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Which powerful Roman families supported Gian Lorenzo Bernini early in his career?
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Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Apollo and Daphne, marble sculpture by Lorenzo Bernini, 1622–25; in the Borghese Gallery, Rome.
Early in his career, Gian Lorenzo Bernini received significant support and commissions from two powerful Roman families: the Borghese family and the Barberini family.1
- The Borghese Family: Bernini’s early talent attracted the attention of Scipione Cardinal Borghese, a member of the reigning papal family. Under his patronage, Bernini created several of his most important early life-size sculptural groups, including Apollo and Daphne and his David.2
- The Barberini Family: Maffeo Cardinal Barberini, who later became Pope Urban VIII, was another vital early patron. He commissioned the St. Sebastian from Bernini around 1617 and later became the artist's greatest patron, fostering a period of immense productivity and artistic development for him.23