Domenico Bazzocchi Conti (Roma, 1800 - ?) - Oil on canvas; cm 135 x 98
The portrait was painted by Domenico Bazzocchi Conti between 1800 and 1810. The subject is Pius VII Chiaramonti, who was born in Cesena in 1740 and became Pope in 1800.
When Napoleon put a stop to the temporal power of the Pope, Pius VII was arrested. He was set free in 1814 and he died in 1823. The Pope, seated in an armchair, is depicted in the act of blessing wearing the typical Papal dress with two emblems, one of Chiaramonti family, the other of Basilica del Monte. On a writing-desk near him there are a book and some letters, on which we can read two inscriptions: ...ALLA SANTITA' PAPA PIO VII...
and ...DOM CONTI BAZZOCCHI PINXIT ROMA...
.