavin stated that the bust is the original, entirely autograph, and one of Bernini's best and most important early works |
| Related engraving | An engraving by Ottavio Leoni published in 1622 showed Bernini wearing the medal of the order |
| Additional honor | In 1621 Bernini was appointed Prince of the Accademia di San Luca after only three years as a member |
| Reward for the work | On 30 June 1621 Bernini was knighted in the Supreme Order of Christ and granted a lifetime stipend, at age 22; he was thereafter commonly called Il Cavaliere |
| 1990 sale outcome | The work was withdrawn because the target was not reached |
| 1990 highest bid | $6 million |
| 1990 target price | More than $7 million |
| Attempted sale in 1990 | The Tanenbaums tried to sell the work through Christie's in 1990 |
| Donation status | The Tanenbaums eventually decided to donate the sculpture to the Art Gallery of Ontario, though the circumstances are not entirely clear |
| Rediscovery | Rediscovered as an authentic work by Bernini in the 1980s |
| 1983 sale price | £2.78 million |
| 1983 buyers | Canadian art collectors Joey and Toby Tanenbaum |
| Auction house | Sotheby's |
| Later buyer | Norman Leitman |
| Meinertzhagen resale price | £132,000 |
| Meinertzhagen purchase price | £240 |
| Meinertzhagen purchase date | Around 1978 |
| Rediscoverer | Nicholas Meinertzhagen, bookseller-antiquarian |
| Earlier ownership | Previously owned by an English nobleman and an antiquarian |
Significance | |
| Career significance | Together with the mythological statues made for Villa Borghese, these honors marked the culmination of Bernini's early success |