The Brilliance of Bernini: Baroque Bravura
- Location: Big Classical, Cheltenham College, Bath Road, Cheltenham, Glos. GL53 7LD
- Date: 24.04.18 | 7:00pm
- Book Now: Contact Nick Nelson: n.nelson@cheltenhamcollege.org (07825416720)
Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598–1680) was, first and foremost, a brilliant sculptor yet he was also a painter, architect, urban planner, playwright and set designer, thus embracing what Wagner was to dub the gesamtkunstwerk – a total unification of the arts. This enabled Bernini to successfully synthesise sculpture, painting, and architecture into a coherent conceptual and visual whole. In adapting the Classical grandeur of Renaissance sculpture with the dynamic energy of the Mannerist period, he attained a majesty of conception. As such, he is considered a worthy successor of Michelangelo himself. Certainly his dramatic realism, stirring emotion and dynamic, theatrical compositions show an unrivalled command of the human form in motion and a technical sophistication unparalleled at the time. Bernini depicted dramatic narratives drawn from Mythology, with characters showing intense psychological states. A deeply pious individual, Bernini used light as a theatrical and metaphorical device in religious settings. Patronised by the Papacy, he was knighted, with Pope Urban V111 famously exclaiming: “You are made for Rome, Gian Lorenzo, and Rome for you!”
For further details about this event please contact:
reception@cheltenhamcollege.org (01242 265600)