Gianlorenzo Bernini, Girolamo Lucenti, and the Statue of Philip IV in S. Maria Maggiore: Patronage and Politics in Seicento Rome

This paper presents previously unpublished documents that shed new light on the statue of Philip IV in S. Maria Maggiore. These documents establish the process by which the chapter of the basilica commissioned and financed the statue, and oversaw its completion; they also allow a radical redating of the work, with respect to both its conception and execution, and they clarify the roles played by Gianlorenzo Bernini and Girolamo Lucenti in its invention and realization. The article interprets the statue's iconography and carefully formulated propagandistic message, and concludes with a reconstruction of the statue's history from the time of its completion to its final installation. Viewed within the broader framework of European politics, the statue of Philip IV emerges as both a product and a victim of the rivalry between Spain and France and their efforts to assert power in the papal capital.