Borghese Gallery - Queen of Private Collections

Of course, this is one of the most beautiful museums in Rome, located in an amazing park. Its founder was Scipio Borghese - a Roman collector, the nephew of the Pope himself. All the gifts that were brought to Rome, quite officially departed precisely to the Borghese. Over time, such gifts became more and more and Scipio decided to create his own collection, which became known as the “Queen of private collections”. It is worth mentioning here that if Borghese was not close to the Pope, then there would be no talk of any collection. But everything coincided successfully, the desire to create a collection and the opportunity to receive new souvenirs.

Paintings at the Borghese Gallery

Scipio was a big fan of icons and frescoes, which he bought, almost for nothing, from churches and temples, this was done with the painting of the Madonna and other famous works. One of Borghese’s favorite sculptors was Bernini, who, by order of the Roman government, carried out a huge number of orders.

After the death of Scipio, his children did not abandon his father’s hobby, and the meeting continued to replenish. It was at this time that many of Rome’s masterpieces began to appear in it, among which was a rather well-known exhibit - “Reclining Venus”. Many historians claim that Borghese’s wife Paolina was chosen as the prototype of the statue and the sculptor very accurately conveyed her image, which at that time was the ideal of female beauty. And now, in the Napoleonic Museum, you can see a cast of the chest, which, as they say, was made from Paolina herself. The statue, for several centuries, has been the most discussed subject in higher circles. Many were perplexed as the wife of Borghese herself could pose naked in front of the sculptor, to which Paolina herself jokingly replied: “They drowned well and was warm, so it was easy for me to undress.”

In addition to the statues, the collection contains a huge number of all kinds of paintings. The main masterpiece is work - “Love of the earth and love of heaven” artist Titian. Also in the collection is the work of Raphael - "Position in the coffin" , which the representatives of Rome stole from the museum in Perugia and secretly taken out of there. Picture of Domenichino "Diana’s Hunt" Borghese could get it only after he sent an artist who refused to sell it. to dungeon Of the rest of the works, it is worth noting two works by Rubens: “David with the Head of Goliath” and “Pieta”, as well as a picture of Lucas Cranach "Venus" .

Abdullaeva Natalya