Guglielmo della Porta, Bust of Pope Paul III, Capodimonte Museum, Naples

Guglielmo della Porta “Portrait of Pope Paul III”

Guglielmo della Porta, Bust portrait of Pope Paul III, Capodimonte Museum in Naples, Italy

Bust of Pope Paul III Sculpture – Marble (Height 95 cm) 1546–1549

This magnificent portrait in marble and yellow alabaster, created by Guglielmo della Porta, depicts the serious yet benevolent face of Pope Paul III.

The superb chasuble he is wearing is in itself a true masterpiece: it is covered with reliefs depicting biblical scenes, notably the one on the pontiff’s right shoulder where the Eternal Father gives the Tablets of the Law to Moses.

The clasp that the Pope wears on his chest, with its two winged chimeras flanking it, is equally beautiful.

A magnificent bust of Paul III, who is portrayed as an Old Testament patriarch, the guardian of divine law in the tradition of Moses.

Bust of Pope Paul III