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Bust of Carlo Antonio del Pozzo

Bust of Carlo Antonio del Pozzo is a marble portrait sculpture by the Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It depicts Carlo Antonio del Pozzo, one of the most powerful figures in Tuscany in his time and a benefactor of the arts. The work was commissioned posthumously by Cassiano dal Pozzo, for whom Carlo had been a mentor, an uncommon practice for busts of this kind. It is believed Bernini had access to Carlo’s death chamber when making it. The sculpture is part of the collection of the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh. Before that, it had been at Howard Castle in Yorkshire since 1715 and was acquired by the gallery in 1986 at auction.

White marble bust of Carlo Antonio del Pozzo with a mustache and goatee against a red background.
Bust of Carlo Antonio del Pozzo, shown here in white marble against a red backdrop.
August 2014 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
White marble bust of Carlo Antonio del Pozzo with a mustache and pointed beard against a red background.
Bust of Carlo Antonio del Pozzo in white marble, shown against a rich red backdrop.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
White marble bust of Carlo Antonio del Pozzo with a trimmed beard and mustache, shown on a tiered pedestal.
Bust of Carlo Antonio del Pozzo in white marble, shown on a tiered pedestal.
August 2013 © · Public domain
Bust of Carlo Antonio del Pozzo in white marble on a tiered pedestal against a red wall.
The white marble bust of Carlo Antonio del Pozzo is displayed on a multi-tiered pedestal against a red wall.
May 2016 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleBust of Carlo Antonio del Pozzo
TypeSculptural portrait bust

Creator

ArtistGian Lorenzo Bernini
Artist nationalityItalian

Historical context

SubjectCarlo Antonio del Pozzo
Subject roleArchbishop of Pisa
Subject significanceOne of the most powerful people in Tuscany in his time; patron of the arts
Subject relation to Cassiano dal PozzoUncle of Cassiano dal Pozzo
CommissionerCassiano dal Pozzo
Commissioning contextCommissioned posthumously; Cassiano dal Pozzo was the subject's nephew and mentor
Unusual aspectPosthumous busts were not usual
Production hypothesisIt is believed that Bernini had access to Carlo Antonio's mortuary chamber to make the bust; since the subject was deceased, he probably worked from descriptions and graphic portraits

Materials

MaterialMarble

Appearance

Facial expressionFurrowed brows
Implied mental stateFocused or deep in thought
FormTraditional ceremonial form
Head positionHead turned slightly to the side
Depiction styleReserved and somewhat motionless

Location and ownership

Current locationNational Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland
Former locationCastle Howard, Yorkshire
Former location dateFrom 1715
Acquired by current museum1986
Acquisition contextPurchased at auction
Purchase price3 million British pounds
Estimated value at acquisitionAbout 7.5 million British pounds

Other

Subject noteCarlo Antonio del Pozzo is described in one source as a cardinal