Gian Lorenzo Bernini 1665

Giovanni Battista Gaulli painted this portrait of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, we are not sure exactly when. Bernini was a leading figure in the Roman art world, particularly favored by the popes and the Roman aristocracy. Gaulli had the advantage of having Bernini see his early works; Bernini promoted him and that is how he became a successful artist. In this portrait, Bernini’s identity is carefully constructed through his dress, bearing, and gesture. His refined clothing speaks to the social status he attained through talent and hard work in a society where class was usually determined by birth. His intellectual nature is hinted at by his poised hand, as though mid-conversation, rendered by Gaulli to convey the essence of Bernini’s character. Portraits like this provide a window into the elite circles of seventeenth-century Rome, and how powerful men, like Bernini, wished to be seen. It’s a poignant look at the ambition, power, and artistry intertwined in the Eternal City.