Pope Paul III and His Grandsons (Italian: Paolo III e i nipoti

Alessandro e Ottavio Farnese)[1] is a painting in oil on canvas by

itian! "oused in t"e #useo di $apodi%onte! &aples' It (as
co%%issioned by t"e Farnese )a%ily and painted during itian*s
visit to +o%e bet(een autu%n 1,-, and .une 1,-/' It depicts t"e
t"orny relations"ip bet(een Pope Paul III! born Alessandro
Farnese! and t(o o) "is grandsons! Ottavio and Alessandro' Ottavio
0neels to "is le)t1 Alessandro! (earing a cardinal*s dress! stands
be"ind "i% to "is rig"t' "e painting e2plores t"e e))ects o) ageing
and t"e %anoeuvring be"ind succession1 Paul (as at t"e ti%e in "is
late seventies and operating (it"in an uncertain political cli%ate as
$"arles 3! Holy +o%an 4%peror! ca%e into ascendancy'
Paul (as not a religious %an1 "e vie(ed t"e papacy as a %eans to
consolidate "is )a%ily*s position' He appointed Alessandro as
cardinal against accusations o) nepotis%! )at"ered a nu%ber o)
illegiti%ate c"ildren and spent large su%s o) c"urc" %oney
collecting art and anti5uities' Around 1,-, $"arles too0 political and
%ilitary advantage! (ea0ening Paul*s "old on t"e papacy' A(are o)
t"e c"anging tides o) in)luence! itian abandoned t"e co%%ission
be)ore co%pletion![6] and )or t"e ne2t 177 years t"e painting
languis"ed un)ra%ed in a Farnese cellar'
Pope Paul III and His Grandsons ran0s as one o) itian*s )inest and
%ost penetrating (or0s' Alt"oug" un)inis"ed and less tec"nically
acco%plis"ed t"an "is Portrait o) Pope Paul III o) a )e( years
earlier! it is reno(ned )or its ric" colouring1 t"e deep reds o) t"e
tableclot" and t"e al%ost spectral ("ites o) Paul*s go(n' "e panel
contains subtle indications o) t"e contradictions in t"e c"aracter o)
t"e Pope! and captures t"e co%ple2 psyc"ological dyna%ic
bet(een t"e t"ree %en'[8]
Alessandro Farnese! as Paul III! (as t"e last o) t"e popes
appointed by t"e ruling #edici )a%ily o) Florence'[,] He (as socially
a%bitious! a careerist and not particularly pious' He 0ept a
concubine![/] )at"ered )our c"ildren out o) (edloc0 and vie(ed t"e
t"rone as an opportunity to )ill "is co))ers ("ile "e placed "is
relatives in "ig" positions' A talented and cunning political operator!
Paul (as precisely t"e sort o) %an t"e Florentines needed to assist
t"e% in t"eir de)ence against Frenc" and 9panis" t"reats'[:]
He beca%e pope in 1,8- ("en "e (as ,1 years old! and
i%%ediately appointed %e%bers o) "is )a%ily to 0ey positions' He
anointed "is eldest grandson Alessandro! t"e eldest c"ild o) "is
illegiti%ate son Pier ;uigi! cardinal at t"e age o) 1-! %ar0ing a brea0
(it" t"e Farnese tradition o) %arrying o)) t"e )irst<born to carry on
t"e )a%ily na%e' "is %ove (as considered necessary because t"e
ne2t oldest grandson! Ottavio! (as t"en =ust 17 years old1 suc" a
young cardinal (ould "ave been politically unacceptable' Paul*s
advanced years %eant t"at t"e )a%ily could ill a))ord to (ait until t"e
younger brot"er (as o) age' "us Alessandro beca%e a cardinal
deacon1 t"is appoint%ent did not necessitate ta0ing %a=or orders!
but it co%pelled "i% to celibacy and to )orgo t"e rig"ts o)
pri%ogeniture! ("ic" instead (ent to Ottavio'[,] Alessandro (as to
bitterly regret t"e obligations' Paul appointed Ottavio as >u0e o)
$a%erino in 1,8?! and in t"e sa%e year %arried "i% to $"arles 3*s
daug"ter! #argaret! later #argaret o) Par%a'[?] @ot" o) Paul*s
grandsons* advance%ents (ere (idely criticised as evidence o)
nepotis%'[-]
Portrait o) $ardinal Alessandro Farnese! itian! 1,-,A-/' #useo di
$apodi%onte! &aples'
Ottavio*s %arriage troubled Alessandro1 "e struggled (it" t"e
burden o) c"astity and entertained )antasies o) %arrying a princess'
He resented "is younger brot"er*s arrange%ent1 during t"e (edding
cere%ony "e Bbeca%e %ore deat"ly pale t"an deat" itsel)! and! so
t"ey say! is unable to bear t"is t"ing! t"at "e! t"e )irst<born! s"ould
see "i%sel) deprived o) suc" splendid status and o) t"e daug"ter o)
an 4%peror'B[,] In 1,-/ Paul gave Pier ;uigi t"e duc"ies o) Par%a
and PiacenCa as papal )ie)s! a "ig"ly political %ove by t"e pope: in
doing so "e gave titles and (ealt" to Pier and appointed a lord ("o
(as subservient and o(ed a debt o) gratitude! guaranteeing t"at
t"e duc"ies (ould re%ain under papal control' At t"e sa%e ti%e!
Ottavio (as posted to t"e &ort" o) Italy to support $"arles'[-] @y
1,-/ Ottavio (as 66 years old![D] %arried to #argaret o) Austria
and an acco%plis"ed and distinguis"ed individual' In 1,-: "is
)at"er (as assassinated and Ottavio clai%ed t"e du0edo% o)
Par%a and PiacenCa against t"e e2press (is"es o) bot" $"arles!
"is )at"er<in<la(! and Paul' In doing so! Ottavio acted in opposition
to t"e pope*s desire to %aintain t"e duc"ies as papal )ie)s! and to
$"arles! ("o% "e believed responsible )or t"e plot to assassinate
Pier ;uigi'[-]
itian (as a personal )riend o) $"arles1[17] t"e co%%issioning o)
t"e portrait (as %ost li0ely intended by Paul as a signal o)
allegiance to t"e e%peror' Pressure )ro% re)or%ing %onarc"s in
France and 9pain! coupled (it" a general s"i)t o) in)luence in
France*s )avour! ended t"e Farnese "old on t"e papacy soon a)ter
Paul*s deat"'[8] Ottavio e2celled as a %ilitary co%%ander and (as
a(arded t"e Golden Fleece by t"e e%peror' E"ile t"e post "ad
been given as a %eans to strengt"en t"e )a%ily position! it did not
co%e (it"out cost' His success bred resent%ent a%ongst "is
)a%ily! as "e began to see "i%sel) unaccountable to +o%e'[-]
At t"e ti%e o) t"e portrait Paul "ad convinced Alessandro to retain
t"e post! "inting t"at "e (ould later succeed "i% as pope A an
aspiration t"at (as ulti%ately )rustrated' As Alessandro realised t"e
e%ptiness o) t"e pro%ise "e lost con)idence in bot" "is
grand)at"er*s (ord and political credibility'[11]