An Ardent Patron: Cardinal Camillo Massimo and His Antiquarian and Artistic Circle

This book examines the collecting practice and patronage of Camillo Massimo (1620-1677), papal nuncio to Spain, in the context of the society that produced him, and demonstrates how his importance lies not simply in his own activities as a patron and collector --of artists such as Velazquez and Claude Lorrain--but in his role as an active force promoting particular artists and enterprises in Rome and in his impact on the following century.