Scipione Pulzone

Scipione Pulzone, known as 'Il Gaetano' after his birthplace of Gaeta, was a prominent Italian Mannerist painter active in Rome during the latter half of the 16th century. He was celebrated for his refined portraiture of popes, cardinals, and noble families, as well as his deeply devotional religious compositions that reflected the spiritual climate of the Counter-Reformation. His meticulous technique and psychological depth made him one of the most sought-after painters at the papal court.