Two Paintings Of Popes, Oil On Panel With A Gold Background

Two papal portraits in roundels on a gold background, identified as Pope Paul III Farnese (1534-1549) and Pope Alexander VII Chigi (1655-1667). This type of portraiture on a gold background recalls the famous series of mosaic medallions in the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, which depicts all the pontiffs from Saint Peter to the present day. The portrait of Pope Paul III (Alessandro Farnese) shows the pontiff with his characteristic long white beard, an iconography made famous by Titian's portraits. He was a key figure of the Renaissance, known for convening the Council of Trent. Pope Alexander VII (Fabio Chigi) features his distinctive features, a mustache and dark goatee. This pope is historically linked to the great architect and sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who created the colonnade of Saint Peter's and his monumental funerary monument for him. The use of a gold background is a symbolic choice that aims to decontextualize the subject from space and time, giving it an aura of sacredness and timelessness.
Second half of the 19th century
Condition as shown in the photos
THE PRICE IS FOR ONE PAINTING ONLY
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