About the Artwork
In 1657, Pope Alexander VII recorded in his diary that he had spoken with the architect and sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who had agreed to design a new altar to hold the relic of the Chair of Saint Peter. This wooden chair was believed to be the throne of Saint Peter, the first Bishop of Rome. Bernini initially estimated the project would take at least two years, but he spent almost a decade — from 1657 to 1666 — designing and completing the monumental altar in St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome. An unidentified artist working in Bernini’s studio created this detailed drawing for presentation and design approval between March 1657 and April 1658. Soon thereafter, Bernini and his workshop made a three-dimensional terracotta model, now in the Detroit Institute of Arts’ collection.
Study for St. Peter's 'Cattedra'
1658
Workshop of Gian Lorenzo Bernini
1598-1680
Italian
Unknown
Pen and brown ink and wash, heightened with white, over black chalk
Overall: 20 × 13 1/4 inches (50.8 × 33.7 cm)
Drawings
Prints, Drawings & Photographs
Museum Purchase, Ralph H. Booth Bequest Fund
2018.21
Public Domain
Markings
Please note: This section is empty
Provenance
(Sotheby's, New York, New York, USA)
2018-present, purchase by the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)
For more information on provenance and its important function in the museum, please visit:
Provenance pageExhibition History
Please note: This section is empty
The exhibition history of a number of objects in our collection only begins after their acquisition by the museum, and may reflect an incomplete record.
We welcome your feedback for correction and/or improvement.
Suggest FeedbackPublished References
Please note: This section is empty
We regularly update our object record as new research and findings emerge, and we welcome your feedback for correction and/or improvement.
Suggest FeedbackCatalogue Raisoneé
Please note: This section is empty
Credit Line for Reproduction
Workshop of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Study for St. Peter's 'Cattedra', 1658, pen and brown ink and wash, heightened with white, over black chalk. Detroit Institute of Arts, Museum Purchase, Ralph H. Booth Bequest Fund, 2018.21.
Feedback
We regularly update our object record as new research and findings emerge, and we welcome your feedback for correction or improvement.
Suggest Feedback![Study for St. Peter's 'Cattedra'](https://dia.widen.net/content/gt8dpyvf6k/webp/2018.21-d1-2020-08-12.webp?quality=100)
![Study for St. Peter's 'Cattedra'](https://dia.widen.net/content/gt8dpyvf6k/webp/2018.21-d1-2020-08-12.webp?w=500&quality=75)