Sixtus V
Bust
ca. 1600 (made)
ca. 1600 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Pope Sixtus V (Felice Peretti) was born in 1521 and was pope from 1585 to 1590. This bust, together with its pair depicting Pope Pius IV (born 1499; Pope 1559-65; see A.40-1910), must have been created after the accession of Sixtus in 1585, and are probably both posthumous portraits made in the Vatican Foundry. The head of the Virgin seen on the morse (the clasp used to fasten the cope, the ceremonial cape worn by a priest or bishop) appears on numerous medals where it sometimes appears as the reverse for the head of Christ, seen on the morse of the Pius bust.
Sixtus followed Gregory XIII as Pope, who had left the papal state in disorder. When appointed, Sixtus restored order within two years, using ruthless and repressive measures. He also engaged in wide economic and financial reforms, restoring the papal treasury. His legacy lies in the restoration of the church's central administration. He was called the 'iron' pope and was a patron of building and scholarship in the spirit of the Catholic renewal. Through his reconstructions, Rome became a magnificent baroque city with a new layout connecting the seven pilgrimage churches, opening up boulevards and building aqueducts, the 'Acqua Felice'. He also finished the construction of St. Peter's dome and established the Vatican press.
Sixtus followed Gregory XIII as Pope, who had left the papal state in disorder. When appointed, Sixtus restored order within two years, using ruthless and repressive measures. He also engaged in wide economic and financial reforms, restoring the papal treasury. His legacy lies in the restoration of the church's central administration. He was called the 'iron' pope and was a patron of building and scholarship in the spirit of the Catholic renewal. Through his reconstructions, Rome became a magnificent baroque city with a new layout connecting the seven pilgrimage churches, opening up boulevards and building aqueducts, the 'Acqua Felice'. He also finished the construction of St. Peter's dome and established the Vatican press.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Sixtus V (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Bronze |
| Brief description | Bust, bronze, Pope Sixtus V, Italy (probably Rome), ca. 1600 |
| Physical description | The bust of Sixtus V shows him wearing a cope with representations of St Bartholomew, St James the Greater, St Philip and St Matthias. On the morse is a bust of the Virgin. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Bequeathed by Mr H. C. Wilkinson |
| Object history | This bust, together with that of Pope Pius IV (A.40-1910), are probably from the same workshop production of the early 17th century, having been made most likely a short while after the accession of Sixtus to the papacy in 1585. The morse on the cope bears the head of the Virgin, while that on the bust of Pius shows the head of Christ. George Hill(op.cit.) observed that the presence of the two heads replicates those on a medal attributed to Leone Leoni found at Castel di Sangro in Abruzzo, South Italy. This could suggest that the two busts were cast as a pair and did not form part of a larger series of papal portraits. Although Maclagan and Longhurst (1932, op.cit.) attributed both busts to Bastiano Torrigiani, they differ in style from the busts of Sixtus V by that artist (see A.40-1950). However, both busts are idealised, and are probably produced as posthumous images in the early 17th century (see Pope-Hennessy 1964, op.cit.) at the Vatican Foundry. Bequeathed by H.C. Wilkinson, Esq. |
| Historical context | Sixtus was born in 1521 and Pope from 1585-1590. This bust together with A.40-1910 are probably from the same workshop. The head of the Virgin which is shown on the morse appears on numerous medals, sometimes as a reverse to the head of Christ. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Pope Sixtus V (Felice Peretti) was born in 1521 and was pope from 1585 to 1590. This bust, together with its pair depicting Pope Pius IV (born 1499; Pope 1559-65; see A.40-1910), must have been created after the accession of Sixtus in 1585, and are probably both posthumous portraits made in the Vatican Foundry. The head of the Virgin seen on the morse (the clasp used to fasten the cope, the ceremonial cape worn by a priest or bishop) appears on numerous medals where it sometimes appears as the reverse for the head of Christ, seen on the morse of the Pius bust. Sixtus followed Gregory XIII as Pope, who had left the papal state in disorder. When appointed, Sixtus restored order within two years, using ruthless and repressive measures. He also engaged in wide economic and financial reforms, restoring the papal treasury. His legacy lies in the restoration of the church's central administration. He was called the 'iron' pope and was a patron of building and scholarship in the spirit of the Catholic renewal. Through his reconstructions, Rome became a magnificent baroque city with a new layout connecting the seven pilgrimage churches, opening up boulevards and building aqueducts, the 'Acqua Felice'. He also finished the construction of St. Peter's dome and established the Vatican press. |
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| Other number | |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.41-1910 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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