Baroque Final Exam Monument List
Plan of St. Andrea al Quirinale Bernini 1658-1670
...http://romafelix.com/scarlino2.htm -The plan is a transverse oval with the entrance on the short axis opposite the presbytery. A thick edge with recesses, alternately rectangular or ovate, houses portals and chapels and supports the oval dome with clerestory windows and a central glazed lantern cupola. The quality of light is evanescent, as it illuminates the white and gold stucco work of the dome and the rich colors of inlaid marbles of the walls and floor. STUDY GUIDE Commissioned by Camilo Pamphilj • Bernini's MASTERPIECE ! was very satisfied with project because he was able to build it from scratch • Began and finished by Bernini o Homogenous, carried out plans from start to finish, did not have to deal with old buildings o Was working on St. Peters Square at same time • Connection to Jesuit church, very devout • Stairs jut out into sidewalk, reaches out into our space o Entrance is similar to the entrance of a theatre • Portico is convex while the walls are concave (baroque movement) o Same axis as the altar, altar is concave while portico convex o Outside and inside are positive and negative realizations of the same theme • Floor plan ! transverse oval (no latin cross) o Catholic triumph - architects were allowed to experiment o Also because the site was shallow • Originality came from BEL COMPOSTO • Witnessing the ascension of St. Andrew's soul ! climactic moment, dramatic, focuses on the St. • Instead of putting altars at the end of the transepts, there are pilasters o Block our view of the chapels and redirect viewer to the main altar • Main altar = CENTER o Manipulates the space, flat pilasters and dark chapels, free- standing columns o Uses light and color to draw attention • Baroque dome characterized by rosettes and coffers o Di sotto in su of the putti, creates a playful quality o Sunlight represents the divine (Bernini is the first to do this) " Hidden windows
St. Andrea al Quirinale Bernini Facade 1670-1671
...http://www.arttrav.com/rome/bernini-sant-andrea-al-quirinale/ -In 1658, aged sixty, Bernini was commissioned to design a new church for the novices of the Society of Jesus, the order founded by Ignatius, on the Quirinal hill. It was to replace an unremarkable church on a small, awkward site. Bernini exploited this tricky location to maximum effect by employing a form that would have been anathema to the logical Platonism of the Renaissance a century and a half earlier; while Renaissance architects had favoured the geometric rigidity of circle and square, the ever-changing curvatures of the malleable oval made it the Baroque form par excellence. Moreover its versatility was ideal for concealing the awkward dimensions of the site, with axes which could be as long or short as necessary. At Sant'Andrea, Bernini took advantage of all of these aspects and created an oval plan, unusually placing the entrance and high altar on the short axis. -Let's take a look at the facade, which breaks all the logical rules of Classicism. Walking along via del Quirinale, one is initially drawn into the entrance space by the curve of an exedra. The narrow entrance is more monumental gateway than church entrance. However, its apparent classicism (the archway over the doorway is framed by pilasters and topped with a pediment) belies a number of idiosyncratic and profoundly a-classical features. The area of the archway seems to have swung down and forward, as if on a hinge, to create the protruding portico supported by two columns. The bases of these columns are rotated forty-five degrees to the façade, their corners pointing out toward the visitor: the deliberate application of a solecism which would have Vitruvius spinning in his grave. This 'pronaos' is topped with a curved and heavily broken pediment, in louche imitation of the sober pediment above which looks on, unamused. The scrolls of the broken pediment, entirely stripped of any pretence of structural function, frame the crest of the church's patron, Prince Camillo Pamphilj. If we look down, the semi-circular floor of the portico spills into a flight of concentric steps which seep out, occupying the entrance exedra. -Upon entering, the visitor is immediately presented with the high altar. The unusual positioning of the oval means that the distance between the entrance and the altar is the shortest in the church; a very direct confrontation. After this initial impression, our eyes move around the space, but the darkness of the recessed side chapels, and the solid piers which close the long axis, send our gaze back to the altar. -Reinforcing the focus on the high altar, the entablature which runs right around the interior breaks forward slightly to create a chapel articulated by columns of richly veined red marble which stand out from the two-dimensional pilasters which demarcate the other chapels. Within, the small altar chapel receives light from an invisible source, a device already employed by Bernini at the Cornaro chapel just down the road at the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria. -The dynamism of the ascension is emphasised by the darkness of the lower part of the church, while the heavenly dome glows with gilt and white stucco. Radiantly illuminated by windows above the cornice and the lantern, it is the focus of St Andrew's gaze. -One of the most powerful counter-reformation orders -Problem: side was very short -> central plan uses oval structure -steps jet out-> cannot ignore when walking by -MOVEMENT- Convex and concave walls contrast each other.
S. Ivo della Sapienza interior Borromini 1642-1660
...http://www.reidsitaly.com/destinations/lazio/rome/sights/sivo.html -The interior is nice as well, a lovely, light-filled baroque space with a fine geometric interplay of a triangle and six small circles—the exterior walls follow the concave curve of the circles where they intersect at the triangle's points, but the convex curves of the circles that intersect walfway along each of the three sides. This creates an interior pentagram of alternating curves, leading to an intriguing geometry where the floor plan melds into the equally complex oval of the drum above. -The interior of Sant'Ivo is unique because of the shapes incorporated into the rotunda. Borromini was well known for fusing of geometrical shapes as well as his pairing of columns in order to facilitate curves, incorporating them in an harmonious manner in his project at San Carlino. But for Sant'Ivo, Borromini did not blend the different shapes. The rotunda of Sant'Ivo is contrived of distinct shapes, a triangle with its three angles cut as if bitten off, and semi-circles located in between the triangle's three lines. Despite the shift from the smooth geometrical alignments of San Carlino to the sharper abrupt geometrical bends in Sant'Ivo, both buildings exhibit harmony between the sharp edges and the curves and spheres. Borromini utilized curves (semi-circles) and edges (clipped triangle tips) in equal amounts to define the shape of the rotunda. This blending of edges and curves is arguably Borromini's most distinguishable signature. -Another detail is that windows associated with the round sections of the dome are larger than those associated with the edges. One of the edgy sections is where the entrance is located while the altar is located on the opposite end, a round section. The two other round and edgy sections to the sides are identical in features . Through the perforations in the lantern, sunlight illuminates the dome through an oculi. Francesco Borromini had a talisman with the shape of a flying bee installed in the roof of the lantern as this is a symbol of the family of Urban VIII Barberini who patronized the construction of Sant'Ivo. -The aisles of arches surrounding the right and left wings of Sant'Ivo are themselves not halted by the church. Here, the space between the arches and the walls in the aisles still continues past the church's sides. Each aisle has a single lateral entrance to the church. These hindered side entrances lead to hexagonal rooms(one on each side), and these hexagonal rooms are connected to the rotunda as well as the smaller façade windows. Behind the Altar to the rear of the church lies two more hexagonal rooms with windows aligned on the back. To the rear wings of the altar are the passages leading to the two separate hexagonal rear rooms. -The inside walls and dome of the rotunda were covered by Borromini with sculptures and motifs. On each edgy and round section there are columns of stars leading up to an angel's face with wings. One close observable difference between the round segments and the edgy ones is that the round ones exhibit a motif of six eggs in a pyramid formation with three crowns holding them together while the edgy segments exhibit a bouquet of flowers held together by a single crown. -For the small space, the architect superimposed two triangles on top of one another to form an enormous Star of David and create a hexagonal floor plan in the center of the church. The alternating points of the star, however, are rounded off either convex or concave and form niches that slope upward to the dome. The dome itself is segmented into six sections, each one decorated with the Chigi family mountains or stars. At the apex of the dome, the lines converge at a perfect circle that forms the base of the lantern. Remarkably, Sant'Ivo has none of the gaudy, gilt ornament of its Roman baroque contemporaries. In fact, the walls are painted white, which not only makes the tiny church seems grand, but also gives it an otherworldly airiness that pleases both the mind and the eye.
Constantine Bernini 1654-1668
• Used to celebrate leaders • Constantine was the first Christian emperor • Movement, drama, rearing horse, looks up because he is having a vision of the cross • Scandal of Bernini's brother -Bernini's statue represents the Roman emperor who first recognized the cross as the sign by which he would conquer, and accepted the Christian faith. Only natural, the, that Pope Alexander VII should wish it to stand at the entrance of the Vatican Palace, beside the grand staircase or Scala Regia. Here merge the two basic motives of the Baroque church: temporal power and spiritual sovereignty.
Scala Regia, Vatican Palace Bernini 1663-1666
- Formal entrance to Vatican - Awkwardly shaped with converging walls -Barrel-vaulted colonnade that becomes narrower at the end of the vista, exaggerating its distance - Above the arch of the vista is Pope Alexander VII's coat of arms, flanked by 2 angels - At the base of the stairs he put his equestrian statue of Constantine the great. -The site for the stairs, a comparatively narrow sliver of land between church and palace, is awkwardly shaped with irregular converging walls. Bernini used a number of typically theatrical, baroque effects in order to exalt this entry point into Vatican
Plan of S. Ivo della Sapienza Borromini 1642-1650
-Bernini recommended Borromini -Had an interest in Geometry and movement S. Ivo alla Sapienza, Borromini (22, 23, 24) • Commissioned by Urban VIII • Used to be the Unviersity of Roma • Symbols of 3 popes ! bees, stars/mountain, and dove • Church in a secular setting o Wisdom of the holy spirit vs. knowledge which comes from books • Symbolism of geometry o Two equilateral triangles, this time they were merged to make a six-point star (which represents wisdom) " Points of star alternate between pointed and curved o First to use this type of floor plan since the beginning of the Renaissance • Striking vertical thrust upwards, striving upward for wisdom • Dome is sunken in the drum with lantern o Broken into 4 parts ! hexagonal drum counters the concave recession of the façade, steeped pyramid divided by ribs transfer the thrust onto the drum, crowned by a lantern with double columns separated by concave recessions, spiral at the top binds together the several fields of energy that soar up in a spatial movement, and are released into the lofty iron cusp • Convex curves of the wall emphasized by flat pilasters • Buttresses quote Michelangelo's porto pia, stepped roof reminiscent of Pantheon • Odd and bizarre lantern (most eccentric and exotic) o Flaming torches represent charity, spiral upwards o Ironwork o Twistedlantern!manyinterpretations " Dynamic conch shell? Ancient religious monuments? Dante? " Different associations o Creates a sense of movement • Inside is white so as not to distract the viewer
S. Ivo della Sapienza Courtyard Borromini 1642-1660
-Borromini redesigned the courtyard of Giacomo della Porta's Palazzo della Sapienza between 1632 and 1667, surrounding three sides with porticoes and the back with the magnificent curved facade and glowing white drum, dome, and lantern of Sant'Ivo church -Lantern-> Vertical movement upward -Striving for wisdom or divine guidance -convex walls contrast concave walls in lower section= baroque movement.
The Trinity in Glory (dome) Pietro da Cortona 1647-1651
-Cortona's Trinity in Glory and Assumption of the Virgin illustrates the High Baroque's characteristic illusionistic treatment. -The two scenes are separated into separate architectural fields, but Cortona involves the viewer in the space through the illusionistic treatment of the scenes. The viewer in the nave, sees the two scenes, as unified, since Cortona connects images across "intervening space" -Mary is on clouds within the lower zone of the space from the vaulting of the apse, but Cortona's illusionistic treatment creates the appearance of Mary ascending toward the cupola to Christ and God the Father (Martin, 164). The crossing of spaces represents the ascent into the celestial realm of the dome (Martin, 164). Cortona ultimately involves the viewer, since the ascent occurs in the viewer's own space within the church, bridging the space between earthly and heavenly realms (Martin, 164).
Palazzo Barberini Carlo Maderno, Bernini, Borromini 1628-1633
-The main block presents three tiers of great arch-headed windows, like glazed arcades, a formula that was more Venetian than Roman. On the uppermost floor, Borromini's windows are set in a false perspective that suggests extra depth, a feature that has been copied into the 20th century. Flanking the hall, two sets of stairs lead to the piano nobile, a large squared staircase by Bernini to the left and a smaller oval staircase by Borromini to the right. -To build their new palace, the Barberini hired papal architect Carlo Maderno, who by now was in his 70s - died a month after beginning -succeeded by Bernini (first large architectual commission) and assisted by borromini -The changes we do see are mostly in the details, for example, the introduction of sculpted figures or addition of reliefs on the façade. These show the influence of a sculptor, and it is quite likely that these revisions were the extent of Bernini's changes. -As was also mentioned before, one of the main goals of the palace was to establish the family's place in Roman society. Because they came from humble backgrounds, they needed to emphasize their current position and sought even to surpass some of the long-standing Roman aristocratic families, particularly the Farnese, whose palace they were intent upon outshining. -The hand of Bernini and his attention to optical effects, can be seen in the loggias of the first and second floor; the latter in particular shows the use of a fake perspective in the design of the windows, a feature which characterized many future works by Bernini and Borromini. The final result is a totally new façade which is designed more for a villa than for a city palace; because of its location and its gardens Palazzo Barberini could very well be called Villa Barberini. -Two stairs lead to the main apartment. The larger one was designed by Bernini, whereas Borromini was entrusted with the smaller one: this has an elliptic shape. The use of ellipses rather than circles is one of the elements which characterizes baroque versus Renaissance architecture. Borromini showed here that passion for curved lines which would be a constant feature of his work
San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane Dome Borromini 1638-1641
http://romafelix.com/scarlino2.htm - However, the principal and most important architectural feature in the church is the elliptical dome. Within it are geometric designs (crosses, octagons, hexagons) and a lantern with the symbol of the Holy Spirit. Most of the light comes from the dome, which has no drum; further light, though not as much, comes through the window above the entrance. A ring of large, stiffly carved leaves stands out in silhouette against the complicated coffered pattern of the dome, like some strange crowning balustrade. Borromini set about in an ingenious way to be able to apply the dome onto the irregularly shaped interior. He designed a complex intermediate surface consisting of coffered semi-domes and pendentives. Oval stucco medallions in the pendentives illustrate episodes in the lives of the order's founders: Sts. Jean de Matha and Félix de Valois meet, Pope Innocent III approves the order, The Founders receive the habit, The Ransoming of Captives (see image at the top of this page). The stucco work in the dome, including the medallions, is by Giuseppe and Giulio Bernasconi.
S. Maria in Via Lata facade Pietro da Cortona 1658-1662
• Classicizing phase • street prevents him from using stage style, no theatrics • dark deep recess, instead of porch coming INTO your space • aware façade would be viewed from down the street, at an angle • Similar to the pediment of Santa Maria della Pace, it is an triangular pediment encasing an angular one, but the angular part is broken into two halves and connected by an arch
Allegory of the Missionary Work of the Jesuits Andrea Pozzo 1691-1694
• Competition within the Jesuit order...trying to surpass the Gesú • Uses one point perspective • QUADRATURA ! pillars connect with the physical architecture • Represents the Jesuits role as missionaries • Pastel palette leads into the Rococo style • Illusion of roof (not a hole) with figures floating on top of us • NO bel composto • SOARING UPWARDS • Complex iconography of missionary work (vs. the general last judgment scene in the Gesú) o Light from Christ's heart hits St. Ignatius, he then transmits the light of Christ to the four corners of the World (4 continents as female allegories) • Cerebral, rationality, figures dissolving into light, abstract pattern of light and dark
Adoration of the Name of Jesus Giovan Battista Gaulli 1674-1679
• Done 10 years after the construction of the church since the ceiling was left blank o Mostly all High Baroque ceiling frescoes were completed in Early Baroque churches because High Baroque churches were constructed so as not to allow ceiling frescoes • Bernini recognized Gaulli's talents and took him on as a protégée o Collaboration between Gaulli and Bernini o Gaulli painted BUT the influence of Bernini's idea is HUGE " Bel composto, golden light, coffers and rosettes • Blessed go towards the light as the damn fall into our space, opening into heaven • Illusionistic, meant to look 3-D • Lavish, gilt bronze ceiling • Late Baroque ! abstract, figures blend together, composition of light and dark is abstract, pattern, crinkly fabric • Similar to Lanfranco's dome that ushered in the High Baroque • The message ! last judgment o Those who follow Christ will go to heaven • Exciting moment in time, no narrative, concetto
Baldacchino at St. Peter's Bernini 1624-1633
• Marks the tomb of St. Peter, celebration • First important High Baroque monument and largest bronze monument in the world • Bernini's first architectural commission, collaboration of Borromini (who had the technical expertise) o Commissioned by Urban VIII ! propagandistic for the pope, glorifies the papacy • Twisted columns are inspired by the twisted columns used in Salomon's temple in Old St. Peters o Gyration, full of Baroque movement o Establish a contrast to the straight pilasters of the piers as well as to the other white marble statues surrounding it • Gives proof of the continuity of tradition, but the size also expresses a change from the simplicity of the early Christians to the splendor of the Counter-Reformation church • Reflects the spirit of the Catholic triumph • S-shaped scrolls are continuation of twisted columns • Frames the apse (Chair of St. Peter) ! bel composto o Window, canopy, and chair • Symbolic, stands out form the rest of the church
Ecstasy of St. Theresa Bernini 1647-1652
--housed inside of the Cornaro Chapel, and is heralded as "one of Bernini's most brilliant and suggestive sculptural and architectural compositions" BACKGROUND: St. Theresa describes a dream where an angel appears before her in a halo of light. The angel takes a fiery arrow and stabs her repeatedly in the breast, filling her with the love of God. ICONOGRAPHY: of The Ecstasy of St. Theresa is very Baroque because it depicts the most dramatic point in the saint's life and caters to the notion that God equals light --Bernini portrays St. Theresa's dream in this sculpture at the moment when her body has been consumed with the love of God, the climax of her life. (The sculptor's floating image of St. Teresa and the angel places the saint midway between earthly and heavenly existence=Most Dramatic Point) --Bernini capitalized on this notion that God and light were one in the same by placing the angel and the saint on a billowy cloud with bronze beams of light cascading down behind them. These beams of light reveal that God, himself, has pierced the heart of St. Theresa. ADDS DRAMA: To give these heavenly beams a more dramatic impact, Gianlorenzo Bernini placed a hidden skylight above the sculpture. BAROQUE MOVEMENT CONTROVERSIAL: Context of The Ecstasy of St. Theresa exemplifies Baroque art because it is considered to be Gianlorenzo Bernini's most controversial and beautiful sculptures. --The Baroque movement "was encouraged by the Catholic Church, the most important patron of the arts at that time, as a return to tradition and spirituality" however, Gianlorenzo Bernini depicts St. Theresa in the state of spiritual and sexual ecstasy. Her neck is flung back, eyes are closed, mouth partially open, telling of her elation. Although only her face, hands, and bare feet are visible, the bends and folds of her garment reveal a passionate body beneath in her moment of climax=Controversial REPRESENTS BOROQUE ART: 1.) sculpture is made of different materials and the artist uses classicism irregularly. 2.) The wall that houses The Ecstasy of St. Theresa is laden with colored marble 3.)Gianlorenzo Bernini uses several different materials to create an awe-inspiring focal point within the Cornaro Chapel. 4.) The angel's drapery clings to the body, giving it a silk-like quality; however, St. Theresa appears to be clothed in a woolen robe Also puts a spin on classicism by using irregular shapes and non-traditional architecture: Framing the sculpture are double columns, which serve as decoration rather than architectural support. -Spanish Saint STUDY GUIDE • Cornaro chapel, Venetian Cardinal • Commissioned when he was out of favor with Innocent X • Mystical vision of St. Theresa o Angel appeared and pierced her, felt the love of God so strong she melted in ecstasy o Most famous example of a vision in art • FIRST bel composto o Fresco, sculpture, and architecture of chapel • Make the spiritual, physical (union of God like a spiritual climax) • Chapel as a theatre o Opera boxes on the side with portraits of the ancestors of the Cardinal discussing what is going on o Creates the illusion that the chapel is larger that it is (with the reliefs) • Shows the most exciting moment (concetto) o Already pierced her, levitating • Emotion expressed through drapery o Inner emotion through movement of drapery (Bernini was the first to do this) • Followed Theresa's own words very closely • Not meant to look at her face but at her whole body • Hidden window, light represents the divine • Making the divine tangible o Allows viewer to experience and participate, engaging and tactive
Tomb of Alexander VII Bernini 1671-1678
-One of Bernini's last works before his death -Death flies out of the door with the hour glass (skeleton = memento mori AND hourglass = vanitas symbol) o Symbolizes that death can come at anytime to anyone The four allegorical virtues ! charity, truth, justice, and prudence o Truth stomps on northern Europe which are protestant countries, drapery was added later (Bernini wanted her to be naked) o Resembles "Truth Unveiled by Time" Drapery covers the skeletons head ! death comes blindly Devotional pose of the pope
Cathedral of St. Peter Bernini 1656-1666
-With his design for the Cathedra Petri or Chair of Saint Peter (1657-66) at the apsidal end of the chancel, Bernini completed his visual concetto or design idea; the congregation had a perspectivised view down the nave to the image framed by the baldachin which compressed the distance between the crossing and the Chair of Saint Peter in the chancel, reconciling the Prince of the Apostles' tomb, his implied presence on the Chair and his legitimate successor officiating at the ceremonies
St. Longinus Bernini 1629-1638
-Worked on it while working on the Baldecchino • First religious statue (first time he dealt with a religious subject) • Captures the dramatic moment of conversion o St. Longinus was the first pagan to be converted • Moment of concetto (moment of dramatic climax) • Light of dome shines on statue • Deep folds of drapery create drama and motive to express an inner emotion o Drapery supports emotional impact of the work
Cornaro Chapel Bernini 1645-1652
-chapel as a theater --The chapel was donated to the church by the Cornaro family, an artistocratic family in Venice --Cardinal Federico Cornaro, belonged to one of the richest families of Venice. With him, Bernini did not have budget limitations and he and his team worked for years (1647-1651) on a chapel in honour of St. Theresa --Cardinal Cornaro wanted many members (including ancestors) of his family to be commemorated so Bernini devised two reliefs showing them in the background of the nave of a church. The first impression is to see them in the boxes of a theatre. --Cardinal Cornaro required Bernini to execute personally the sculptures and the outcome is one of his masterpieces. --The chapel , in typical Gesu fashion, occupies the entire north transept. Bernini used this circumstance to his advantage and took control of all the surfaces, as well as designing the altar itself --Above, the vault of the transept is defined by a corps of hovering angels and cherubs while the Dove of the Holy Spirit descends from the heavens through a vortex of swirling clouds. he altar is the location of the principal sculptural work, and the subject of the chapel --As you observe the Ecstasy of St. Theresa over the altar of the Cornaro Chapel, you eventually begin to notice that you are not alone as an observer. Members of the Cornaro Family are portrayed in high relief sculpture on the side walls of the chapel, as though they were in box seats, watching the event in an oratory or even a theatre. --What Bernini has done, therefore, is to break down all barriers in this work. He breaks down the barriers between St. Theresa's spiritual experience and the experiences of common people, he breaks down the barriers of the space by defying the wall limits through the ceiling painting and the Cornaro families special box seats, he has broken down the barrier between the work of art as an artifice--something created by a human and set apart by its construction and technical qualities--and the space and consciousness of the observer. Standing in front of the altar, we realize as we notice the Cornaro family, that we are doing exactly what they are doing: looking at the ecstasy taking place and discussing it on our own terms. Nothing could express the idea of continuum more clearly than the Ecstasy of St. Theresa in the Cornaro Chapel by Bernini at Sta. Maria della Vittoria in Rome.
Altar at San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane Borromini 1638-1641
...http://romafelix.com/scarlino2.htm - The interior of the church is bright, and the dominating colour is white. Sixteen partly engaged columns of the Composite order support the high entablature. Apart from the main altar there are two lateral altars. You could say that the ellipse of the plan is indented at four places creating four irregular spaces. Two of these are small chapels. The French painter Pierre Mignard (1612-1695) has executed the high altar painting St. Carlo Borromeo contemplates the Holy Trinity with Sts. Jean de Matha e Félix de Valois. Above is the symbol of the Trinitarian order, a cross formed by a red vertical and a blue horizontal bar. This symbol is also found on the tabernacle, on the front of the altar and on the Trinitarian habit. The statues in the niches above the doors on the sides of the main altar are of Sts. Jean de Matha (left) and Félix de Valois. The tiny chapel to the right of the entrance has three devotional paintings (1653) attributed to the 17th century painter Giuseppe Milanese. The Crucifixion is over the altar, with Scourging of Christ on the left and Crowning with Thorns on the right. The right lateral altar is dedicated to the Trinitarian St. Miguel de los Santos (1591-1625), and the painting (1847) by Amalia de Angelis shows the saint in ecstacy, during which the Saviour exchanges hearts with him.
Combined Dates
1630: baldacchino-Bernini palazzo Barberini- Bernini, Borromini, Carlo Maderno st. longinus-Bernini 1640: tomb of urban VII-Bernini altar of san carlo alle quattro fontane -Borromini san carlo alle quattro fontane dome-borromini 1642: Plan of S. Ivo della sapienza- Borromini 1648: Cornaro chapel-Bernini ecstasy of St. Theresa-Bernini four river fountains-Bernini trinity in glory dome-Pietro Da Cortana 1656: Plan of s. maria della pace-Pietro Da Cortana 1660: plan of st. andrea al quirnale -Bernini s. maria in via leta facade-Pietro Da Cortana the assumption of the virgin-Pietro Da Cortana s. Ivo della sapienza courtyard of s. ivo della sapienza 1665: constantine-Bernini Cathedral of St. Peters scala regia, vatican place- Bernini s. andrea delle fratte dome and champanile san carlo alle quatro fontane Facade plan of st. andrea al quirinale- Bernini piazza of st. Peters 1670: st. andrea al Quirinale 1674: Tomb of Alexaner VII-Bernini altieri chapel with the blessed ludovica albertoni -Bernini adoration of the name of Jesus- Giovan Battiste Gaulli 1694: allegory of the missionary work of jesus- Andrea Poozo
Altieri chapel with the blessed Ludovica Albertoni Bernini 1674
Blessed Lodovica Albertoni, Bernini (15) • Late masterpiece, made it in order to get his brother back to Rome • The great-grandmother of the most powerful Cardinal o Uniting with God, shows her actually dying, almost a moment of ecstasy • Revisits the theme of Ecstasy of St. Theresa • Bel composto, theatrical setting • Arch telescopes the scene, hidden windows- focuses attention on sculpture by framing it within an archway. And central figure is lit on both sides by large windows. • Bacciccio did the oil paintings (St. Anne, Mary, and Christ) • Gilt coffers and rosettes • Connect flat surface of painting, to sculpture • DIVINE DRAMA ! death bed scene, connects sculpture to tomb through drapery (deep folds) • Connected to Mary (died at same age) • Culmination of a pious life, death is a reward • More sublime then the ecstasy of St. Theresa • Drapery looks like water...dissolving her physical existence • Ethereal and introspective, subdued and intimate • Dramatic, swooning pose, similar to the way Mary swoons/faints in Crucifixion scene • Women in the Baroque ... female iconography • • San andrea della fratte (Borromini), monastery of fillippini (borromini), collegio di propaganda (Borromini) piazza del poppolo (giovanni) -he scene is rather theatrical with the lighting coming from a hidden window above the left of her head. The effect of light is multiplied by the decorative carpet dividing the dying from the believers. On her face, the pain of the suffering and the heavenly happiness are simultaneously present resulting in an extraordinary effect.
Four Rivers Fountain Bernini 1648-1651
Borromini had the commission so the idea was his originally • However, the pope saw Bernini's model and gave him the commission • By doing this commission he came back into favor with the papacy (Innocent X) • Represents world significane ! Four river gods, four continents, four rivers o Ganges - Asia, Nile - Africa (the god's head is covered, representing the mystery of the source), Amazon - Americas, Danube - Northern Europe (wasn't necessary to do the Tiber because they were already there, protestant country) • River as reclining bearded man (dates back to antiquity), all great civilizations founded on rivers • Made it so the water would be loud, focused on flora and fauna o CREATE A SPECTACLE • Meant to walk around the fountain • Imaginative sea creatures, figures remind us of the figures in the Sistine chapel, dynamic • Bernini carved horse, lion, and palm tree • Fountain appears to float • Propaganda of the obelisk ! spread of the pope's power throughout the world • Serpent is the symbol of sin (judeo-christian) and of fertility (ancient)
Tomb of Urban VIII Bernini 1627-1647
Commissioned by Alexander VII Works with the baldecchino as an ensemble Within the bronze chair is the actual wooden chair Peter sat on o Represents the persistence and spiritual guidance of his teachings Flanked by the four doctors of the church (Latin and Greek) Luxurious materials, ornate, dramatic (beams of light) Alexander VII, Bernini (18) One of Bernini's last works before his death - Combination of bronze and white marble (expensive materials) o Bronze is used on figures that resemble death (coffin, pope) and the white marble is used on the virtues Women represent the virtues of the pope o Charity and justice Pope is alive and has own hand outstretched, imperial Memento mori ! skeleton riding the Pope's name • Liberated Bees
Piazza of St. Peters Bernini 1656-1667
Solves the problem of the façade being too wide • Colonnades define the piazza -The colossal Tuscan colonnades, four columns deep,[3] frame the trapezoidal entrance to the basilica and the massive elliptical area o 4 rows of columns o supposed to feel dwarfed by Classical Rome o simple order (Doric colonnades create deliberate contrast to Corinthian columns on the façade) o Create contrast of light and dark o practical and humanistic (two arms of the mother church embracing the visitors) • Oval ellipse shape creates the feel of a living theatre o Dynamic, organic • Fountains symbolize purification • Statues of saints on top of colonnade remind us of the glorious past of the church and those who died for the faith • • Interacts with the urban space, Baroque surprise -The trapezoidal shape of the piazza, which creates a heightened perspective for a visitor leaving the basilica and has been praised as a masterstroke of Baroque theater
S. Ivo della Sapienza Dome Borromini 1642-1660
Through the perforations in the lantern, sunlight illuminates the dome through an oculi. Francesco Borromini had a talisman with the shape of a flying bee installed in the roof of the lantern as this is a symbol of the family of Urban VIII Barberini who patronized the construction of Sant'Ivo. -he inside walls and dome of the rotunda were covered by Borromini with sculptures and motifs. On each edgy and round section there are columns of stars leading up to an angel's face with wings. One close observable difference between the round segments and the edgy ones is that the round ones exhibit a motif of six eggs in a pyramid formation with three crowns holding them together while the edgy segments exhibit a bouquet of flowers held together by a single crown. -The dome itself is segmented into six sections, each one decorated with the Chigi family mountains or stars. At the apex of the dome, the lines converge at a perfect circle that forms the base of the lantern. Remarkably, Sant'Ivo has none of the gaudy, gilt ornament of its Roman baroque contemporaries. In fact, the walls are painted white, which not only makes the tiny church seems grand, but also gives it an otherworldly airiness that pleases both the mind and the eye.
San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane Facade Borromini 1665-1668
http://romafelix.com/scarlino.htm https://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/carlo/carlo.html -The concave-convex facade of San Carlo undulates in a non-classic way. Tall corinthian columns stand on plinths and bear the main entablatures; these define the main framework of two storeys and the tripartite bay division. Between the columns, smaller columns with their entablatures weave behind the main columns and in turn they frame niches, windows, a variety of sculptures as well as the main door, the central oval aedicule of the upper order and the oval framed medallion borne aloft by angels. Above the main entrance, cherubim herms frame the central figure of Saint Charles Borromeo by Antonio Raggi and to either side are statues of St. John of Matha and St. Felix of Valois, the founders of the Trinitarian Order. The plan and section show the layout of the cramped and difficult site; the church is on the corner with the cloister next to it and both face onto the Via Pia. The monastic buildings straddle the site, beyond which Borromini intended to design a garden. -Two Facades: The main facade, with three bays, facing the street, and the second facade, a narrow bay at the corner with its own tower, were designed after the interior was completed. This small Baroque church, part of a monastery, uses the gigantic order enclosing a small order. (See Michelangelo's Palazzo dei Conservatori.) However, here the giant order does not serve to unify the two stories. Instead each story is equally important with contrasting elements in each story. - The Street facade: The lower story has three bays, two outer concave bays and a convex center. The upper story has concave bays. Whereas the lower bays are united by the continuous entablature, the upper bays have an entablature in sections, the central one with the oval medallion swinging forward. Angels, asymmetrically placed, hold the medallion which has an onion-shaped crown -The door in the convex central bay is echoed by the convex window enframement in the upper story. A statue of St. Charles Borromeo, added later, occupies the lower story niche, which is echoed by the medallion in the upper story. Herms with angel heads and arched wings frame the niche. -The undulating movements and sculptural effects are characteristic of Baroque architecture. One of the most theatrical practitioners of the Baroque style, Borromini is said to have eliminated the corner in architecture.