Giovanni Bernini can be safely called a universal master. He was equally good at painting, sculpture and architecture. His creations have become the main symbol of Italian baroque. Created in the 17th century, they still amaze with their scope and magnificence.
Biography: early years
Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini (Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini) was born December 7, 1598 in Naples. He was the sixth child in the family of Angelica and Pietro. His mother was a native Neapolitan, and his father was from Tuscany. When Giovanni was born, his father had already taken place as a sculptor and made good money. After his birth, seven more children appeared in the family.
From early childhood, Giovanni's favorite pastime was painting. He could do it for hours. Giovanni also loved to watch his father work. Pietro noticed this and began to slowly teach his son the basics of his profession.
When Giovanni was seven years old, Bernini's large family moved to Rome. There, his father had a large money order for the restoration of a number of projects of the ancient era in the papal halls of the Vatican. He often took Giovanni with him. Together with his father, they worked for three years in the residence of the Pope, where luxury reigned everywhere. Jewelry, rare works of art, expensive furniture - all this delighted young Bernini. He conveyed his emotions to paper, drawing what he saw.
The father gladly gave his son tools and trusted to help him work on some of the details of the sculptures. He was proud of Giovanni and at every opportunity he praised and demonstrated his abilities surrounded by established artists and sculptures. So, the zeal and talent of Giovanni was noticed and appreciated by the famous artist Annibale Carracci, as well as Pope Paul V. According to legend, his father led Giovanni to the pontiff and asked him to draw a portrait of the Apostle Paul. The boy was not taken aback and wrote it with facial features of the Pope. He was flattered and even called the young artist "the next Michelangelo." He also allowed him to pick up as much gold from the bag as his hands could hold. In addition, the Pope sent Giovanni to an art school. Later, his nephew - Cardinal Shipione Borghese - will be the patron saint of young Bernini.
Already at the age of ten, Giovanni independently created the first marble sculpture. One of his debut works has survived to this day. This is the sculpture "Goat Amalthea with the Babies Jupiter and Faun", which is stored in the famous Roman gallery of Borghese. The work is dated 1609. For a long time Bernini denied authorship and the sculpture was considered an antique find.
Among his first works and two busts - "Damned soul" and "Blissful soul." The first was conceived as a self-portrait and a contrast to the second bust.
Creation
His first "official" creation is considered the sculpture "Martyrdom of St. Lawrence." When he started work on it, he was 15 years old. Already at that time it was important for Giovanni to capture true emotions in a motionless stone. Working on this sculpture, he set his foot on fire to see the real expression of pain on his face and transfer it to marble. His torment was not in vain. The first work made a splash due to its realism. It is dated 1617 and is located in the Florentine gallery of Uffitsa.
Subsequently, his creations were distinguished by scale, luxury and courage. Giovanni was able to imitate the softness of the body, the glow of the skin. He worked the stone so masterfully that it seemed that his sculptures were alive, just frozen for a moment.
Among his famous sculptures:
"Ecstasy Louis";
"Apollo and Daphne";
"Ecstasy of St. Theresa";
"The Abduction of Proserpine."
The fountains of Giovanni deserve special attention. They are characterized by majesty and storyline. So, the fountain of four rivers was built according to the sketch of the master in the period from 1648 to 1651. To this day, it adorns Piazza Navona in Rome. The obelisk rises in the center, and the four statues around symbolize the great rivers of the world - the Danube, La Plata, the Nile and the Ganges.
Bernini's architectural creations are made in the same style as his other works. All of them are pompous and magnificent. According to Bernini's sketch, the famous colonnades were erected in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. They are located on both sides of the square and symbolize the hands of God embracing the world.
