The picture gallery of the Casanatense Library is represented by 31 specimens.
These include three large oil portraits of the founder (17th century), located between the entrance and the reading room and coming directly from the cardinal’s collection; the portrait of the Dominican pontiff Benedict XIII (reigned from 1724 to 1730); the 17th century portrait of the composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palaestrina.
The oil portraits of the Dominican fathers, who alternated as librarians, theologians and prefects of the Casanatense, date from the 18th to the 19th century and were painted by various authors: Carlo Pignoli, Anna Vittoria Dolara, Angelo Zoffoli, Govanni Prasach, David Loreti and Giovanni Biggi. Prominent among them is the portrait of Giovanni Battista Audiffredi, who was second librarian of the Casanatense from 1749 onwards and became its prefect ten years later until his death (1794). He is portrayed half-length, seated at a table surrounded by various objects: a medal, a telescope, a square, a compass and a book, indicating the multiplicity of his interests as a great scholar, refined librarian and esteemed astronomer.
The pictorial collection also includes numerous paintings of sacred subjects such as the one, probably from the Casanate collection, depicting the Madonna sitting cross-legged, embracing St. John with her left hand, while with her right hand she lifts a very light veil to show the sleeping baby Jesus; in the background is a landscape with classical ruins in shades of blue, green and grey, against which the salmon pink of the Virgin’s robe stands out.
In addition to this, there is the large painting attributed to Mathäus Stomer, belonging to the cardinal’s picture gallery, depicting the crude scene of the Martyrdom of St. Lawrence, with the light all concentrated on the body of the saint (in the centre of the scene) and the figures of the angel and one of the torturers. Then, the two small paintings painted on copper and donated by Audiffredi with scenes from the Passion: Christ carrying the cross and St. Ignatius kneeling on the left; and Christ at the column with St. Theresa of Jesus or St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi kneeling on the left.
Worthy of mention is the oil painting depicting the Capture of Christ in Gethsemane, a copy by Cavalier d’Arpino and datable to the 17th century, in which the darkness of the night is only brightened by the full moon in the upper right-hand corner and the cloak of St. Peter, in the foreground, who strikes a soldier in an attempt to save Christ.
Finally, the naturalistic subject is documented by the small tempera paintings depicting four still lifes on a black background where colourful shell specimens are placed.