Clement VIII's Patronage of the Brothers Alberti

Abstract

During the papacy of Clement VIII Aldobrandini (1592–1605), the Roman art world witnessed the major early innovations of Baroque painting in the works of Annibale Carracci and Caravaggio. Clement himself, however, never commissioned anything from these men, neither did he show any great interest in artistic matters in the first years of his papacy. Clement's lack of art patronage is particularly conspicuous when his accomplishments are compared with those of his predecessors Gregory XIII (1572–1585) and especially Sixtus V (1585–1590).1 Indeed, few popes in the history of the Church can compare with these two for their zealous interest in building and decorative enterprises. Sixtus had sponsored such campaigns while he was still a cardinal and had initiated many other projects as soon as he became pope. Clement was both less ambitious and less interested in the arts. When he did begin to support building and decorative programs, they were either to complete works already begun by Sixtus or to inaugurate schemes for the celebration of the Holy Year of 1600.2 Among the Sistine architectural projects that Clement completed were the Borghetto bridge, the dome of St. Peter's, and the Vatican Palace;3 only in 1595–96, four years after his elevation to the Chair of Saint Peter, did he turn to any decorative enterprises.