Thomas Baker (1606-1658)

This bust is remarkable not only for its virtuosity but also for its context. Unlike most sculpted portraits of the period, which were commissioned by high-ranking ecclesiastical or noble patrons, this was a private commission from a comparatively modest figure. It also holds a unique place in Bernini’s career: it is the only documented bust he created of a relatively young man, and the only surviving work by Bernini known to have arrived in Britain during the artist’s lifetime.

According to the English antiquarian George Vertue (1684–1756), Baker first travelled to Rome in 1636 to deliver a portrait of King Charles I painted by Anthony van Dyck. Bernini was then commissioned to translate the painting into marble, resulting in a bust of the king, tragically destroyed in the Whitehall Palace fire of 1698. Baker managed to commission a bust of himself from Bernini, reportedly offering a generous sum of 6,000 scudi, significantly more than the 4,000 scudi Bernini had received for the royal portrait.

In a 1638 interview with the English sculptor Nicholas Stone, Bernini explained that he accepted the commission in part to demonstrate to the British what he was capable of when working from life rather than from a painted likeness. He was well aware, however, that accepting a commission from a man of such modest social standing would displease his primary patron, Pope Urban VIII. Indeed, it did: the Pope sent his nephew, Cardinal Francesco Barberini, to order Bernini to abandon the work. According to Stone, Bernini defaced the terracotta model in response. The bust, however, was ultimately completed. Bernini may have later repaired the original model or created a new one, proceeding to carve the marble version, perhaps discreetly and with assistance to avoid further controversy. The drapery is thought to have been executed by Andrea Bolgi (1605–1656), the most skilled sculptor in Bernini’s workshop at the time, and shows more mechanical treatment. In contrast, the delicate rendering of the facial features and the intricate curls are attributed to Bernini himself.

A description of Gian Lorenzo Bernini's working method survives from his visit to France in 1665. He made numerous drawings of his sitters in action so as to get to know their movements and expressions. Working from memory, he then carved the Carrara marble block using chisels and drills. Bernini prided himself on being able to give marble the appearance of flesh. In this bust, the tool marks are particularly visible in the hair and the intricate lace.