The collection of Fabio Fani: Carracci, Luti, Garzi, sharks’ teeth and the ‘nail of the Great Beast’

Abstract

Abstract This article examines the collection of the neglected nobleman Fabio Fani, based on the evidence of his inventory drawn up in 1730. Housed in his Roman palace facing Piazza Borghese, Fabio’s collection consisted of more than 400 paintings, including works by notable artists. Prominent among them were two unusually monumental cycles by Benedetto Luti and Luigi Garzi, which now can be reconstructed and partly identified with paintings in public and private collections. In Fani’s palace there was also a cabinet of curiosities featuring naturalia, artificialia and objects from distant lands, as well as two rooms in which books on a variety of subjects were kept. A study of the display of art in Fabio’s residence and its dialogue with the space of the palace, the objects in the cabinet and the books furthers our understanding of collecting and display in early modern Rome.