Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini (1598 - 1680), the creator of the Baroque style in sculpture, was a multifaceted man. He created architectural works (churches, chapels, secular buildings), wrote, staged plays and played them, painted in oils, made decorative items (carriages, lamps, mirrors), skillfully combined architecture and sculpture in the construction of fountains and tombstones among which the main place is occupied by Ecstasy of St. Theresa. Bernini created a clean and sensual theatrical work.
Short biography of the master
Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini was born in Naples in the family of the sculptor. When he was 10 years old, the family moved to Rome. And from the age of 17 he has already been performing custom work: tombstones, portrait busts.
He is spotted, and at 23, Pope Gregory XV knights him. Over his long life, he worked with many pontiffs who praised his work, considering this deeply believing gentleman to continue Michelangelo’s traditions.
At the insistence of his patron, Pope Urban VIII, the master marries a poor but beautiful girl who gave birth to 11 children. His talent is becoming known throughout Europe. Crowned persons and cardinals turn to him with a request to sculpt their ceremonial portraits. At the behest of the soul, he performs a portrait of his beloved Constance Buonarelli. The sculpture “Ecstasy of St. Theresa” is associated with it to a certain extent.
Sculptural work
It is now difficult to imagine Rome without the statues created by Bernini for the bridge of the castle of St. Agelo.
They are commissioned by Pope Clement IX and represent the process of repentance. Numerous pilgrims who arrived in the eternal city, saw in them the symbols of the Passion of our Lord. Not all statues the pontiff allowed to leave on the street and allow the destructive influence of climate and time. Two angels are now in the nearby church of St. Andre della Frate.
Fountains
It is now incredible to imagine Rome without Bernini's fountains. One of the most monumental is the “Fountain of the Four Rivers”.
This is a huge bowl, which is a symbol of the ocean, where four great rivers flow. They are depicted by giants in white marble: African Nile with a palm tree standing nearby; European Danube, next to which is a lion. Asia is represented by the Ganges, teeming with waters and, finally, La Plata, which has become a symbol of America, next to which are coins showing the wealth of this continent.
Scandalous portrait
In addition to such monuments, one can also see the work of the master, which is personal in all its manifestations.
He deeply fell in love with his assistant's young wife, created her bust, extremely sexy. It almost got to the point of murder. But Pope Urban VIII himself intervened in it, who invited the sculptor to get married as soon as possible. This sexuality will later translate into Ecstasy of St. Theresa. Bernini himself felt beloved Constance as an angel, filling him with ecstasy. You just need to look at her disheveled hair, loose clothes, a look caught in the middle of the conversation. Everything speaks of Bernini's energy and passion. The front sculptures are, of course, restrained and stately. It is enough to see portraits of the king of France or England.
The Ecstasy of St. Theresa: Description
This is one of the masterpieces of baroque sculpture (1647 - 1651), created for the chapel of Santa Maria della Vittoria by order of Cardinal Federico Coronaro.
Bernini's “Ecstasy of St. Theresa” sculpted by combining architecture, sculpture, painting and decoration. This is the center of the chapel, which shows a beautiful combination of visual and thematic. Two sculptures are located in the niche of the altar. They are surrounded by columns of colored marble. Gilded bronze rays symbolizing the divine light serve as a background for the figures.
A real additional light becomes a window invisible to the viewer. Thus, a stage bright effect is created. In the side walls of the altar are members of the Coronaro family, as if witnessing this miracle. Bernini's “Ecstasy of St. Theresa” is depicting the spiritual experience of holy and divine visions.
It is known that Theresa of Avila possessed both mystical experiences and a great gift of speech. She left behind a considerable number of written messages. Here is how she describes her vision, which Bernini embodied: “Once a beautiful angel appeared to me beyond measure. I saw in his hand a long spear with a spear of fire. It seemed to hit me in the heart several times. The pain was so real that I groaned. But no earthly joy can give such complete satisfaction. "
And now we see how, with her head thrown back, Theresa of Avila fell without strength. The mouth opened in a cry of sweet flour. Half-closed eyes do not see the cherub that rises above her. The saint's cloak lay in soft folds and turned into a cloud.
The composition is contrasting: the slender, flexible and fragile figure of the cherub is raised above the drooping, melting saint. These sculptural portraits seem to have moved apart, but nevertheless they create an indissoluble unity. Colored reflections of the columns play on the figures, creating a picturesque effect.
Conclusion
By combining architectural and plastic groups, Bernini achieved the work of color and light contrasts. The theatricality of the work is combined with religious content and makes a very strong impression on the viewer. An event of sacred ecstasy, very personal, becomes a public domain. For three hundred years, the magical atmosphere of a miracle has been happening here and now.