The Climbing of the Capitol with the Grey Horse of the Newly Elected Pope

About this artwork

drager: hoogte 115 cm x breedte 91 cm

Art Historical Context

This oil on canvas by Johannes Lingelbach depicts the ceremonial procession of a newly elected pope ascending Rome’s Capitoline Hill, led by his distinctive grey horse. Painted between 1650 and 1674, the scene captures the pageantry surrounding papal elections during the Baroque era, when such events drew large crowds and symbolized the continuity of papal authority in the Eternal City. Lingelbach, a Dutch artist active in Rome, belonged to the Bamboccianti group known for lively genre scenes of everyday Italian life. His Italianate style combines meticulous detail with dynamic movement, transforming a formal ritual into a vivid street spectacle filled with spectators, horses, and architectural grandeur. Housed in the Rijksmuseum, the work offers viewers a glimpse into 17th-century Rome’s blend of religious ceremony and public theater, rendered in rich oil tones that highlight Lingelbach’s skill at capturing both grandeur and human energy.

About the Artist

Johannes Lingelbach · 1622–1674

German painter, active in the Netherlands and Italy. By 1634 his family had settled in Amsterdam, where presumably Lingelbach trained as a painter. Comment on works: Landscapes; Genre; Port scenes.