Italy lending Bernini art to the Getty

The J. Paul Getty Museum is preparing for perhaps the most complete exhibit of Bernini busts ever displayed outside Italy, a benefit of settling its dispute over allegedly looted antiquities.

The exhibit at one time was at risk, but a recent settlement between Italy and the Getty ensured that it would go on display.

Among the gems is a bust of Costanza Bonarelli, the beautiful wife of one of Bernini’s assistants who became part of a possibly violent love quadrangle. (Bernini’s younger brother was also involved.)

The famed sculpture, which dates from about 1637, is housed in the collection of the National Museum of the Bargello in Florence.

The Bernini exhibit symbolizes the change of tone in dealings between the museum and Italy, which put former antiquities curator Marion True on trial on charges of trafficking in looted art.

After more than a year of negotiations, the Getty agreed to return 40 of 52 artworks that Italy has charged were looted and smuggled out of the country before being acquired by the Getty.

Italy dropped charges against True and agreed to develop a cooperative relationship that would allow Americans to view Italian art.

The museum says the exhibit shows the development of the portrait bust as “an innovative and groundbreaking art form which forever changed sculptural portraiture.”

Planning for the Bernini exhibit was already underway during the dispute over antiquities.

At the time, Italy had threatened a cultural embargo that would have cut off the Getty from its long association with Italian museums.

Besides showing off some of Italy’s finest treasures, the Bernini exhibit also sends the message to other museums that they would do well to return antiquities acquired under questionable circumstances.

“The Getty and the institutions in Italy for many years have had solid relationships that were tense during the time the negotiations were going forward,” said Getty spokesman Ron Hartwig.

“The relationship that now exists is very solid,” Hartwig said.

The Bernini exhibit will open Aug. 5 and run through Oct. 26.

howard.blume@latimes.com