Un punto di vista unico sulla Galleria Borghese: il giovane Wittkower a Roma (1923-1927)

This essay examines the early years in Rome of Rudolf Wittkower (1901-1971), when he began dedicating himself to the study of Baroque sculpture. At that time, the Galleria Borghese had recently become the leading museum for the study of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, thanks to the addition of new works by the artist – not only from the Borghese collection – and the updating of its displays. Between 1923 and 1927, the young Berlin-born scholar began addressing issues that would remain central to his later work, such as the periodisation of Baroque art and the painterly interpretation of Bernini's sculptures. This was due to his careful reading of contributions by Italian and German connoisseurs, as well as his keen interest in the reception of Wölfflin's formal approach. The years in question can be retraced through Wittkower's varied editorial output, which ranged from scientific essays to newspaper articles and other contributions intended for a non-specialist audience.