Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini) (December 7, 1598 – November 28, 1680), who worked chiefly in Rome, was the pre-eminent baroque artist. Eminent as a sculptor and architect, he was also a painter, draftsman, designer of stage sets, fireworks displays, and funeral trappings.

Bernini's Architecture

Bernini's architectural conceits include the piazza and colonnades of St Peter's he planned several famous Roman palaces: Palazzo Barberini (from 1630 on which he worked with Borromini); Palazzo Ludovisi (now Palazzo Montecitorio, 1650); and Palazzo Chigi (1664). In 1665, at the height of his fame and powers, he traveled to Paris to present Louis XIV with (ultimately rejected) designs for the east front of the Louvre; his adventurous concave-convex facades was discarded in favor of the more stern and classic proposals of native Claude Perrault.

Related Topics:
Piazza - Borromini - 1650 - 1664 - Louis XIV - Louvre - Claude Perrault

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bernini embellished more churches, including the St Peter's (see Carlo Maderno), than he built. He fufilled three full commisions; his stature allowed him the freedom to design the structure and decorate the interiors in a coherent designs. Best known is the the small oval baroque church of Sant'Andrea al Quirinale (1658-70) which includes the statue of St. Andrew the Apostle soaring high above the aedicule framing the high altar. In Castelgandolfo (San Tomaso di Villanova, 1658-61) and Ariccia (Sta. Maria dell'Assunzione, 1662-64), towns under papal control, Bernini also designed churches. The facade of Santa Bibiana (1624-26) in Rome is by Bernini.

Related Topics:
Carlo Maderno - Sant'Andrea al Quirinale - St. Andrew - Apostle - Castelgandolfo - San Tomaso di Villanova - Ariccia - Sta. Maria dell'Assunzione

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~