History of World Art II: Day 44 - Gianlorenzo Bernini

Gianlorenzo Bernini (1598 – 1680) was an Italian sculptor, architect, painter, playwrite, metalworker, and set designer who worked primarily in Rome. As the leading sculptor of his age he created the fourth great David, which reminds me of the "Action Figure" David because of it's dynamism and 360 views of David in the act of defeating Goliath.

He was a student of classical sculpture and he developed a unique ability to freeze a narrative moment in marble with drama and dynamic energy which must have been very shocking in his day. For this reason he outshone all other sculptors of his time, essentially becoming Michelangelo's successor. One of his great strengths was creating cohesion out of architecture, painting and sculpture harmoniously marrying them into a dramatic set and creating a visual whole within a space; this ability was termed by the art historian, Irving Lavin, as the ‘unity of the visual arts’.

He worked during the Counter-Reformation and was a deeply religious man, he adopted the use of light as iconography, creating a visual metaphor within the religious settings he created. He was the first sculptor to use the light from architectural openings, windows, and interior light sources to highlight the allegorical intentions of his sculptures. This visual synthesis intensified the drama as a way to enhanced the spiritual experience of the viewer.

He worked with Francesco Borromini, Pietro da Cortona, under Carlo Maderno (when Maderno died, Bernini lead the work) on the Palazzo Barberini early in their careers, but competition for commissions forced a wedge between them and fierce rivalries developed. The rivalry between Bernini and Borromini was especially fierce.