Design for a Marble Throne for the Statue of St. Peter, St. Peter's, Rome
Classification
sculpture
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase through gift of various donors and from Eleanor G. Hewitt Fund
Accession Number
1938-88-8570
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Luigi Vanvitelli’s 1754 design proposes a marble throne to complement the revered Statue of St. Peter inside St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. As an Italian artist working in the mid-eighteenth century, Vanvitelli contributed to the ongoing embellishment of one of Christianity’s most significant sites, where every element was crafted to honor the apostle and the papal tradition. Classified as sculpture, the work represents the careful preparatory stage required for monumental religious furnishings. A throne of this kind would have served both a practical and symbolic purpose, elevating the statue while reinforcing themes of authority and sanctity within the basilica’s vast interior. Acquired by the Smithsonian American Art Museum through the generosity of donors and the Eleanor G. Hewitt Fund, the drawing preserves a moment of artistic planning that continues to illuminate the intersection of architecture, sculpture, and faith in eighteenth-century Rome.