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Bernini began work on the marble bust immediately after the election of Pope Gregory XV in February 1621, and completed the work in September of that year. Two bronze casts were also made during this time. He was able to achieve this by reusing the pattern and arrangement of the cope, amice, and alb he had created for the Bust of Pope Paul V in 1618. For this work, he made only a few minor changes to the flanking images of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, and modified the details of the morse or clasp of the cope. As a result, the sculpted busts of the two pontiffs closely resemble each other. In both, Bernini nestled the head low into the cope collar creating a triangular silhouette.Bernini was well rewarded for his efforts in creating the Bust of Pope Gregory XV. On 30 June 1621, at the age of twenty-two, Bernini was awarded a papal knighthood by the pope—the Supreme Order of Christ—and an accompanying lifetime salary. In 1622, Ottavio Leoni's engraving of the sculptor's portrait was published showing him wearing the special cross of the order. Thereafter, Bernini was commonly referred to as Il Cavaliere (the Knight). Bernini was also honoured at this time by being elected the principal of the Accademia di San Luca, the artists' society in Rome, after being a member for only three years. Along with the great mythological statues he executed in the Villa Borghese, these honours marked the summation of his early success.
amice Bust of Pope Paul V pope Pope Gregory XV Saint Paul alb cope Supreme Order of Christ papal knighthood Saint Peter Accademia di San Luca Pope Villa Borghese