This course takes you to Rome’s great art collections: the Capitoline and Vatican Museums, Galleria Borghese, Palazzo Barberini and Palazzo Pamphilj; their magnificent locations, their genesis and the rich and the art lovers who made them happen. All from noble families connected to the papacy, these men understood the power of art and patronage and used it to further their political position. The course spotlights some of the most famous works by Raphael, Titian Caravaggio, Bernini, and Velazquez and looks at the role of antiquity in the formation of taste and the development of Western art.
- Hersey, George L (1993). High Renaissance art in St. Peter's and the Vatican: an interpretive guide. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
- Primarosa, Yuri, (ed.) (2021). Palazzo Barberini, Galleria Corsini : 100 masterpieces. Officina libraria, Roma
- Albertoni, Marghertia et. al. (2006). Capitoline Museums: guide. Electa, Milano.
- Moreno, Paolo et al. (2000). The Borghese Gallery. Touring Club Italiano, Milano
- Šafaík, Eduard (1993). Galleria Doria Pamphilj : masterpieces : paintings. Scala, Roma
- Web Gallery of Art - https://www.wga.hu/support/viewer_m/z.html
Each collection is presented in chronological order and begins with the socio-political context that brought about it, the key person behind it and analysis of the architecture that has become synonymous with it.
- Capitoline Museums: from first nucleus of bronze statues donated by Sixtus IV to its 21st transformation. Works by Caravaggio, Titian, da Cortona & Guercino.
- Vatican Museums: from the private collection of Julius II to its sprawling 19th additions. Works by Caravaggio, da Vinci, Raphael and Michelangelo.
- Galleria Borghese: from Scipione Borghese’s cabinet of wonders of Cardinal to national treasure in Rome’s most famous park. Works by Caravaggio, Titian, Bernini and Canova.
- Palazzo Barberini: the ultimate in Baroque splendour with designs by Bernini and Borromini, Da Cortona’s famous ceiling and works by Caravaggio, Rubens, Raphael & Holbein.
- Palazzo Pamphilj. Olimpia Maidalchini's lesser-known collection. Works by Titian, Lorraine, Carracci and Velazquez.
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Know the story of the different collections and what they contain.
- Understand the strong links between art and politics in the context of Renaissance and Baroque Rome.
- Critically engage with individual works and their connection to Classical antiquity.
