Sarah McPhee – Postcard from India, Part One

An art historian unearths new information about the subject of a Baroque sculpture

Sarah McPhee – Postcard from India, Part One

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Sarah McPhee stands under a series of arches

Sarah McPhee in Jaipur, India. Courtesy of Sarah McPhee

By James Cuno

Jul 27, 2016 27:54 min

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Little was known about the subject of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Bust of Costanza Bonarelli until author and art historian Sarah McPhee started digging in the Roman archives.

Through groundbreaking research, McPhee reveals the identity of Costanza, and details her life as a young, dowried woman, Bernini’s muse and lover, and wife and widow of Matteo Bonarelli, sculptor, collector, and Bernini’s studio assistant. McPhee is professor of art and architecture history at Emory University and author of Bernini’s Beloved: A Portrait of Costanza Piccolomini.

Last spring Jim Cuno traveled to India to meet with partners on a number of Getty-funded initiatives. He also spoke at the Jaipur Literature Festival, the world’s largest free literary event that draws over 250,000 attendees to hear author talks and musical performances. This episode is one of three “Postcards from India” Jim made during his trip.

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