Introduction
ü explore the history and exhibition of the National Gallery of Ancient Art in Rome. ü recreate the stages of the formation of the national gallery of ancient art in Rome; ü analyze some of the works of famous artists. This topic is relevant, as many people want to escape from everyday life, enjoy art, the creations of the greatest artists and sculptors. Expand your horizons, plunge into the history of other countries and eras. And where can this be done, if not in the greatest museums in the world. Each country is famous for its culture and traditions, history and architecture. Italy is one of those rare countries where you can return again and again - and each time you cross the river of time that separates us from the past centuries and millennia. Beautiful creations of human genius, ancient bridges over deceptively calm rivers, noisy, touristy and quiet, cozy squares, decorated with fountains - works of art, friendly residents and the greatest museums in the world ... One such place is Rome. The excessive abundance of attractions in Rome, which, it seems, would be enough for a small country, apparently encourages the Romans to create the same abundance of museums - so that as little dust as possible in the storerooms. There are museums for every taste, from archaeological to art, a theater museum and a museum of firefighters (which, by the way, represents the fire business since the time of Emperor Augustus). More than one writer and poet who came to live in Rome was honored with museums. Of course, tourists have to donate most of the museums, since there are a large number of them. Absolute favorites for short visits of 2-3 days are the Vatican Museums, the Borghese Gallery, the excavations on the Palatine Hill and the Capitoline Museums. But those who have the opportunity to stay longer will not regret the time spent in the National Gallery of Ancient Art. The gallery displays paintings by Caravaggio ("Judith and Holofernes"), Holbein, Raphael ("Fornarina"), Poussin, Tintoretto, Titian, Guido Reni, Rubens, Murillo and other artists, as well as furniture, majolica and porcelain. 1.
Buildings of the National Gallery of Ancient Art in Rome
The National Gallery of Ancient Art was founded in 1895 and included several collections. Since then, it has been constantly replenished. After the Second World War, its collection was placed in two palaces - Barberini and Corsini. Palazzo Barberini belonged to a powerful Florentine family. This palace was built in 1627-1633. in the Mannerist style by the architect Carlo Maderna with the participation of Francesco Borromini and Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini. For a long time, the Barberini Palace housed such artistic treasures as the Barberini Faun, the Nile Mosaic from Palestrina and the Portland Vase, which is considered the most outstanding antique glass work. Under the palace, the ruins of Mithraeum (the temple of the god Mithras) have been preserved. Currently, this museum presents collections of porcelain, majolica and furniture, paintings by Raphael, Caravaggio, Tintoretto, Guido Reni, Titian, Bartolome Estebano Murillo, Peter Paul Rubens and other outstanding painters. In 1510-1512. Cardinal Rafael Riario, nephew of Pope Sixtus IV, built a palace in the Trastevere area. In 1658, the abdicated Swedish Queen Christina settled here. She showed interest in art and culture, collected a magnificent library and a collection of rare items, communicated with writers, poets, composers, and artists. Christina died in 1689. In 1736, the architect Ferdinando Fuga reconstructed the building, which came into the possession of Cardinal Neri Corsini from a noble Florentine family, the nephew of Pope Clement XII. The palace became three-story, acquired a neoclassical facade with a balustrade and pilasters, a grand staircase and statues. In 1893, the state bought the building from the Corsini family, who presented him with their painting collection as a gift. Subsequently, the collection was replenished with new canvases. The Corsini Gallery houses paintings by Fra Beato Angelico and Caravaggio, Guercino and Guido Reni, Salvator Rosa, Peter Paul Rubens and Anton van Dyck. The National Gallery of Rome, located in Palazzo Barberini, is probably the youngest art collection in Rome. A large number of first-class works of Italian masters of the 16th-19th centuries are collected here. The Roman Gallery is housed in two buildings, one of which is the Palazzo Barberini. Palazzo Barberini was conceived as a royal residence, since it was assumed that after 1625 the family of Pope Urban VIII (Barberini) would be housed there. The building was erected on the territory of the former vineyard of the Sforza family - there was once a small palace (palazzetto), which in turn was built on the site of ancient buildings, in particular the temple of Flora. The new palace, erected with true baroque splendor, was to glorify the Barberini family, and, it must be admitted, this plan was carried out with brilliance. Initially, the work was led by Carlo Maderno, who was replaced by Francesco Borromini, but he also had to give way to Gianlorenzo Bernini, who completed the construction in 1634 with the participation of Pietro da Cortona. The huge building included the main building and two side wings, repeating the outlines of the Quirinal Hill; Behind the palazzo is a vast park. Cardinal Francesco Barberini did everything to ensure that the palace was completed on time. Not the last role in this was played by the financing of the construction by his uncle, Pope Urban VIII, who shamelessly raised taxes from his subjects in order to find the required funds, for which the people nicknamed him “dad-duty”. Construction proceeded rapidly. First, the architectural ideas of Borromini took shape, according to the project of which the windows, the spiral staircase and the rear facade were created. Then, according to the project of Bernini, a large staircase was erected in the left wing, enclosed in a square well. Bernini designed the main façade overlooking Via delle Quattro Fontane. Now on this side is the main entrance and the iron fence of the 19th century (architect Francesco Azzurri) with eight pillars decorated with images of Atlanteans. On the current Via San Nicola da Tolentino, opposite the portal designed by Pietro da Cortona, stables were built, and on the side of the modern Via Bernini, a theater was erected with the Manege Court: from here a passage arranged under the palazzo began, leading to the garden behind it. All these buildings, located on the left side of the modern Piazza Barberini, no longer exist: they were demolished when laying the Via Barberini. This residence of the Barberini family, famous for patronage, became a place of attraction for the best cultural forces of the 17th century. Among those who visited the salon were the poets Gabriello Chiabrera, Giovanni Ciampoli, the author of religious poems, and Francesco Bracciolini, who gained fame with the poem "The Wrath of the Gods". Among the regulars of the palace were scientists, historians and, of course, Lorenzo Bernini, who, in addition to all other talents, also showed himself as a theater artist. Performances at the Barberini Theater began on February 23, 1634 with the melodrama Saint Alexis to the music of Giulio Rospigliosi. Musical comedies were staged in the palace, dance parties were held during the carnival and wedding celebrations, as happened in 1656, when Maffeo Barberini married Olimpia Giustiniani. Although patronage was the pride of the Barberini, they mainly used artists to glorify themselves. This was especially vividly embodied in the design of the palace, in particular its left wing, the halls of which were painted (1633-1639) with magnificent frescoes by Pietro da Cortona. Among them stands out the giant plafond of the central salon on the second floor - “The Triumph of Divine Providence”, the baroque apotheosis of the Barberini family, as indicated by the papal tiara and the keys of Urban VIII depicted on the fresco, as well as the heraldic bees of the Barberini. Another hall is adorned with Andrea Sacchi's sumptuous plafond "The Triumph of Divine Wisdom": this fresco not only glorifies Barberini, but is also intended to testify to the triumph of the heliocentric theory, about which Urban VIII had frequent conversations with Galileo Galilei. The right wing of the palace is no less luxuriously finished, as evidenced by the Hall of Marbles, or the Hall of Statues, in which magnificent examples of classical sculpture, which the Barberini collected, were exhibited. This hall was especially famous, demonstrating the undeniable superiority of the Barberini over the rest of the Roman patrician. Not much has survived from the collection, for example, "Velata" by Antonio Corradini. The hall was used for banquets, and also, until the theater was built, for theatrical performances: it could accommodate up to 200 spectators. From 1627 to 1683, a tapestry workshop operated in the palace. From its walls came the so-called Flemish fabrics that adorned the Baroque halls: they were made under the guidance of the artist Jacopo della Riviera, whom Francesco Barberini ordered from Flanders, according to the drawings and cardboards of Pietro da Cortona, which made it possible to achieve artistic perfection. The last floor of the palace housed the library of Cardinal Francesco, numbering 60,000 volumes and 10,000 manuscripts. This library, one of the outstanding cultural monuments of the 17th century, also speaks of the intellectual needs of its owner. True, another papal nephew, Cardinal Antonio, who was distinguished by a restless and ambitious disposition, lived in the same palace. He was not inferior to another papal nephew, Taddeo, brother of Francesco and Antonio, who had the rank of general of the papal army. He received the title of Prince of Palestrina and was appointed prefect of Rome. Taddeo dishonored himself by embezzling part of the taxes collected from the Romans. By the way, Taddeo, who was chosen to continue the dynasty, was the heir to the family property. However, in 1645, the brothers had to endure many anxious moments when, after the death of Urban VIII, Pope Innocent X appointed a commission to investigate the activities of the Barberini, during which all their abuses were revealed. For several years, the brothers hid in France while their Roman palace was confiscated. Soon the storm subsided, and, relying on the intercession of Cardinal Mazarin, they returned to Rome and received back their fortune, including the palazzo. The Barberini dynasty maintained the purity of blood until 1728, when the last of the family, Cornelia Costanza, married Giulio Cesare Colonna Sharra, which marked the beginning of the Barberini-Colonna branch. In 1893, with the marriage of the last representative of this branch, Maria, to Luigi Sacchetti, a new branch arose - Sacchetti-Barberini-Colonna. The history of the palace reflected all the ups and downs of the fate of the family that owned it, which more than once resorted to selling their artistic treasures in order to find funds to maintain a luxurious residence. Mention should be made of the work on the improvement of the garden, during which, according to the project of Giovanni Mazzoni, who since 1867 served as the gardener of the Barberini, a greenhouse and a fish garden were created. In the same period, Francesco Azzurri arranged a fountain in the garden opposite the palace on the side of Via delle Quattro Fontane. The fountain, erected over an octagonal pool and decorated with four mascarons and three bees, is undoubtedly the last luxury that the Barberini allowed themselves. In 1900, the library of Cardinal Francesco, as well as the furniture created by Bernini, were sold to the Vatican, and the floor where the library was located was occupied by the Italian Institute of Numismatics. The part of the park that stretched towards Via Venti Settembre was divided into plots and sold. Once upon a time there was a playground for playing bracchale; subsequently, ministerial buildings rose in its place, and the country color of this once aristocratic quarter with its wonderful villas disappeared forever. The crisis that befell them forced them to abandon the palace of the Barberini heirs. In 1935, the shipping company Finmare acquired the old wing of the palace, which was then completely rebuilt. In 1949, the state bought the entire complex, and three years later the Barberini sold off all their paintings and various works of art. The left wing houses the National Gallery of Ancient Art, which preserves its splendid interiors; the right one was handed over to the armed forces, who stationed the Officers' Assembly here, which can hardly be considered a good decision. The guarantee of the preservation of the architectural and artistic treasures of the palace can only be its complete transformation into a museum complex. Only then will the palace be able to regain its former splendor. 1.2 Palazzo Corsini
The art collections of the gallery arose from the merger of several large private collections. It was based on the collection of Cardinal Nero Corsini, whose palace is the second part of the Roman National Gallery. The cardinal bought this palace in 1737. For the decoration of its halls and rooms, the best works of fine and applied art were purchased, and by 1740 the Corsini collection consisted of 600 paintings. A century and a half later, Princes Tommaso and Andrea Corsini donated the collection to the Italian state. Later, it was replenished with the collection of the Duke G. Torlonia, 187 paintings from the Galleria del Monte di Pieta also arrived here. Thus, several large collections gathered in the Palazzo Corsini, so the question arose of combining them into one collection. So in 1895 the National Gallery of Ancient Art was formed. Later it became part of the National Roman Gallery. The Palazzo Barberini now houses a collection of paintings up to the 17th century, while the Palazzo Corsini exhibits later paintings. The first mention of the Corsini family dates back to the beginning of the XIV century. At different times, she was a family of great merchants, politicians, bankers, doing business together with the Medici (Giovanni Medici even lived for some time in the Corsini Palace). Always distinguished by deep religious convictions, the Corsini gave the world Saint Andrea Corsini (1301-1374) and Pope Clement XII (in 1730 Lorenzo Corsini became him). The construction of the palace in 1656 began Bartolomeo Corsini. Construction lasted until 1737, but the planned project was never fully implemented - the asymmetry of the facade is clearly visible from the opposite bank of the Arno River. The palace was built in the Baroque style, the characteristic features of which can be seen both in the exterior (statues and terracotta vases decorating the facade) and in the interior (for example, the decor of the Throne Room). For Florence, the Corsini Palace was an architectural discovery. Risalits, central terrace, windows with elliptical arches, attics with balustrades decorated with vases and statues - all these were new and unusual elements for this city of that era. There are more than three thousand frescoes in the palace. Made between 1692 and 1700, they reflect one of the brightest periods in Florentine painting. The Corsini Palace is the property of the descendants of the family - Miari Fulchis and Sanmignatelli. Now Countess Livia Sanmignatelli Branca lives here, although not permanently. The creators of the Palazzo Corsini were Bartolomeo Corsini (1622-1685), the son of Filippo and Maria Magdalena Macchiavelli, and Filippo, the son of Bartolomeo (1647-1705), who expanded the Palace in that part of it that stretches towards the bridge of Santa Trinita. The construction of the Palace was carried out continuously for 50 years. The decoration of the Palace was carried out in the period from 1692 to 1700 and appears to this day in all its original glory, being an example of an exceptionally happy and fruitful period of Florentine painting. Among the artists invited by Corsini to decorate the mezzanine apartments, where the Aurora Gallery, the Hall, the Ballroom and a number of other important rooms are located, the names of Anton Domenico Gabbiani, Alessandro Gherardini, Pierre Dandini occupy a special place. 2.
Exposition of the National Gallery of Ancient Art in Rome
Rome is called the ancient and eternal city. Its thousand-year-old monuments are rightly considered the property of all mankind. To see them, millions of people from all over the world come to Rome every year. And also in order to see the famous works of art collected in its richest museums. One of them is the Roman National Gallery. It is housed in two buildings, one of which is the Palazzo Barberini. In 1625, Pope Urban VIII (from the Barberini family) bought a palace from Duke Sforza for his nephews, and the reconstruction of this palace immediately began. The old plan of the building was preserved, and for the new construction, stones and marble from the destroyed Colosseum were used. The famous artist Pietro da Cortona took a great part in the interior decoration of the palace. Until now, in the Barberini Palace, his famous painting of the plafond of the main hall has been preserved, where Christian and mythological allegories are intertwined in complex, full of unbridled fantasy paintings. The ceilings of other halls of the palace were also covered with paintings, and their walls were decorated with tapestries. These tapestries were produced by a factory located in a neighboring building and was founded in 1635 by one of the pope's nephews, Cardinal Francesco Barberini. He also collected the richest library, in which, among priceless manuscripts and manuscripts, equally priceless letters of the most prominent people of that time and previous eras were kept. In 1902, this library was transferred to the Vatican, and the palace itself was acquired by the Italian state in 1930. Soon, its second floor with the famous paintings by Pietro da Cortona was given over to the National Gallery. Art collections of the Gallery arose from the merger of several large private collections, and its foundation was laid back in the 18th century by Cardinal Nero Corsini, whose ancient palace is the second part of the Roman National Gallery. The cardinal bought his palace in 1737 and immediately ordered the famous architect Ferdinando Fuga to remake it. For the decoration of the halls and rooms of the new palace, on the orders of the cardinal, the best works of fine and applied art were acquired, and by 1740 the Corsini collection consisted of 600 paintings. Almost a century and a half later, the princes Tommaso and Andrea Corsini sold their palace to the state, and presented a valuable collection of paintings to it. The palace housed the Accademia dei Lincea and a collection of paintings and sculptures. Then this collection was replenished with the collection of Duke G. Torlonia, and then 187 paintings from the Galleria del Monte di Pieta also arrived here. This is how several large collections gathered in the Palazzo Corsini, so the question immediately arose of combining them into one collection. And in 1895, the National Gallery of Ancient Art was formed, which immediately began to replenish through purchases and gifts from individuals. The Palazzo Barberini now houses a collection of paintings up to the 17th century, while the Palazzo Corsini exhibits later paintings. Despite the fact that great alterations have been made to the Palazzo Corsini, many of the paintings are very difficult to see, distinguish and admire because they are located at an almost dizzying height. In the hall dedicated to the work of the artists of the Caravaggio school, the paintings almost touch the ceiling. Such placement makes it very difficult for visitors to see the canvases under the angle of illumination that the artists dreamed of when creating their works. The National Gallery reveals to visitors the greatest treasures of world art. And one of these masterpieces is the famous painting by Titian “Venus and Adonis” (APPENDIX 1), painted in 1554 by order of King Charles V. This painting was such a stunning success that the artist repeated this plot with slight variations several times. In the Roman National Gallery, one of these options is stored. Titian took the plot for the painting from ancient mythology. Turning to the theme of the love of Venus and Adonis, Titian develops this motif in his own way, introduces a dramatic motif of experience into the canvas, which was typical of the late works of the great master. Venus is depicted at the moment when she is trying to keep Adonis in her arms, striving for the call of a hunting horn. From the sudden movement of the goddess, a golden vessel overturned, a string of precious pearls broke out of her hair. The general mood of the picture is disturbing, and the agitated landscape with dark trees, an indistinct outline of hills, a sky covered with heavy clouds, through which uneven sunlight barely streams, is in tune with it. The painting comes from the collection of the Swedish Queen Christina. After her death in 1689, she visited several collections, and then was acquired by the Duke of Torlonia and donated by him to the state. Tintoretto is represented in the National Gallery by the painting "Christ and the Sinner" (APPENDIX 2), imbued with a state of disturbing tension. It depicts the moment when Christ, in response to the accusation of a woman in the fall, offers to throw a stone at her. Depicting the gospel story, Tintoretto is interested not so much in the event itself, but in the state of the human crowd that swept over it after the words of Jesus Christ. Anxiety that grips people fills nature. Despite the fact that the action takes place under a giant portico, the viewer gets the impression that it takes place in an endless space. This is facilitated by the sea visible in the expansion of giant arches, merging with the expanse of the sky, through which lead clouds float. To increase expression, Tintoretto uses the technique of lengthening human figures, characteristic of mannerism. El Greco uses the same technique on his canvases. A Greek by origin, he was born in Crete and here, apparently, he studied with local icon painters. After 1560, he left for Venice, and then moved to Spain. Here he settled first at the court of King Philip II, but not recognized by the king and his court, moved to Toledo, the old capital of Spain. At the end of 1596, El Greco received an order for three large canvases for the altar of the School of shod Augustinians Dona Maria of Aragon in Madrid - the Annunciation, the Adoration of the Shepherds and the Baptism of Christ. Subsequently, all three paintings were scattered in different museums, and the National Gallery of Rome now houses two of them - "The Adoration of the Shepherds" and "The Baptism of Christ" (APPENDIX 3, APPENDIX 4). According to the assumptions of some art historians, they are a repetition of altar paintings or sketches for them. The action of the gospel plot of the painting “The Adoration of the Shepherds” takes place against the backdrop of an area with fantastic ruins. The vaults of the destroyed building, as if swayed by the wind, shot up, and a dark sky with flashes of lightning appeared in the opening of the ruins. The action itself - the worship of the shepherds to the infant Christ - takes place in the foreground of the picture. El Greco attaches the main importance to color. The combination of the Madonna's bright pink dress with the lemon-yellow shirt of the shepherd standing next to him, the ultramarine angel's clothes and the cold color of the green dress of the other shepherd creates an unusual range of color shades. The colors seem to fade away, then again flare up with bright light and reach the greatest intensity of luminescence in the sheets on which the divine baby lies, and which radiate a silvery glow around him. El Greco resorts here to his favorite technique of combining figures of different scales. The entire figurative structure of the picture, with a pronounced, sharp deformation of human figures and an unusual richness of bright, as if luminous colors, reaches its ultimate expressiveness on the canvas. Conclusion national gallery exposition palazzo The National Gallery of Ancient Art (Galleria Nazionale d "Arte Antica) is an art gallery in Rome, one of the youngest in Italy. It occupies two historical buildings - Palazzo Barberini and Palazzo Corsini. The Palazzo Barberini was built by Carlo Maderno in the first half of the 17th century, the Palazzo Corsini is a 15th-century building, rebuilt 250 years later in the late Baroque style. The gallery displays paintings by Caravaggio ("Judith and Holofernes"), Holbein, Raphael ("Fornarina"), Poussin, Tintoretto, Titian, Guido Reni, Rubens, Murillo and other artists, as well as furniture, majolica and porcelain. The palazzo was built in the first half of the 17th century. in the mannerist style. Mannerism used the techniques of Renaissance painting, but without its humanistic idea. The world appears unstable, shaky, in a state of decay. The images of mannerism are full of anxiety, restlessness, tension, the basis is not the real world, but creative imagination; the means of performance is the "beautiful manner" as the sum of certain techniques. Among them are the arbitrary elongation of the figures, the complex serpentine rhythm, the unreality of fantastic space and light, and sometimes cold piercing colors. Gradually, the paintings become like decorative panels designed to decorate walls. The sculpture combines whimsical forms with smoothness, sophistication and elegance. First, the construction was carried out by Maderno, then by Borromini and completed by Bernini. In the palazzo, it is worth seeing the ceiling fresco by Pietro da Cortona and the staircase in the original form of Borromini. The gallery presents paintings by Caravaggio (Judith and Holofernes), Hans Holbein, Raphael (Fornarin), Poussin, Tintoretto, Titian and other artists of the 12th-18th centuries, as well as furniture, majolica and porcelain. Literature
1.A. Kara-Murza "Famous Russians about Venice", Nezavisimaya Gazeta, 2001 - 383 p.; "Famous Russians about Florence", Nezavisimaya Gazeta, 2001 - 352 pages; "Famous Russians about Rome", Nezavisimaya Gazeta, 2001 - 472 pages; "Famous Russians about Naples", Yekaterinburg: U-Factoria, 2003 - 512 p. 2.Kuznetsov B.G. Ideas and images of the Renaissance, Moscow: Nauka, 1985. - 280 p. .Rutenburg V.I. Titans of the Renaissance, Leningrad, 1976. - 144 p. .© 1997-2012 Online encyclopedia "Krugosvet" 5.Access mode: #"justify">. Access mode: http://book-online.com.ua Galleria Nazionale d "Arte Antica in Palazzo Barberini National Roman Gallery- the youngest art collection in Rome. Occupies two historic buildings - Palazzo Barberini and Palazzo Corsini. Palazzo Barberini was conceived as a royal residence, since it was assumed that after 1625 the family of Pope Urban VIII (Barberini) would be accommodated there. The building was erected on the territory of the former vineyard of the Sforza family - there was once a small palace, which in turn was built on the site of ancient buildings. The new palace, erected with true baroque splendor, was to glorify the Barberini family. Initially led by Carlo Maderno who was replaced Francesco Borromini, however, he had to give up this place Gianlorenzo Bernini, who completed the construction in 1634 with the participation Pietro da Cortona. The huge building included the main building and two side wings, repeating the outlines of the Quirinal hill, behind the palazzo there was a vast park. Cardinal Francesco Barberini did everything to ensure that the palace was completed on time. Construction proceeded rapidly. Project first Borromini windows, a spiral staircase and a rear façade were created. Then in theory Bernini in the left wing a large staircase was erected, enclosed in a square well. Bernini designed the main façade overlooking Via delle Quattro Fontane. Now on this side is the main entrance and the iron fence of the 19th century (architect Francesco Azzurri) with eight pillars decorated with images of Atlanteans. The residence of the Barberini family, famous for patronage, became a place of attraction for the best cultural forces of the 17th century. Among those who visited the salon were the poets Gabriello Chiabrera, Giovanni Ciampoli and Francesco Bracciolini, who gained fame with the poem "The Wrath of the Gods". Among the regulars of the palace were scientists, historiographers and, of course, Lorenzo Bernini, who also proved himself as a theater artist. Performances at the Barberini Theater began on February 23, 1634 with the melodrama Saint Alexis to the music of Giulio Rospigliosi. Although patronage was the pride of the Barberini, they mainly used artists to glorify themselves. This was especially vividly embodied in the design of the palace, in particular its left wing, the halls of which he painted (1633-1639) with magnificent frescoes Pietro da Cortona. Among them stands out the giant plafond of the central salon of the second floor - "Triumph of Divine Providence"- the baroque apotheosis of the Barberini family. This is indicated by the papal tiara and the keys of Urban VIII depicted in the fresco, as well as the heraldic bees of Barberini. Another hall is decorated with a luxurious ceiling Andrea Sacchi "The Triumph of Divine Wisdom": this fresco not only glorifies Barberini, but is also intended to testify to the triumph of the heliocentric theory, about which Urban VIII had frequent conversations with Galileo Galilei. The right wing of the palace is no less luxuriously finished, as evidenced by the Hall of Marbles, or the Hall of Statues, in which magnificent examples of classical sculpture, which the Barberini collected, were exhibited. This hall was especially famous, demonstrating the undeniable superiority of the Barberini over the rest of the Roman patrician. From 1627 to 1683, a tapestry workshop operated in the palace. From its walls came the so-called Flemish fabrics that adorned the Baroque halls: they were made under the guidance of the artist Jacopo della Riviera, whom Francesco Barberini ordered from Flanders, according to the drawings and cardboards of Pietro da Cortona. The history of the palace reflected all the ups and downs of the fate of the family that owned it, which more than once resorted to selling their artistic treasures in order to find funds to maintain a luxurious residence. Mention should be made of the work on the improvement of the garden, during which, according to the project of Giovanni Mazzoni, who since 1867 served as the gardener of the Barberini, a greenhouse and a fish garden were created. In the same period, Francesco Azzurri arranged a fountain in the garden opposite the palace on the side of Via delle Quattro Fontane. In 1900, the library of Cardinal Francesco, as well as the furniture created by Bernini, were sold to the Vatican, and the floor where the library was located was occupied by the Italian Institute of Numismatics. The crisis that befell them forced them to abandon the palace of the Barberini heirs. In 1935, the shipping company Finmare acquired the old wing of the palace, which was then completely rebuilt. In 1949, the state bought the entire complex, and three years later the Barberini sold off all their paintings and works of art. Located in the left wing National Gallery of Ancient Art which preserves its magnificent interiors; the right one was handed over to the armed forces, who placed the Officers' Assembly here. The guarantee of the preservation of the architectural and artistic treasures of the palace can only be its complete transformation into a museum complex. Only then will the palace be able to regain its former splendor. The art collections of the gallery arose from the merger of several large private collections. It was based on the collection of Cardinal Nero Corsini, whose palace is the second part of the Roman National Gallery. The cardinal bought this palace in 1737. For the decoration of its halls and rooms, the best works were purchased, and by 1740 the Corsini collection consisted of 600 paintings. A century and a half later, Princes Tommaso and Andrea Corsini donated the collection to the Italian state. Later, it was replenished with the collection of the Duke G. Torlonia, 187 paintings from the Galleria del Monte di Pieta also arrived here. Thus, several large collections gathered in the Palazzo Corsini, so the question arose of combining them into one collection. So in 1895 the National Gallery of Ancient Art was formed. Later it became part of the National Roman Gallery. The Palazzo Barberini now houses a collection of paintings up to the 17th century, while the Palazzo Corsini exhibits later paintings. Treasures of the collection: Judith and Holofernes, 1598 Caravaggio met the Genoese banker Ottavio Costa. A true art lover was shocked by the paintings of Giorgione and was eager to have "Judith" in his collection as a token of memory of the bloodshed that ended near his native Genoa. - Could you repeat "Judith" by Giorgione? the Genoese asked at the first meeting. “Any repetition is a copy, but such work does not interest me in any way,” Caravaggio replied dryly. “But if you want to have the original, that's another story. The banker Costa did not bargain and offered the artist a large fee, if only he would quickly get to work. But Caravaggio's attention had to switch from the heroic Judith to an event that stirred Rome. This is the execution of the Cenci family (including Beatrice Cenci). The image of Judith is often found in Italian art. Each character has a distinct personality. Everything is built on chiaroscuro contrasts with the highlighting of three brightly lit sections of the picture, presented especially expressively against an impenetrable dark background, from the depths of which figures and details of the foreground grow. Above this tense dynamic scene hangs a heavy, blood-colored banner, personifying the triumph of Judith. Narcissus, 1599 Sitting in the studio, Caravaggio thought about new subjects in an effort to create something unusual in order to arouse the interest of not only private collectors, in whom few people see his work. He dreamed of his audience, to whom he wanted to say so much. Looking from the window at the puddles with clouds reflected in them floating across the sky, he decided instead of a mirror as a sure help in his work, this time to try to use the water surface and show the surrounding world reflected in it, unexpectedly appearing upside down. It was necessary to consult with someone, but Mario walked around somewhere, despite the bad weather. Recently, his young friend has matured noticeably. Caravaggio often noticed how Mario looked at himself in the mirror for a long time, how he dressed himself in bright clothes, remaining still laconic and reserved. As always, the world of his thoughts and feelings was inaccessible even to his best friend. The idea arose to paint the image of a young man entering life, busy only with himself and, apart from his own person, not noticing anyone around and not showing sympathy for the suffering of his neighbor. And for spiritual callousness, such a person will have to pay dearly with complete loneliness. This is how Narcissus was born. Mario, who had matured outwardly, was not very suitable for the image of Narcissus, so he had to look for a sitter among the young palace servants. The theme itself was suggested to him by a bronze statue of a naked boy by the fountain in the courtyard of Madama's palace. Caravaggio was least interested in the mythological hero, whom he dressed in modern clothes in the fashion of the time. Dividing the canvas in two vertically, Caravaggio showed the real world and its inverted mirror image, which helps to better understand everything that surrounds us. With a direct and familiar look at things, we often do not see their features, and an inverted reflection makes us strain our eyesight and is able to reveal to us all the diversity of the observed object. The main advantage of the picture is in the transfer of the state of internal tension between the hero crouching low to the water and his inverted reflection, and therefore, between the creator and the creation, which is so expressively narrated in the mythological plot. St. John the Baptist in the Wilderness, 1604 Prayer of St. Francis, 1606 February 16, 2019 The project of the magnificent building, located today on the street of the Four Fountains, was developed by Carlo Maderno (1556-1629), whose name is inextricably linked with the implementation of the ideas of Bramante and Michelangelo when completing the facade of St. Peter's Cathedral. Cardinal Maffeo Barberini, known as Pope Urban VIII, who headed the Papal Throne in 1623, instructed the architect to rebuild the villa bought from the Sforza family to equip his apartments in it, and also use part of the building as a representation of Tuscan families in Rome. Since then, Palazzo Barberini has become an integral part of the architectural heritage of the Eternal City, transforming over several centuries from a papal residence into the National Gallery of Ancient Art. Palazzo Barberini Palazzo Barberini However, the architect did not have a chance to see the embodiment of his plans with his own eyes. After his death in 1629, the work was led by Jean Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) in collaboration with Maderno's grandson, the sculptor Francesco Borromini (1599-1667). How accurately the original project of Carlo Maderno was preserved in the joint work of two architects, many researchers still argue. The contradictory attributes of some parts of the building are visible even at a superficial glance. Bernini prescribes the concept of creating a spacious loggia on the facade above the main entrance, a large hall and a monumental staircase in the left wing of the palace. Bernini stairs Fragment of the Bernini stairs Fragment of the Borromini stairs To decorate the vault of the large hall, which occupies two whole floors of the palace in height, Pope Urban VIII attracted the most revered artist, architect and sculptor Pietro da Cortona in the Barberini family. The exceptional dimensions of the room itself and the complexity of the narrative of the monumental fresco "The Triumph of Divine Providence" required several years of complex work carried out by the master in the period 1632-1639. Fresco by Pietro da Cortona in the Palazzo Barberini Fragment of the fresco by Pietro da Cortona "The Triumph of Divine Providence" Fresco "The Triumph of Divine Providence" 1632-1639 Fresco by Andrea Sachi "The Triumph of Divine Wisdom" (1629-1633) An integral part of the Maderno project was the garden on the back of the palace, decorated with flower beds and ornate hedges. Occupying a rather impressive area - from the church of San Nicola da Tolentino on the north side to the intersection of the Four Fountains on the south, the papal stables, the Manege Court and even the theater were located on its territory. Fountain at the entrance to the palace The fence of the palace from the street of the Four Fountains Sculptures decorating the palace fence Fence at the entrance to the Palazzo Barberini After the unification of Italy and the incorporation of Rome into the Kingdom, in the wake of large-scale transformations, the heirs of the Barberini family were involved in numerous land speculations, provoked by a lack of funds to maintain a luxurious residence. The magnificent park was divided into lots and sold out. The library, founded by Cardinal Francesco Barberini and numbering more than 60 thousand volumes and manuscripts, did not become the property of the Vatican without compensation, along with some furniture items made according to Bernini's sketches. The coming XX century also did not bring financial stability to the heirs of the eminent family. In the 30s, a significant part of the right wing of the Barberini Palace had to be leased to the Italian Ministry of the Armed Forces for a long-term lease for an officers' club, and in 1949 the entire palace complex was bought by the state in order to expand the National Gallery of Ancient Art (Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica di Roma) . It is interesting! The National Gallery of Ancient Art was officially founded in 1893, after the donation of a large collection of paintings by Prince Corsini to the state. Initially, it was located in his villa. Over time, the lack of free space to accommodate the constantly growing collection forced the Ministry of Cultural Heritage to look for new areas for it. Today the Gallery occupies two buildings - Palazzo Corsini and Palazzo Barberini. One of the halls of the palace An endless series of halls of the palace
Not much has survived from the collection, for example, "Velata" by Antonio Corradini.
The fountain, erected over an octagonal pool and decorated with four mascarons and three bees, is undoubtedly the last luxury that the Barberini allowed themselves.
Raphael - Fornarina, Piero di Cosimo - Mary Magdalene, 1490, Hans Holbein - Portrait of Henry VIII. 1540, Tintoretto - Christ and the Sinner, 1550, Titian - Venus and Adonis, 1550, El Greco - Baptism of Christ, 1596-1600, El Greco - Adoration of the Child, 1596-1600, Rubens - The Torment of Saint Sebastian, 1608, Nicolas Poussin - Bacchanalia putto, 1626, Guido Reni - Mary Magdalene, 1633, Guido Reni - Sleeping putto, 1627, paintings by Filippo Lippi, Perugino
Many began to compare Beatrice for her courageous behavior on the scaffold and the curse thrown to the pope with the biblical Judith, who killed the worst enemy of her people.
Suffice it to recall the statue of Donatello in Piazza della Signoria in Florence or the paintings by Mantegna, Botticelli, Giorgione, in which the heroine is shown, as a rule, after the feat she accomplished.
Unlike the Hermitage Giorgione, whose feminine Judith with a sword in her hand tramples the severed head of the enemy with her foot against the backdrop of a serene typically Venetian landscape, Caravaggio in his work “Judith and Holofernes” gives a scene of the murder of a tyrant full of dynamism, not sparing colors for depicting chilling bloody details . 
In his project, Maderno expanded the Renaissance building of the Villa Sforza, turning it into a real palace, worthy of the most noble Roman families. 
Bernini VS Borromini: co-authors or rivals
In contrast, Borromini erected an elegant spiral staircase leading to the upper floors in the right wing of the building, which later housed the library of the cardinal, collector of antiquities and philanthropist Francesco Barberini. 
Frescoes for the Pope
The artist expressed the apotheosis of Maffeo Barberini through the allegory of a number of depicted mythological figures. The central place in the scene is occupied by Providence, dressed in a golden robe and surrounded by a halo of light, emphasizing the divine nature. With a Truth-bearing gesture, it greets the many allegorical figures around - Reason, Justice, Justice, Mercy and Beauty. Below is a powerfully built naked god Chronos with wings - time devouring its children. To his right are three Fates: Clotho, Atropo and Lachesi, holding in their hands, according to Roman mythology, the thread of human existence. To the left of the figure of Providence is Immortality approaching in greeting with a wreath of bright stars. The famous coat of arms of the Barberini family - a laurel wreath with three bees in the middle, claims the spiritual government of the pontiff. 
For the interior decoration of numerous rooms of the palace, Pietro da Cortona attracted his student Giovanni Francesco Romanelli and the artist Andrea Sacchi (1599-1661). His fresco "The Triumph of Divine Wisdom" (1629-1633), written at the request of Taddeo Barberini, the nephew of Pope Urban VIII, can still be seen in one of the halls today. 
Around the Palazzo
To improve the vast territory, Cardinal Francesco Barberini, the Pope's nephew, attracted the botanist and naturalist Cassiano dal Pozzo, who cultivated a large number of exotic plants and animals here, including deer, ostriches and camels. However, starting from the end of the 19th century, which was marked by the annexation of Rome to the Kingdom of Italy, the marginal plots of the Barberini Garden along via XX Settembre began to be sold for the development of ministerial buildings, and in 1936, by order of Mussolini, a significant part of the land allotment was transferred to the ownership of Count Ascanio Savorgnan di Brazza. As a result, the magnificent garden today has a rather miniature size.
During its long history, the building of the Palazzo Barberini itself has not undergone practically any changes. The only addition that adorned the entire palace complex was a fountain in front of the main entrance and an elegant metal fence designed by the architect Francesco Azzurri, designed by him in 1848. 
The fence along Four Fountains Street and the main entrance gate were erected only in 1865. The monumental statues of the Atlanteans were sculpted for her by Scipione Tadolini (1822-1893), a hereditary architect of a famous family of sculptors in four generations, a student and spiritual heir of Antonio Canova. 
From Papal Residence to National Gallery
The purchase of the building provided for the placement of the collection throughout the spacious halls of the Palazzo Barberini, but a significant obstacle to this was the notorious officers' club of the armed forces, the lease with which expired only in 1953. Although the agreement was not renewed and no rent was collected until 1965, a significant portion of the building continued to be administered by the Department of Defense. Since 1974, this state of affairs has led to a real war between the two government departments. Only in 1997, taking into account the upcoming jubilee year 2000, a memorandum of understanding was signed, providing for the release of premises in connection with the need for restoration and restoration of the palace. 
Between these events, in 1984, the Corsini collection was moved back to its original place in the villa, while the remaining art collection was somewhat rearranged and left in the left wing of the Palazzo Barberini.
In 2011, at the end of five years of restoration work, another floor was opened to the public in the palace, thus increasing the number of halls in it to 34. 
