Bust of Pope Pius VI (Giovanni Angelo Braschi, 1717–1799)
Christian Friedrich Hecker German
Not on view
Although he grew pudgy with age, Pius VI (r. 1775–99) was invariably praised as a fine figure of a man and was more frequently captured in hardstone than any pontiff before or since. His important collection of ancient glyptics was looted and dispersed during the French occupation of Rome.