Pope Alexander VII thumbnail 1
Pope Alexander VII thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Sculpture, Room 111, The Gilbert Bayes Gallery

Pope Alexander VII

Statuette
1660 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

In accordance with contemporary practice in 17th-century Florence, when planning a new work, a sculptor usually made preliminary drawings and then a model. The models sometimes formed part of the sculptor’s contract with the patron. They could be rough or detailed, large or small, and were made in clay, terracotta, wood and wax.

This seems to be Dosio’s first sketch model for the copper statue of Pope Alexander VII that he made for the Palazzo Pubblico at Bologna in 1660. Although the finished statue is slightly different – probably in response to the advice of Cardinal Girolamo Farnese, who commissioned the monument – its base follows that of the model.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Statuette Sketch Model Pope Alexander Vii
  • Plinth for Statuette Sketch Model Pope Alexander Vii
TitlePope Alexander VII (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Wax, partly draped in stiffened linen
Brief description
Sketch model of Pope Alexander VII, wax and stiffened linen model by Dorastante Dosio, Italian (Florentine), 1660
Physical description
Wax model, partly drapped in stiffened linen. The Pope is seated with his right hand raised in benediction. On the front of the gilded and pigmented wooden base is the inscription: ALEX. VII / PONT. MAX. / BENEFACTORI / HIERONYMVS CARD. FARNES / LEGATUS / ANNO M.D.C.L.X.

The left side is inscribed with the words: PROTOTYPVM / SIMVLACRI / SITVATI IN / AVLA / HELVETICORVm / A / DORASTANTE / OSIO FLORENTINO CONSTRVCTUm.

On the right side are the words: CVRATORE / ILLmo. DOMmo. / SENATre. / MARCH ne. / BAYVLIVO / FERDINANDO / DE COSPIIS / EX MANDATis / EMmi. LEGATI.
Dimensions
  • With base height: 52.1cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'ALEX. VII / PONT. MAX. / BENEFACTORI / HIERONYMUS CARD. FARNES / LEGATUS / ANNO M.D.C.L.X.' (Inscription; decoration; On the front of the base; inscribed; 1660)
  • 'PROTOTYPVM / SIMVLACRI / SITVATI IN / AVLA / HELVETICORVm / A / DORASTANTE / OSIO FLORENTINO CONSTRVCTUm.' (Inscription; decoration; On the left side of the base.; inscribed; 1660)
  • 'CVRATORE / ILLmo. DOMmo. / SENATre. / MARCH ne. / BAYVLIVO / FERDINANDO / DE COSPIIS / EX MANDATis / EMmi. LEGATI.' (Inscription; decoration; On the right side of the base.; inscribed)
Object history
Sketch for a copper statue in the Palazzo Pubblico, Bologna. Formerly in the collection of George Richmond, R.A.
Subject depicted
Summary
In accordance with contemporary practice in 17th-century Florence, when planning a new work, a sculptor usually made preliminary drawings and then a model. The models sometimes formed part of the sculptor’s contract with the patron. They could be rough or detailed, large or small, and were made in clay, terracotta, wood and wax.

This seems to be Dosio’s first sketch model for the copper statue of Pope Alexander VII that he made for the Palazzo Pubblico at Bologna in 1660. Although the finished statue is slightly different – probably in response to the advice of Cardinal Girolamo Farnese, who commissioned the monument – its base follows that of the model.
Bibliographic references
  • Pratesi, Giovanni (ed.). Repertorio della scultura fiorentina del seicento e settecento. Torino : Umberto Allemandi, c1993, vol. II, pl.129.
  • Pope-Hennessy, John. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: HMSO, 1964. cat. no. 621. fig. no. 613.
  • Maclagan, Eric and Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture. London, 1932. p. 154.
  • Trusted, Majorie. ed. The Making of Sculpture: the Materials and Techniques of European Sculpture. London: V&A Publications, 2007. p. 15. pl. 8.
Collection
Accession number
A.60:1, 2-1921

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Record createdJanuary 8, 2004
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