View Article: Galleria Borghese

	Galleria Borghese
	written by Whitney / 07.12.2004

page 1

1 of 1

Site Location

The Galleria Borghese is located on the outskirts of Villa Borghese (Borghese Park) in the northern sector of Roma. The building is a beautifully frescoed seventeenth century villa, set among lush green gardens, once the site of expansive vineyards.

Site History

Cardinal Scipio Borghese owned a large tract of land, planted with vineyards. He decided to convert the acreage into a park, and designed a Gallery exclusively for prestigious paintings and statues amidst the gardens. He hired Vasanzio (Van Santen) to construct the museum, which was completed in 1616. The Cardinal then began collecting great masterpieces, a tradition which was continued by his successors. Today, the Borghese Gallery houses one of the finest collections of Italian art in Rome.

Elements of Interest

The prize possesions of the Gallery are the collection Bernini sculptures. The museum houses four of his masterpieces; "Apollo and Daphne", "Rape of Persephone", "David", and "Aeneas and Anchises". There are also several famous paintings in the collection. Raphael's "Deposition", Titian's "Sacred and Profane Love", and Caravaggio's "Madonna of the Serpent" and "Self Portrait" are but a few of the historic paintings within the walls of the Borghese Gallery.

Analyze Image

Borghese Gallery

Bernini's "David"

One of the prize possessions of the Borghese collection.

The image of the Borghese Gallery shows the beautifully frescoed building. (The architecture will be much more impressive upon closer inspection.)
The sculpture of Bernini's David reveals how intricate and masterful Bernini was as an artist, but fails to reveal the feeling of movement so often attributed to this piece of art.

Site Questions

Are all of the works in the Borghese museum religiously themed?
Are Bernini's sculptures scaled to life size? Or are the larger than life?

[ Multi-Page View ] [ Back to top ]