A month after he was elected Pope Alexander VIII in October 1689, Pietry Vito Ottoboni appointed his young nephew, also Pietro Ottoboni, as Cardinal and Vice-Chancellor of the church. Alexander died 16 months later, and Cardinal Ottoboni soon began preparations for a tomb for his uncle. Olszewski (art history, Case Western Reserve U., Ohio) explores what the impressive monument reveals about the process of commissioning art, the workings of the late Baroque studio, the Venetian presence in the Vatican court, and Ottoboni pretensions in the family's new Roman context. Annotation 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
