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Study for The Blessed Alessandro Sauli
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
A famous preacher from an aristocratic family in Genoa, Sauli (1534-1591) spearheaded important Catholic reforms, including popular missions and restructuring the church to reach a broader spectrum of worshippers. This sculpture is a model for a large statue commissioned by the Sauli family for a Genoese church. Although the open book speaks to Sauli’s work as a reformer, his twisting body and facial expression indicate utter absorption in a deeply personal vision.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineStudy for The Blessed Alessandro Sauli, 1663–1668. Pierre Puget (French, 1620–1694). Terracotta; overall: 69.7 cm (27 7/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund, 1964.36
