Art collections

The Borghese Gallery masterpieces you cannot miss

Basket of Fruit Caravaggio painting

Basket of Fruit by Caravaggio: Analysis and Meaning

Caravaggio’s Basket of Fruit shows a wicker basket filled with fruit and leaves, set against a pale background. The basket projects slightly over the ledge beneath it, while blemished fruit and curling leaves interrupt the impression of abundance. These details give the still life its tension between ripeness and decay.

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Apollo of Veii Statue

Apollo of Veii (Apulu): History, Meaning and Analysis

The Apollo of Veii, also known as Apulu, is an Etruscan statue made of painted terracotta around 510–500 BCE. It depicts Apollo advancing toward Heracles in a dispute over a sacred deer. Originally placed on the roof of the Temple of Minerva at Veii, the statue formed part of a larger mythological scene.

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La Fornarina Raphael painting

La Fornarina by Raphael: Meaning and Painting Analysis

La Fornarina by Raphael is a Renaissance portrait painted around 1520 and housed at Palazzo Barberini in Rome. Its title is commonly translated as “the baker’s daughter.” The woman is traditionally identified as Margherita Luti, Raphael’s reputed lover.

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David by Bernini guide

Bernini’s David: Sculpture, Story and Meaning

Bernini’s David is a life-size marble sculpture carved in 1623–1624 and displayed at the Borghese Gallery in Rome. It captures the biblical hero twisting his body to launch a stone at Goliath.

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The rape of Prosperina

The Rape of Proserpina by Bernini: Sculpture, Story and Meaning

The Rape of Proserpina by Bernini, also known as The Abduction of Proserpina, is a marble sculpture created in 1621–1622 and displayed at the Borghese Gallery in Rome. It depicts Pluto abducting Proserpina as she struggles to escape.

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Close-up of Bernini's Apollo and Daphne marble sculpture at the Borghese Gallery in Rome

Apollo and Daphne by Bernini: Sculpture, Story and Meaning

Apollo and Daphne by Bernini is a life-size marble sculpture carved between 1622 and 1625 and displayed in Room 3 of the Borghese Gallery in Rome. It captures the moment Daphne transforms into a laurel tree to escape Apollo, with bark spreading across her body and leaves growing from her fingers.

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history of the borghese gallery

The History of the Borghese Gallery

The Borghese Gallery is one of the best art galleries in the world. It’s packed full with masterpieces from different periods of time, and it’s a gallery with a history of its own. Here’s everything you need to know about the history of the Borghese Gallery, including some interesting facts. The History of the Borghese [...]

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Borghese Gallery Artworks guide

Borghese Gallery Artworks: Caravaggio, Bernini’s Artworks & More

The Borghese Gallery certainly packs a punch! There is so much to see under one roof. To help get your bearings, here are some Borghese Gallery artworks you definitely must lay eyes on during your visit. That means, if you have to skip the rest, you have at least covered the top gems that this [...]

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borghese museum Header Gallery

Borghese Museum Guide – which Museums are worth visiting?

Villa Borghese, the vast parkland and gardens on Pincian Hill in central Rome, is home to a number of museums. The best known and most important Villa Borghese Museum is certainly the Galleria Borghese. But there are others, like the National Gallery of Modern Art and the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia, which are [...]

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bernini sculptures

Bernini Sculptures and Caravaggio Masterpieces: Discover the Borghese Gallery

The Borghese Gallery is one of the top attractions in Rome for any art lover. It’s home to several masterpieces by world-famous Renaissance, Roman and Baroque artists. From Bernini sculptures to Caravaggio paintings, you can admire some of the greatest masterpieces in the world. Here’s everything you need to know about the masterpieces exhibited in [...]

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