Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Bernini, Gianlorenzo
Bernini, Giovanni Lorenzo

Roman, 1598 - 1680

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This free-standing, white marble sculpture shows the head, shoulders, and upper chest of a balding, bearded man. In this photograph, his body faces us and he looks straight ahead. Bushy eyebrows arch low over deeply set eyes, and his forehead hollows inward at his temples. He has high cheekbones and the skin of his cheeks draws slightly in. His thin lips are set in a straight line within a full beard. His high-necked robe falls slightly open over his chest and is cut also away over the shoulders to show the crinkled fabric of the garment beneath. The bottom edge of the sculpture curves upward in a very shallow U across the bottom, and is supported by a square pedestal foot decorated with scroll designs. The background behind the bust lightens from charcoal gray along the top edge to pale gray across the bottom, and the sculpture casts a shadow behind its base.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Monsignor Francesco Barberini, c. 1623, marble, Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1961.9.102

Monsignor Francesco Barberini

Gian Lorenzo Bernini · c. 1623 · marble ·  Accession ID  1961.9.102

A smooth-skinned man is shown from the shoulders up amid a swirl of curls and fabric in this freestanding bronze sculpture. In this photograph of the piece, his shoulders square to us as he looks off to our left, his chin slightly lifted. He has bushy brows, a prominent nose, smooth cheeks, a pointed chin, and his full lips are closed. A thin mustache brushes his upper lip, and a curl coils in a perfect spiral on his somewhat flattened forehead. Curls cascade from head to well beyond his shoulders to flank a wide, patterned collar. We catch glimpses of armor on his shoulders within a whirl of billowing fabric. Below, a rectangular pedestal with a tall, inward-curving cove over stepped molding is on a marble plinth. The sculpture is shown against a fog-gray background in this photograph.
French 18th Century, Louis XIV, c. 1780, before 1793, bronze, Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1943.4.87

Louis XIV

French 18th Century · c. 1780, before 1793 · bronze ·  Accession ID  1943.4.87

The artwork is a portrait showing the upper half of a person's body. The individual is positioned facing forward with a slight tilt to the right side. The facial features are detailed, with prominent eyes, a well-defined nose, and slightly parted lips. The hair is medium length, dark, and appears straight, framing the face naturally. The person is clothed in a garment with a textured collar, drawn in sketchy strokes. The background of the image is a textured, neutral tone. No jewelry or objects are present in the image.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Portrait of a Young Man, c. 1615, black and red chalk heightened with white chalk, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 1971.66.1

Portrait of a Young Man

Gian Lorenzo Bernini · c. 1615 · black and red chalk heightened with white chalk ·  Accession ID  1971.66.1

Giovanni Boldini, Bust of Francesco I d'Este, c. 1890/1900, brown and blue washes on ivory wove paper, Patrons' Permanent Fund, 2021.31.1

Bust of Francesco I d'Este

Giovanni Boldini · c. 1890/1900 · brown and blue washes on ivory wove paper ·  Accession ID  2021.31.1

The image shows a full-length statue of a man on horseback set within an ornate archway. The man is seated on a rearing horse with his head up, appearing to look into the distance. He has curly hair and a beard, wearing classical drapery. The horse is also in a dynamic pose, with its front legs raised and a stylized mane. The background features rich textures and a decorative arch with geometric and floral patterns. An inscription below identifies the figure as the equestrian statue of Constantine the Great at the Vatican.
Francesco Faraone Aquila, Statue of Constantine, 1704-1742, etching and engraving on laid paper, Gift of David H. McDonnell, 2015.142.2.1.12

Statue of Constantine

Francesco Faraone Aquila · 1704-1742 · etching and engraving on laid paper ·  Accession ID  2015.142.2.1.12

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Statue of the Ganges River in the Grand Fountain of the Piazza Navona [plate IC]

Francesco Faraone Aquila, Gian Lorenzo Bernini · 1704-1742 · etching with engraving on laid paper ·  Accession ID  2015.142.2.2.39

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Statue of Saint Bibiana [plate CLX]

Nicolas Dorigny, Gian Lorenzo Bernini · 1704-1742 · etching on laid paper ·  Accession ID  2015.142.2.2.100

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Statue of the Rio de la Plata River in the Grand Fountain of the Piazza Navona [plate C]

Francesco Faraone Aquila · 1704-1742 · etching with engraving on laid paper ·  Accession ID  2015.142.2.2.40

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Statue of David [plate LXXXII]

Nicolas Dorigny · 1704-1742 · etching with engraving on laid paper ·  Accession ID  2015.142.2.2.22

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Statue of the Danube River in the Grand Fountain of the Piazza Navona [plate XCVIII]

Francesco Faraone Aquila · 1704-1742 · etching on laid paper ·  Accession ID  2015.142.2.2.38