Frescoes in the Borgia Appartments of the Palazzi Pontifici in Vatican
by PINTURICCHIO

Pope Alexander VI (Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia was elected pope in 1492) entrusted the decoration of the rooms in his apartment (now known as the Borgia rooms) to Pinturicchio. The paintings, which were executed between 1492 and 1494, drew on a complex iconographical program that used themes from medieval encyclopedias, adding an eschatological layer of meaning and celebrating the supposedly divine origins of the Borgias. The rooms are: Room of the Sibyls, Room of the Creed, Room of the Liberal Arts, Room of the Saints, Room of the Faith.

These frescoes are problematic in degree of workshop participation. For the vast enterprise, presumably done rapidly, the painter had a number of collaborators, although the overall style, the taste, and the program must have been Pinturicchio's responsibility. The busily elaborated ceilings with motifs all'antica and numerous classical references, coupled with constant allusions to the Borgia, are definitely from Pinturicchio's hand.

Preview Picture Data File Info Comment
Ceiling decoration
1492-94
Fresco
Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican

939*901
True Color
172 Kb



The Resurrection
-
Fresco
Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican

501*534
True Color
69 Kb



The Resurrection (centre view)
-
Fresco
Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican

852*602
True Color
142 Kb



The Resurrection (lower center view)
-
Fresco
Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican

846*602
True Color
133 Kb



The Arithmetic
1492-94
Fresco
Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican

741*813
True Color
186 Kb



The Arithmetic (lower centre view)
-
Fresco
Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican

849*602
True Color
140 Kb



The Arithmetic (lower left view)
-
Fresco
Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican

851*602
True Color
124 Kb



The Arithmetic (lower right view)
-
Fresco
Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican

856*609
True Color
133 Kb



Music
1492-94
Fresco
Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican

1087*900
True Color
234 Kb



Vault decoration
1493-95
Fresco
Appartamento Borgia, Palazzi Vaticani, Rome

708*853
True Color
195 Kb



Vault decoration
1493-95
Fresco
Appartamento Borgia, Palazzi Vaticani, Rome

1200*718
True Color
229 Kb



Susanna and the Elders
1493-95
Fresco
Appartamento Borgia, Palazzi Vaticani, Rome

800*912
True Color
187 Kb



St Catherine's Disputation
1492-94
Fresco with gold leaf
Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican

1243*800
True Color
248 Kb



St Catherine's Disputation (detail)
1492-94
Fresco
Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican

706*937
True Color
175 Kb



St Catherine's Disputation (detail)
1492-94
Fresco
Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican

863*805
True Color
183 Kb




Summary of paintings by PINTURICCHIO
Baglioni Chapel in Spello
Piccolomini Library in Siena
Borgia Appartments in the Vatican
Various frescoes and panels