Pope Alexander VII (Fabio Chigi, 1599–1667; reigned 1655–67)
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
Overall (confirmed): 39 1/4 x 34 1/4 x 16 1/2 in., 145 lb. (99.7 x 87 x 41.9 cm, 65.7716 kg)
Classification
Sculpture-Bronze
Culture
Italian, Rome
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Edith Perry Chapman Fund, 1957
Accession Number
57.20
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking bronze bust portrays Pope Alexander VII (Fabio Chigi), who led the Catholic Church from 1655 until his death in 1667. Created in Rome during the final year of his reign, the sculpture captures the pontiff in a formal, dignified manner typical of papal portraiture. The collaborative effort between Giovanni Piscina and Melchiorre Cafà reflects the vibrant artistic workshops of Baroque-era Rome, where sculptors often worked together on commissions for the Church and nobility. Cast in bronze—a medium prized for its durability, ability to capture intricate details, and association with lasting legacy—this work served as both a personal memorial and a statement of papal authority. Measuring nearly forty inches tall, the life-sized bust would have commanded attention in a church, palace, or public setting, emphasizing the pope’s role as a spiritual and temporal leader during a period of significant artistic patronage in the Eternal City. Today housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the sculpture offers visitors a tangible connection to seventeenth-century Rome and the enduring tradition of commemorating popes through monumental portraiture.
About the Artist
Giovanni Piscina|Melchiorre Cafà ( |Maltese) · |1638 – |1667
|Maltese, 1638–1667