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Giovanni Battista Gaulli, also known as Il Baciccio, was an Italian Baroque painter who worked in the High Baroque and early Rococo periods. He is best known for his grand illusionistic vault frescoes in the Church of the Gesù in Rome, Italy. Gaulli was born in Genoa, Italy, in 1639 and died in Rome in 1709. In his painting style, he was influenced by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and he is known to have copied the work of Velázquez. He received many private commissions for mythological and religious works and was one of Rome's most esteemed portrait painters.
One of his works is a portrait of Pope Clement IX.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Giovanni Battista Gaulli (Il Baciccio) |
| Date | c. 1670-71 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 30 1/2 x 24 1/4 in (77.5 x 61.6 cm) |
| Subject | Pope Clement IX |
| Artistic Movement | High Baroque, early Rococo |
| Influences | Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Velázquez |
| Patron | Gian Paolo Oliva |
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What You'll Learn
Giovanni Battista Gaulli's influences
Giovanni Battista Gaulli, also known as Baciccio or Baciccia, was an Italian artist working in the High Baroque and early Rococo periods. He is best known for his grand illusionistic vault frescoes in the Church of the Gesù in Rome, Italy.
Gaulli was born in Genoa, where his parents died from the plague of 1654. He initially apprenticed with Luciano Borzone. In the mid-17th century, Genoa was a cosmopolitan Italian artistic centre, open to both commercial and artistic enterprises from northern European countries, including non-Catholic countries such as England and the Dutch provinces.
Painters such as Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck stayed in Genoa for a few years. Gaulli's earliest influences would have been an eclectic mix of these foreign painters and other local artists, including Valerio Castello, Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, and Bernardo Strozzi.
Gaulli was first noticed by the Genoese merchant of artworks, Pellegrino Peri, who was living in Rome. Peri introduced him to Gianlorenzo Bernini, who promoted him. Gaulli was closely associated with Bernini, a great sculptor who finished his Altar of the Sacrament in Saint Peter's for Clement X. In his portrait of Clement X, Gaulli was inspired by Bernini, who later carved a portrait bust of the pope, and Velázquez, whose celebrated portrait of Innocent X he is known to have copied.
In 1662, Gaulli was accepted into the Roman artists' guild, the Accademia di San Luca (Academy of Saint Luke), where he was to later hold several offices. The next year, he received his first public commission for an altarpiece in the church of San Rocco, Rome. He received many private commissions for mythological and religious works.
From 1669, after a visit to Parma, Gaulli's painting took on a new aspect, influenced by Correggio's frescoed dome-ceiling in the cathedral of Parma. The composition, organised di sotto in su ("from below looking up"), would influence his later masterpiece.
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The subject, Pope Clement IX
Pope Clement IX, born Giulio Rospigliosi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 20 June 1667 until his death in December 1669. Rospigliosi was born into the noble Rospigliosi family in 1600 and studied at the Seminario Romano and the University of Pisa, where he received doctorates in theology, philosophy, and canon and civil law in 1623. After receiving his doctorates, he taught theology at the University of Pisa as a professor from 1623 to 1625.
Rospigliosi held various positions in the Church, including Titular Archbishop of Tarsus and Apostolic Nuncio to Spain from 1644 to 1653. He was also a cardinal and secretary of state under Pope Alexander VII, who appointed him. On 20 June 1667, Rospigliosi was elected pope, taking the pontifical name of "Clement IX". He was consecrated as Pope Clement IX six days later.
As a man of letters, Pope Clement IX wrote poetry, dramas, and libretti, and was a patron of the arts, commissioning works from Gian Lorenzo Bernini, including the angels of Ponte Sant'Angelo and the colonnade of Saint Peter's Basilica. He was also a patron of the artist Nicolas Poussin. Pope Clement IX continued his interest in the arts as pope, opening the first public opera house in Rome.
Pope Clement IX's pontificate was marked by mediation during European wars, including bringing about the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle between France and Spain, and his popularity in Rome stemmed from his charity, humility, and refusal to advance his family's wealth. He also attempted to strengthen Venetian defences against the Turks in Crete but was unsuccessful in gaining wider support.
Pope Clement IX died in Rome on 9 December 1669, allegedly of a broken heart. His successor, Pope Clement X, built him an ornate tomb in the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
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The painting's composition
Giovanni Battista Gaulli, also known as Baciccio or Baciccia, was an Italian Baroque painter working in the High Baroque and early Rococo periods. He is best known for his grand illusionistic vault frescoes in the Church of the Gesù in Rome, Italy.
Gaulli's painting of Pope Clement IX is one of his bust-length portraits of Popes. The composition of the painting relates to a well-established tradition of painted portraits in which the sitter is shown three-quarter length, holding a letter and looking out at the viewer, as though interrupted.
Gaulli's work was influenced by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and he was closely associated with the sculptor. In this portrait, Gaulli was inspired by Bernini's sculpted portrait busts. The figure is angled to the picture plane with the head turned toward the viewer, and the mozzetta, a short elbow-length cape that covers the shoulders and is buttoned down the front, is used as a sort of socle for the head, its folds giving added vivacity to the composition.
Gaulli sometimes enriched this formula by showing the arm of the cardinal emerging from beneath the mozzetta and holding a piece of paper or cardinal's hat (biretta). His papal portraits were often known in multiple versions of varying quality as they were in high demand as diplomatic gifts.
Gaulli's painting style evolved throughout his career. After a visit to Parma in 1669, his painting took on a more painterly (less linear) aspect, and the composition, organized di sotto in su ("from below looking up"), would influence his later masterpiece. As the High Baroque movement evolved into the more playful Rococo, Gaulli's compositions became more delicate and less intense in colour.
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The painting's frame
The painting of Pope Clement IX by Giovanni Battista Gaulli is framed by a Carlo Maratta-style frame, inspired by 18th-century Roman models. This style of frame was popular during the time and could be found on both British and Italian paintings.
The painting itself is a portrait of Pope Clement IX, who reigned from 1590 to 1676. It is one of Gaulli's bust-length portraits of Popes, including Alexander VII and Clement XI. Gaulli was a prominent Italian artist, working in the High Baroque and early Rococo periods. He was also known as Il Baciccio or Baciccia, which were nicknames derived from his first name, Giovanni Battista.
Gaulli's work was heavily influenced by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, a renowned sculptor and artist. The composition of the painting of Pope Clement IX relates to Bernini's sculpted portrait busts. The figure is angled towards the picture plane, with the head turned towards the viewer. The mozzetta, a short cape, serves as a base for the head, adding depth to the composition.
Gaulli's talent as a portrait painter was recognised during his lifetime, and he was known to have painted "all the cardinals, all the important people of his day who came to Rome and the seven popes". His portraits were in high demand as diplomatic gifts, and he became one of Rome's most esteemed portrait painters.
The frame of the painting, in the Carlo Maratta style, complements the composition and adds to the overall presentation and impact of the artwork.
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Gaulli's career
Giovanni Battista Gaulli, also known as Baciccio, was an Italian artist working in the High Baroque and early Rococo periods. He was born in Genoa, Italy, on 8 May 1639, and died in Rome on 2 April 1709. In his youth, Gaulli was orphaned when his parents died during the 1654 plague. He then apprenticed with Luciano Borzone.
Gaulli was first noticed by the Genoese merchant of artworks, Pellegrino Peri, who was living in Rome. Peri introduced him to Gianlorenzo Bernini, who promoted him. In 1662, Gaulli was accepted into the Roman artists' guild, the Accademia di San Luca (Academy of Saint Luke), where he was to later hold several offices. The next year, he received his first public commission for an altarpiece, in the church of San Rocco, Rome. He received many private commissions for mythological and religious works.
In 1669, Gaulli visited Parma and his painting took on a more painterly (less linear) aspect, influenced by Correggio's frescoed dome-ceiling in the cathedral of Parma. This new style would influence his later masterpiece. At his height, Gaulli was one of Rome's most esteemed portrait painters, with his only competition being the Flemish painter Jacob Ferdinand Voet.
In 1672, Gaulli was commissioned to decorate the church of Il Gesù. This immense sequence of illusionistic frescoes occupied him for the next 13 years and became one of the greatest achievements of his career. His grand illusionistic vault frescoes in the Church of the Gesù in Rome are considered his most famous works.
Gaulli accumulated a large number of pupils, including Ludovico Mazzanti, Giovanni Odazzi, and Giovanni Battista Brughi.
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Frequently asked questions
Giovanni Battista Gaulli, also known as Baciccio or Baciccia, was an Italian artist working in the High Baroque and early Rococo periods. He is best known for his grand illusionistic vault frescoes in the Church of the Gesù in Rome, Italy.
Giovanni Battista Gaulli's work was influenced by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, whom he met in 1662. He was also influenced by Correggio’s work in Parma Cathedral, which he visited in 1669.
Giovanni Battista Gaulli's first public commission was an altarpiece in the church of San Rocco, Rome, which he received in 1663.
In 1672, Giovanni Battista Gaulli was commissioned to decorate the church of Il Gesù. This immense sequence of illusionistic frescoes occupied him for the next 13 years and became one of the greatest achievements of his career.
Giovanni Battista Gaulli's bust-length portrait of Pope Clement IX was inspired by Bernini's sculpted portrait busts. The figure is angled to the picture plane with the head turned toward the viewer, and the mozzetta is employed as a sort of socle for the head, its folds giving added vivacity to the composition.
