Gianlorenzo Bernini Essay

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Gianlorenzo Bernini was an Italian artist born December 7,1598 in Naples he is considered the greatest sculptor and architect of the 17th century.Bernini created the Baroque style of sculpture and in my opinion definitely mastered this style above any one who may have even attempted before or after his era. Bernini's career began under his father, Pietro Bernini, a Florentine sculptor with some talent nothing in comaparison to Gianlorenzo who moved to Rome.Bernini, “a young prodigy“, soon established himself as a independent sculptor. He was strongly influenced by his studies of antique greek and roman marbles in the Vatican, and he waa also very knowledgable of High Renaissance paintings of the early 16th century. The early works of Gianlorenzo caught the attention of Annibale Carracci, Pope Paul V, Scipione Cardinal Borghese, a member of the reigning papal family, and Pope Urban VIII who turned out to be his greatest patron. While Bernini was under Scipione Cardinal Borghese patronage he carved what is known as his first important life-size sculptural which was in groups like a series that showcased his work in levels of progression. The series begins with Bernini scupltures at a single view of Aeneas, Anchises, and Ascanius Fleeing Troy in 1619 next is Pluto and Proserpina 1621 to 1622 which was a bit more adavnced than the previous sculpture then the hallucinatory vision of Apollo and Daphne which had taken him two years to complete 1622 to 1624 it was created to only be views from one position which was meant to be some form of relief. His infamous David 1623 to 1624 sculpting depicts the figure casting a stone as an unseen adversary. Bernini’s sensual awareness of the surface with the skin and hair and his sense of shading and the lighting broke with the tradition of Michelangelo which is yet another reason he is considered his sucessor. Now that Bernini has
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