An Ardent Patron

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 Velázquez 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.