Clemente IX Rospigliosi 

Giovanni Battista Gaulli painted this portrait of Clemente IX Rospigliosi, a work that captures more than just a likeness. It echoes the Baroque era’s complex interplay between power, identity, and representation. Gaulli, an Italian painter who flourished in the vibrant art scene of Rome, was known for his grand, illusionistic frescoes. Here, though, he turns his attention to the intimate scale of portraiture. Clemente IX, adorned in rich, red vestments, isn’t merely depicted; he’s constructed as an emblem of papal authority. The velvet and ermine suggest his high status, yet there’s a softness in his gaze. What does it mean to be rendered in paint, enshrined as an image of power? Perhaps Gaulli is questioning the burdens of representation itself, and it invites us to consider the emotional weight carried beneath the surface of authority. This is not just a painting, it’s a carefully crafted performance of power.