Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
In the 17th-century, Rome was the center of Catholic Europe — a seat of vast economic, political, and religious power. It was home not only to popes, cardinals, and wealthy patrons but also to collections of ancient and modern art and a burgeoning contemporary art world. Artists flocked to the Eternal City from across Italy and beyond to study and find a market for their work. Some settled there; others returned home, bringing with them new modes of painting marked by the drama, immediacy, and unembarrassed splendor of Baroque Rome. Explore their stories through our European paintings collection.
About the curator
Emily A. Beeny is chief curator of the Legion of Honor and Barbara A. Wolfe Curator in Charge of European Paintings at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Since joining the Museums in 2021, she has spearheaded a series of major paintings acquisitions and overseen the reinstallation of the Legion’s Baroque galleries. A specialist in French paintings and drawings of the 17th–19th century, she received her PhD from Columbia University and has held curatorial appointments at the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Norton Simon Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
About the “A Closer Look” series
youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5eMm5mgGrVAeif8BjSuRu_ew_ZZk3pjH&si=uoMkVMUZoTA0ziHl
This program is part of our “A Closer Look” series, a curatorial lecture series exploring the development of our collections and their art historical significance. The series features in-depth presentations that highlight collection gems while demystifying creative practices that span thousands of years.
In the 17th-century, Rome was the center of Catholic Europe — a seat of vast economic, political, and religious power. It was home not only to popes, cardinals, and wealthy patrons but also to collections of ancient and modern art and a burgeoning contemporary art world. Artists flocked to the Eternal City from across Italy and beyond to study and find a market for their work. Some settled there; others returned home, bringing with them new modes of painting marked by the drama, immediacy, and unembarrassed splendor of Baroque Rome. Explore their stories through our European paintings collection.
About the curator
Emily A. Beeny is chief curator of the Legion of Honor and Barbara A. Wolfe Curator in Charge of European Paintings at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Since joining the Museums in 2021, she has spearheaded a series of major paintings acquisitions and overseen the reinstallation of the Legion’s Baroque galleries. A specialist in French paintings and drawings of the 17th–19th century, she received her PhD from Columbia University and has held curatorial appointments at the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Norton Simon Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
About the “A Closer Look” series
youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5eMm5mgGrVAeif8BjSuRu_ew_ZZk3pjH&si=uoMkVMUZoTA0ziHl
This program is part of our “A Closer Look” series, a curatorial lecture series exploring the development of our collections and their art historical significance. The series features in-depth presentations that highlight collection gems while demystifying creative practices that span thousands of years.
