Giacomo Sannesio

Giacomo Sannesio (c. 1557/1560 – 19 February 1621) was an Italian Catholic cardinal, prominent art collector and patron of early 17th-century artists.

[1] He studied law and then, assisted by his brother, he went to Rome and entered the service of Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini.

In 1604 Sannesio was elevated to cardinal by Pope Clement VIII and was appointed cardinal-priest of Santo Stefano Rotondo.

The artist submitted a number of works as part of a commission from the church of Santa Maria del Popolo.

Other historians have queried this version of events, suggesting that Sannesio's purchases were, more simply, retouched copies, though still created by Caravaggio.