This outstanding artist of the XVIII century, perhaps the greatest sculpting talent of the time in Rome, was a continuator of the great Roman tradition, of which the symbol was Gian Lorenzo Bernini active in the previous century. He was not the only one of course, as this master left the such a great mark of his genius upon the next generations of sculptors, that it was difficult to free oneself of it.  However, this is not the only reason, that an educated European without any hesitation can name Roman artists of the XVII century, yet he has a problem to recall even one from the XVIII century. Why? Is it perhaps because Rome was no longer the artistic center of Europe, did its time of greatness pass and the interest in Roman art along with it? This was true to a large extent, although artists still came to see the trends, learn how to paint and sculpt like Italian artists, while the capitols of European powers – France, Prussia, Russia – still followed the works created in the Eternal City with the utmost attention.

Pietro was born in Rome in an engraver’s family and for an artist he received a very broad education, also in the field of philosophy. His teacher was the valued sculptor – Camillo Rusconi, propagator of Bernini’s style. Therefore, Bracci inherited sensitivity to expressiveness and a psychological expression of sculptures, introducing however, typical for XVIII-century art elements of elegance and a certain almost salon fancifulness, while not forgetting about theatricality of gestures of his figures. His works are characterized by an exactness and accurateness of execution.     

He is mainly known for the monumental figure of six-meter Oceanus mounting a chariot in the form of a shell, pulled by two winged horses (with fishtails), which are flanked by two tritons. It constitutes a central point of a great arrangement with a strictly decorative function, which today is one of Rome’s greatest attractions (Fontana di Trevi). The sculpture was completed by Bracci after its original designer (Giovanni Battista Maini) died prior to completing it. In turn after the death of Niccolò Salvi, the author of the concept of the whole fountain, Bracci also finished his work. Undoubtedly the Trevi Fountain is the most recognizable, even a flagship work of Bracci, in which he perfectly completed the task entrusted to him by Pope Clement XII – to create a fountain the likes of which Rome has never before seen, although as we know, several of them were created in the XVII century including few truly exceptional ones.

The fullest expression of his talent and abilities was provided by Bracci in four tombstone monuments. The one which is perhaps the most interesting and most beautiful is the tombstone of the descendant of the Polish king, Maria Clementina Sobieska, in St. Peter’s Basilica (San Pietro in Vaticano) – in it the sculptor was able to achieve harmony among various kinds and colors of materials used. Nonetheless the most nobilitating work was the one also performed in the Vatican Basilica, the tombstone of Pope Benedict XIV. As the inscription on it proclaims, Bracci was not only its executor but also the man behind the idea of the tombstone, although it seems he was not the only one.

Near the end of his life the sculptor completed figures of two angels decorating the altar of Jan Berchmans in the Church of Sant’Ignazio, which clearly livened up the rather stiff marble group of his fellow sculptor, Filippo della Valle.

The most interesting works of Pietro Bracci:

• Marble relief of Andrew Corsini washing the feet of the poor (1732) in the Corsini Chapel in the Basilica of St. John in Lateran (San Giovanni in Laterano)
• Tombstone monument of Maria Clementina Sobieska (1742) in the Basilica of San Pietro in Vaticano                     
• Tombstone monument of Pope Benedict XIV (1769) in the Basilica of San Pietro in Vaticano – concept, figure of standing pope and one of the allegories (Wisdom)
• Allegory of Religion and the figure of the pope – tombstone monument of Pope Benedict XIII (1734) in the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva
• Tombstone figure of Cardinal Giuseppe Renato Imperiali (1741) in the Church of Sant’Agostino
• Statue of Oceanus and tritons – Trevi Fountain (1762)
• Tombstone figure of Cardinal Fabrizio Paolucci (1725) in the Church of San Marcello
• Tombstone figure of Cardinal Carlo Leopoldo Calcagnini (1748) and the tombstone figure of Cardinal Pietro Luigi Carafa (1759) in the Church of Sant’Andrea delle Fratte
• Three monumental figures of saints, Vincent de Paul, Jerome Emiliani and Norbert in the Basilica of San Pietro in Vaticano
• Marble reliefs (saints Rose of Lime and Agnes of Montepulciano) in the presbytery of the Church of Santa Caterina a Magnanapoli