Gianlorenzo Bernini (1598-1680)Gianlorenzo Bernini was a sculptor, painter and architect and a formative influence as an outstanding exponent of the Italian Baroque. He was an exceptional portrait artist and owes to his father his accomplished techniques in the handling of marble and also an impressive list of patrons that included the Borghese and the Barbarini families.Bernini originally worked in the Late Mannerist tradition but rejected the contrived tendencies of this style. By 1624 he had adopted an expression that was passionate and full of emotional and psychological energy. His figures are caught in a transient moment from a single viewpoint, bursting into the spectator's space.
A succession of powerful patrons in Rome and in Paris assured Gianlorenzo Bernini's reputation as an entrepreneurial artist who captured the spirit of the Counter-Reformation. His extreme and intense characterizations have fallen in and out of favor but his Baroque legacy remains intact.
David sculpture, 1623-24, Galleria Borghese, Rome. One fact of Bernini's great genius should be pointed out. Almost all statues which preceded his stood self contained, insulated, apart from the spectator. . Bernini causes the viewer to become a part of his David statue. He who looks at this giant slayer senses Goliath standing behind and above his shoulder. The viewer is almost prompted to move from the path of the projectile. The space in front of the statue becomes a part of the concept. David stands above his cast-off harp and armor. He grimaces with determination. The features are those of the twenty-four year old Bernini whose patron, Cardinal Barberinik, held a mirror while the youthful sculptor made a face and carved it. The immense tension of the twisted body conveys the force that David is ready to release. His muscular foot grips the base of the statue to withstand the body tension. The action has reached that moment when the stone is ready to be released. It is a marvel of dramatic action frozen in stone.
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