Opening in December at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, a newly authenticated 17th-century canvas titled “Portrait of an Elderly Man” has been officially attributed to Gian Lorenzo Bernini after extensive technical analysis and comparative studies led by painting curator Gudrun Swoboda.
The Bottom Line
- The Discovery: Long cataloged as the work of an unknown 17th-century hand, the portrait will make its public debut in Vienna this December.
- The Attribution: Museum curator Gudrun Swoboda tied the work to Bernini by analyzing the bone structure, muscular rendering, and Roman attire characteristic of the 1670s.
- The Studio Collaborative Effort: Technical examinations revealed that while the face and collar bear Bernini’s confident strokes, the black robe and right shoulder display a weaker execution, pointing to studio assistant involvement.
Unraveling a Century of Misattributions
For 37 years, this canvas sat in museum storage. When it first entered the Kunsthistorisches Museum in 1920 through the bequest of Austrian art collector Richard Lieben, it carried an entirely different label. It was initially attributed to French painter Philippe de Champaigne. Over the decades, the painting’s attribution shifted between an anonymous Italian hand, Frenchman Jean Jouvenet, and Flemish masters Jacob Ferdinand Voet and Erasmus Quellinus. Even Giovanni Battista Gaulli, known as Baciccio, who collaborated with Bernini, was tossed into the ring.
That lack of consensus ultimately led curators to pull the piece from public view 37 years ago.
Decoding the Master’s Hand Through Technical Analysis
To finally crack the case, Gudrun Swoboda took a granular approach. She zeroed in on the clothing, noting that the man’s attire, collar, and hairstyle match Roman fashions from around 1670. More importantly, she studied how the paint was applied. The short, dense brushstrokes and the meticulous attention paid to the cranial structure and facial musculature resemble Bernini’s known works.
To solidify the argument, Swoboda cross-referenced the brushwork and facial geometry with authenticated pieces, noting a similarity in the treatment of the mouth and the corners of the lips when compared to Bernini’s bust of Louis XIV. Advanced technical scans laid bare a distinct stylistic split across the canvas. The face and collar display the confident strokes of Bernini. Meanwhile, the black robe and the right shoulder lack that same vitality, confirming the belief in the participation of one of Bernini’s assistants in the execution of the work.
The Rare Legacy of Bernini’s Paintbrush
Bernini is a Baroque sculptor and artist, known primarily for his sculptures and architectural designs in Rome, and for the rarity of his works in painting. While his production may reach up to 200 paintings—mostly portraits and studies—specialists accept 16 works remaining from his own hand. Most of these works date to between the 1620s and 1640s. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bernini executed a series of self-portraits against dark backgrounds during the 1620s and 1630s, but his failure to sign his paintings made the attribution of works to him more complex.
| Era / Year | Attribution |
|---|---|
| 1920 | Attributed to Philippe de Champaigne (Upon entry via Richard Lieben bequest) |
| 20th Century | Reassigned variously to anonymous Italian, Jean Jouvenet, Jacob Ferdinand Voet, and Erasmus Quellinus |
| 37 Years Ago | Moved to museum storage amid ongoing uncertainty |
| December | To be exhibited as a work by Gian Lorenzo Bernini |
