Portrait of a Papal Artist
An exhibition at Palazzo Barberini in Rome, titled 'Bernini e i Barberini,' explores the relationship between Baroque sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini and his most powerful patron, Pope Urban VIII Barberini. The show traces Bernini's artistic development, beginning with works by his father and teacher Pietro Bernini, and features key sculptures such as 'Saint Sebastian' (1617–18) and 'The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence' (1616–17). However, the exhibition notably omits significant reference to Bernini's earlier sponsor, Cardinal Scipione Borghese, creating a misleading impression that the artist was purely a Barberini discovery.