Pierre Bergian

All roads lead to Rome. In Pierre Bergian's vision the city is reached, not only through the buildings of the capital of the ancient world, but through art, memory, atmosphere, and the presence of other artists. Bergian is by no means the first artist from Northern Europe to act as a guide to the eternal city, but he offers a rare perspective. In his paintings one is constantly aware of the footsteps, eyes and ears of some of the greatest artists of the last few centuries.

We see inside the studio of Cy Twombly, who made Rome his home for many years. The gilded ceiling in Palazzo Corsini glimmers above deep blue walls, while the ancient Trono Corsini stands as a silent witness. In the grand piano nobile of the Palazzo Ruspoli a piano competes with its own shadow, and the empty stool seems alive with Liszt's spirit as light pours through the window.

The Galleria Borghese is lined with the statues of long-gone rulers of Rome, and in Bergian's painting, empty of visitors, the viewer hears the tread of the likes of the painter Francis Bacon, whose favourite haunt it was. Returning to Doria Pamphili, Bergian pays homage to the photographer, Massimo Listri, in this magnificent papal powerhouse.

About the Artist

Pierre Bergian (born 1965, Bruges, Belgium) studied Art History and Archaeology, which, together with his fascination for architecture, inform his work. Making use of architectural components in his paintings and drawings (included in the collection of the British Museum) of interiors, he explores space, light and structure. In his recent works the walls are the focus, filled with pictures, sculpture and ornamental details, while the rooms themselves are sparsely furnished. His goal of creating atmosphere instead of a mirror image of reality makes him a visual poet of the interior.

Bergian's series of paintings (commissioned by the Givenchy family) of the late Hubert de Givenchy's residence, Hotel d'Orrouer, were exhibited at Christie's Paris in 2022 for the auction of the legendary fashion designer's collection.