FINELLI, Giuliano

The sepulchral bust of Cardinal Giulio Antonio Santorio transformed the traditional praying figure into an image of CounterReformation zeal. Finelli here conveys the illusion of the whole figure at prayer. The idea evidently touched a chord with the contemporary public, alluding to the beneficent power of the mass and hopes of eternal life. Even Bernini must have been impressed by his rival’s creativity here, for he adapted the same motif in subsequent funerary monuments, such as those in the Raimondi and Cornaro Chapels, and it thereby passed into the convention of Baroque memorial portraiture.

The remarkable technique of Finelli gave him a distinctive approach to portraiture. In the bust of Maria Barberini Duglioli, Urban VIII’s niece, he made the lace collar a ‘tour de force’, indeed, this bust was originally kept in a wire cage to protect the perforations of the lady’s collar, the flower in her curly hair, her ropes of pearls and her clasp with the Barberini family’s armorial bee. Portrait busts of women have always been comparatively rare, and Finelli’s work in this case conformed to the accepted formula by focusing on the accessories, leaving the expression vague and the eyes blank. Apparently, Bernini subcontracted this bust to his assistant in 1626, promising to recommend Finelli to the Pope for future employment. None was forthcoming, but the bust raised the standard for female portraits, becoming a touchstone for subsequent works.

The best of Finelli’s portraits, such as that of Michelangelo Buonarroti the Younger, a descendant of Michelangelo, revels in an almost miraculous evocation of hair, hands and fabric. The sitter is portrayed here with that lively, arrogant style that characterizes the best Florentine statuary of the seventeenth century.

Michelangelo Buonarroti the Younger was the great-nephew of Michelangelo who conceived the idea in 1612 of creating a residence to celebrate his illustrious ancestor. The noble house with its exhibits at 70, Via Ghibellina, Florence, was achieved over a 30-year span.

The best of Finelli’s portraits, such as that of Michelangelo Buonarroti the Younger, a descendant of Michelangelo, revels in an almost miraculous evocation of hair, hands and fabric.

Compared with the famous portrait by Bernini it can be stated that the lower inclination of the head and bland expression offer a much less engaging image of this most notorious of churchmen (otherwise the first patron of Bernini).

Compared with the famous portrait by Bernini it can be stated that the lower inclination of the head and bland expression offer a much less engaging image of this most notorious of churchmen (otherwise the first patron of Be

Finelli entered Bernini’s workshop while Pietro Bernini was still alive. He broke with Bernini when he felt he was being passed over in favour of Bolgi who was given a major assignment for the statue of St Helene for St Peter’s. Finelli reacted by branching out on his own. He eventually left Rome for Naples in 1634 and enjoyed many productive years there, creating a notable series of saints for the cathedral church of San Gennaro.

His St Peter gives some idea of what a statue for the crossing of St Peter’s might have looked like: there is something of Bernini’s manner here, though the work is more subdued in characterization. What is most striking about the St Peter is its concentration on technical proficiency, something which ultimately distracts the spectator from the nominal subject. This preference for the particular rather than the whole prevented Finelli from being a great statuary artist, although it enabled him to evolve a striking flair for portraiture.

Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 21 minutes):

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Missa Brevis (Tu es Petrus)