Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Self-Portrait, 1623.
Pietro encouraged his son to try his hand at art, and Gian Lorenzo began working as an apprentice in his father’s workshop from an early age. He showed exceptional talent at a young age and by the age of fifteen, he was successfully restoring ancient sculptures. At the age of nineteen, he created his first significant sculpture, Aeneas and Anchises, showcasing his readiness for great works.
The young man’s talent was soon recognized by the esteemed Cardinal Scipione Borghese, who commissioned a series of large marble statues for his villa in Rome. These statues brought Bernini initial fame, quickly establishing him as one of the most respected sculptors in Rome and all of Italy. At the age of twenty-two, he was so esteemed that he was honored to create a bust of Pope Paul V. Over the next few years, he mostly worked on sculptures, the most famous of which are The Rape of Proserpina, Apollo and Daphne, and David. In addition to expertly sculpting marble, Bernini’s statues stand out for their energetic charge and powerful representation. expressed through facial expressions, gestures, and dynamic body movements. Most of his works are now kept in Villa Borghese in Rome.
From left to right: Apollo and Daphne. The Abduction of Persephone. David.
Colonnade in St. Peter’s Square, detail.
Contemporaries referred to him as the second Michelangelo. Some of Bernini’s great works for the pontificate of Urban VII include the magnificent baldachin of St. Peter’s, located above the papal altar in the basilica of the same name, and four colossal statues next to the baldachin, the most famous being the statue of St. Longinus. When Urban VII died, Bernini created a magnificent tomb for him. After Urban VII, Innocent X was appointed pope, who was not favorable towards Bernini. However, Bernini was fortunate to have only one true rival in the art world at that time – Francesco Borromini, so he continued to work on other commissions outside the Vatican. In 1651, Bernini was tasked with creating the Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona, thus starting another chapter in his career. I witnessed a period of his life and work.
The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa
After the death of Innocent X, Pope Alexander VII took office and immediately embarked on major architectural projects, inviting Bernini to be his right-hand man.
Under the patronage of Alexander VII, Bernini planned and built the square in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, which is now the most famous part of the Vatican. The guiding idea behind the square was the image of Mother Church, opening her arms to welcome the faithful. He also renovated the Chair of St. Peter and resolved the technically challenging problem of connecting the Vatican Palace to St. Peter’s Basilica by building the unusual Scala Regia staircase.
During this time, Bernini simultaneously worked on his sculptural creations and produced numerous statues. He became so famous that his name was known throughout Europe, and in 1664, the French cardinal Mazarin invited him to work on the Louvre Palace in Paris. After a year of persuasion, under pressure from Pope Alexander VII, Bernini finally agreed and on In the year 665, he went to Paris with his family and apprentices.
The jealousy of other artists and the disagreement about the aesthetic vision prevented him from working at the Louvre, and he soon had to leave the city. However, his short stay in Paris was quite productive for his artistic work: during that period, he created the equestrian statue of Louis XIV and his most famous bust. Louis XIV was not the only monarch who sought Bernini’s services: the Swedish Queen Christina visited him in Rome, the English King Charles I commissioned his bust and the bust of his wife Henriette, and the Spanish King Philip IV asked him to make a crucifix for his church.
Bernini returned to Rome and continued working as an architect and sculptor. His last major work was the Altieri chapel in the Church of St. Francis of Ripe, where the statue of Blessed Ludovica Albertoni is located. Contrary to his usual canon, he deliberately separated architecture, painting, and sculpture.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini died on November 28, 1680, in Ri. He was one of the few artists who achieved great fame and wealth as an innovative architect and a great virtuoso in everything he did. His sculptural opus stands out with remarkable decorative and subtlety, but he is now better known for his architectural works in which he surpassed the old canons with his inventiveness. Bernini’s work gave a distinctive appearance to papal Rome and exerted a tremendous influence on future generations of European artists.