Roma 1786: la carica di Assessore alla Scultura e i suoi candidati

The Edict Valenti-Gonzaga, issued in 1750, aimed to improve the artworks protection in Rome by establishing three Assessors with the duty to supervise respectively sculptures, paintings, and antiquities across the city. Focusing on 1786, when the position of assessor for sculptures remained vacantd, this essay offers an accurate reading of the role of this officer in the cultural context of the time. Based on extensive archival documentation relating to the candidacies for this position in 1786, the article highlights the power relationships between the sculptors and the dynamics of the Roman art market. Giuseppe Antonio Guattani's final choice is also an opportunity to reflect on the relationship between artists and scholars in eighteenth-century Rome.