The theft of Raphael
Raphael's Deposition (1507) did not reach the Borghese Gallery through a purchase. In 1608, Scipione Borghese had it stolen from the church of San Francesco at Prati in Città di Castello, where it had been commissioned by the Baglioni family in memory of Grifonetto Baglioni, killed in a family feud. The work was transported to Rome at night. The Baglioni family protested and received a copy, but the original remained in Rome. Scipione displayed it openly without any fear of consequences.
Caravaggio sent his own head to Scipione
David with the Head of Goliath (1609–1610) is considered by historians to carry a precise autobiographical meaning: Goliath — with his severed head — is thought to be a self-portrait of Caravaggio himself, while David holds the hair with a certain compassion. The prevailing hypothesis is that the work was an explicit message to Scipione Borghese: I am already dead. Forgive me and let me live. The pardon from Pope Paul V never came. Caravaggio died in 1610, probably of malaria or poisoning, as he was returning to Rome from Sicily.
Canova's wax secret
The surface of the Venus Victrix (1805–1808) has a luminous quality that ordinary white marble does not possess. Canova used a mixture of wax and organic colourant applied hot to polished marble in order to imitate the tone of human skin. The exact formula remained a secret for decades. When Pauline Bonaparte asked Canova for a plaster cast of the sculpture — which would have revealed the method — the master refused.
Bernini was twenty-two
The Rape of Proserpina was completed in 1622 by a Bernini aged 22–23. The scene shows Pluto's fingers sinking into Proserpina's thighs and side, with the marble deforming like living flesh. No other sculptor had ever rendered marble with this illusion of softness. The work was originally commissioned for Cardinal Alessandro Peretti Montalto, then ceded by Scipione to Cardinal Ludovisi in 1622 as a diplomatic gift — and only later returned to the Borghese collection.
The revolving mechanism of the Pauline
Canova's Venus Victrix was originally mounted on a base fitted with a gear mechanism allowing the sculpture to rotate, accompanied by a revolving candle to illuminate the marble surface at night. The system was designed by Canova himself to highlight the different angles of the work. The mechanism is now deactivated for conservation reasons. The manual rotation was operated by a servant concealed beneath the base.
The coldest morning in art history
Apollo and Daphne (1622–1625) was commissioned by Scipione with the intention of rendering visible the precise moment of metamorphosis described by Ovid: Daphne's fingers turning into laurel branches, her hair becoming leaves, her skin beginning to cover itself in bark. To avoid scandalising visitors with a pagan mythological subject, Scipione had a Latin couplet added to the base by Cardinal Maffeo Barberini (the future Pope Urban VIII): He who chases fleeting pleasures gathers only ashes and leaves. A moral excuse for a work of pure sensuality.
The second David
Bernini's David (1623–1624) is often compared to Michelangelo's. The fundamental difference is temporal: Michelangelo portrays the moment before the battle, in contemplation; Bernini portrays the moment of action, the sling already in motion. It is said that Scipione Borghese held a mirror in front of Bernini as he worked, so that the artist could use his own face as a model for David's expression.
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Frequently asked questions
Was Raphael's work really stolen? Yes, the historical documentation is clear. The Baglioni family filed a formal complaint, and the city of Città di Castello received a copy in compensation. The original never returned.
Is David with the Head of Goliath really a self-portrait of Caravaggio? It is the most widely accepted hypothesis among art historians. Recent studies of the portrait of Goliath compare it with other presumed self-portraits of Caravaggio and find significant resemblances.
Can the Pauline's mechanism be seen? The mechanism is not visible from outside and cannot be activated. The sculpture is now fixed in place. Some archival photographs show the base with the original mechanism's structures.
Article no. 177 — TIER S — MON-09 Borghese Gallery Type: HISTORICAL Words: ~750