As mentioned in the previous post, the Galleria Borghese is an incredible art gallery located in a former pleasure villa in Rome belonging to a 16th century cardinal. It is home to works by the likes of Rubens, Titian and Raphael and particularly excellent collections of works by Bernini and Caravaggio. If you are an art lover who has found a vacation rental in Rome, it well and truly is a must-see attraction. Here are some more of our highlights among the collection to keep an eye out for when you visit!
3. Susanna and the Elders, Rubens, 1607
“Susanna and the Elders” by Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, dates to 1607 and is one of several versions of the tale that he painted. It depicts Susanna, a figure mentioned in a deuterocanonical chapter of the biblical Book of Daniel, a fair Hebrew wife who was falsely accused by a group of voyeurs. The tale goes that two lustful elders secretly observed Susanna while she bathed in her garden and then threatened to tell others that she was meeting a young man unless she agreed to have sex with them.
3. Susanna and the Elders, Rubens, 1607
“Susanna and the Elders” by Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, dates to 1607 and is one of several versions of the tale that he painted. It depicts Susanna, a figure mentioned in a deuterocanonical chapter of the biblical Book of Daniel, a fair Hebrew wife who was falsely accused by a group of voyeurs. The tale goes that two lustful elders secretly observed Susanna while she bathed in her garden and then threatened to tell others that she was meeting a young man unless she agreed to have sex with them.
She refused to be blackmailed and was arrested. When she was just about to be put to death for promiscuity, a young man named Daniel interrupted the proceedings and proved that they were lying. The false accusers were put to death, allowing virtue to triumph.
This work is, however, most interesting in this case as it perfectly embodies the female nude, the voluptuous “Rubenesque” figure, for which the artist became so well-known.
4. Portrait of Young Woman with Unicorn, Raphael, 1506
Portrait of Young Woman with Unicorn by Raphael is dated to sometime between 1505 to 1506 and shows a young blonde woman seated in a loggia with a landscape in the background and a small unicorn on her lap.
This work is, however, most interesting in this case as it perfectly embodies the female nude, the voluptuous “Rubenesque” figure, for which the artist became so well-known.
4. Portrait of Young Woman with Unicorn, Raphael, 1506
Portrait of Young Woman with Unicorn by Raphael is dated to sometime between 1505 to 1506 and shows a young blonde woman seated in a loggia with a landscape in the background and a small unicorn on her lap.
This composition of the picture – placing a figure in a loggia opening out onto a landscape and in a three-quarter length format – was apparently inspired by the Mona Lisa. Originally an oil on panel, it was transferred to canvas during conservation work in 1934, when overpainting was removed, taking away a wheel, cloak and palm frond that had been added later by an unknown painter in the 17th century and revealing the unicorn. For a long time the attribution and subject matter where debated, identifying the figure as Saint Catherine of Alexandria and the painter as Perugino. We now know it to be by Raphael and the work is thought to have been a portrait.
A very pretty work by a very famous name, it is a must-see in the Borghese, for more read on to the following posts in this series.
A very pretty work by a very famous name, it is a must-see in the Borghese, for more read on to the following posts in this series.