Bernini, Gian Lorenzo (1598-1680)
Ritratto di fanciullo (Portrait of a Boy)
c.1623–1625
Oil on canvas, 33 x 28 cm
Galleria Borghese, Roma
This painting came from the collection of Prince Chigi. It was purchased by the Italian state in 1919 to be included in the Borghese Collection. We are still unable to identify the boy portrayed here: some critics believe him to be a younger brother of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, two of whose self-portraits are held by the Galleria, one showing the artist as a young man and the other at a mature age. Rendered with rapid, dense brushstrokes, the boy’s face is characterised by an extraordinary candour, with an intense expression which immediately engages the viewer’s attention. (GB)