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Travels in Rome] (16) Enjoying Bernini's early works and Caravaggio's masterpieces at the Borghese Gallery in Rome!
Previous ArticleThe Childhood of Bernini, a Precocious Genius: Bernini, a Mozart-Grade Talent and an Incredible Brain."In the following section, we introduced Bernini's prodigy.
In this article, we would like to introduce some of the early works of this young Bernini.
I visited the Borghese Museum in Rome.
This is one of the best museums in Rome, where the collection of Sipione Borchese, who became Bernini's patron, is on display.
The museum exhibits Bernini's early works and numerous works by Caravaggio. Be aware that this is a popular museum, and if you do not make a reservation early, you will not even be able to enter.
Caravaggio's masterpieces are displayed all over the walls of Caravaggio's room.
This is a great space for Caravaggio fans. I was also very much looking forward to seeing a Caravaggio work.
Caravaggio is still very strong! The dramatic expression of light and shadow made me "gasp" as I looked at it. It was so powerful that our eyes were glued to the canvas.
But one thing I would like to say, because I love Caravaggio. The light in this room is so strong that it is very difficult to see some of the paintings. The strong light reflected off the paintings and made it difficult to see the Caravaggio paintings. I felt hopeless, especially when the paintings were displayed high up on the wall. In the two photos above, you can see that the paintings are blurred in white. This was not a problem with the camera, but with the naked eye. I wonder if there is anything that can be done about this. Was it just a coincidence that this was the case when I arrived?
This light problem was troubling to me because I was looking forward to Caravaggio's paintings. I am writing this here to raise the issue.
Now let's get down to the business of watching Bernini's works.
Amalthea, the goat who suckles the infant Zeus", the first sculpture by Bernini at the age of 11, already has the scent of genius.
Amalthea the Goat Feeding the Infant Zeus," which is almost universally agreed to be Bernini's first work, had long been mistakenly attributed to an ancient work until 1926, when it was attributed to Bernini on the basis of Robert Longhi. This story reminds us of the episode in which Michelangelo intentionally deceived people by burying a sculpture in the ground in imitation of an ancient work.
In fact, this work closely resembles Hellenistic sculpture, not only in subject matter, but also in its realistic expression and overall rather informal style. This fact clearly indicates that Bellini's starting point was the study of ancient art. In a later lecture at the Academy in Paris, he said, "When I was very young, I often made drawings of ancient works. His biographer also tells us that the young Bernini spent the first three years of his life in Rome, from morning till night, sketching the ancient sculptures of the Vatican.
This "Amalthea, the Goat Feeding the Infant Zeus," which is placed on the second floor of the Borghese Museum, is a modest work, but a close inspection reveals that it is in many ways immature. However, the sculptures of the young Zeus and Amalthea the Goat are so lively that it is hard to believe that they were created by a boy of less than 10 years old. In other words, as in the case of Mozart's work, this work gives the viewer a kind of smile, as well as something that foreshadows genius. I believe that this small work has immeasurable value as a work that reveals what natural talent is in art. The sculpture, which is composed of Amalthea, representing fertility, a young Zeus, and a laughing satyr drinking milk, has been interpreted as an expression of the joys of the new "golden age" of Paulus V, based on poems and other writings around Sipione Borghese.
Masumi Ishinabe, Yoshikawa KobunkanBernini, Giant Star of Baroque Art.p8-10
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Masumi Ishinabe'sAs in the case of the young Mozart's work, the work evokes in the viewer a certain smugness, something that foreshadows genius."I marveled at the words.
I thought to myself, "Well, Bernini already had that kind of thing blossoming at the age of 11."
I was surprised when I saw this at the site. 11 years old would be a fifth grader for us. It is too scary to think that a fifth grader could have built this.
Author.In my opinion, this small work is of immeasurable value as a revelation of what it means to be a natural talent in the arts."This is a work that makes one say, "I am a very important sculptor. Although it is not a conspicuous work in the museum, it is a very important sculpture when considering the character of Bernini.
Aeneas, Anchises, and Ascanius fleeing Troia."
Bernini's opportunity to test the results of his teenage research in a serious sculptural work was provided by Sipione Borghese. The work "Aeneas, Anchises, and Ascanius Escaping Troyes" is still in the Borghese Museum today. A record of payment for this work, dated October 1619, has been discovered, indicating that it had been completed by this time. It was probably produced in the previous year. The subject is the famous episode in Vergilius' "Aeneis," in which Aeneas flees Troyes in flames with his old father Anchises on his back and the boy Ascanius. [omitted].
As Baldinucci has already pointed out, some aspects of this work, such as Aeneas' face, are reminiscent of his father Pietro's work. In addition to these stylistic features, it is believed that Bernini often assisted his father in his work (e.g., the children in the Barberini Chapel in San Tandrea de la Valefrancesco), and some sources have attributed this work to Pietro. The sculpture has been said to be by Pietro or a collaboration between father and son. Today, however, based on records that have since been discovered, there is almost unanimous agreement that the sculpture is the work of the younger Bernini.
If you look closely at this work, you will see in the aged body of Anchises, for example, a further development of Bernini's expressive power. At the same time, however, we notice that the sculpture as a whole, especially Aeneas, lacks the vitality characteristic of Bernini's work, and there is a certain hesitancy and timidity in the sculpture. Such a full-scale sculpture requires a different level of skill and experience than the small-scale works of the past. It is easy to imagine that Bellini was cautious and sought his father's advice. This is the reason why the spiral figure structure characteristic of Mannerism is still present.
In this work, too, Bernini seems to have been referring to Michelangelo, while Aeneas evokes the "Resurrected Christ" in the Santa Maria Sofra Minerva. On the other hand, there is no doubt that he studied paintings, and we can point to the influence of works by Ferrerico Barocci on the same subject, as well as the wall painting "The Fire of Borgo" by Raphael in the Vatican Palace. As the first monumental sculpture by a young sculptor just over 20 years old, this work is a satisfying achievement. In the end, however, the artist seems to have been too preoccupied with the task of bringing the entire work together and failed to realize the intended expression.
Masumi Ishinabe, Yoshikawa KobunkanBernini, Giant Star of Baroque Art.p14-16
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This work is from the year Bernini was 21 years old. As explained above, this was the time when he was entering his adolescence after his teenage years of study.
This quality at 21 years old.
The motif of this sculpture wasAeneis."was mine to read before this trip.
This great work, the founding myth of ancient Rome, is also the source of European civilization. Aeneas escaping from Troia with his father on his back is a scene from the early part of this story. Knowing the story that inspired this sculpture, you can enjoy it more. Aeneas" is an interesting work and I highly recommend it.
And as mentioned at the end of the above commentary, I felt at the site that this work has not yet reached the level of a "masterpiece.
I have yet to feel that sense of dynamism and dramatism in Bernini's work that cannot be conveyed just by looking at a photograph.
However, the Borghese Museum also exhibits Bernini's early masterpieces, "The Sack of Proserpina," "Apollo and Daphne," and "David," which were made shortly after this work. The significance of these works will become clearer when compared with these three. We will examine them one by one in more detail in a later article.
Portrait of Paulus V."
While working on these monumental works, Bernini also received a number of orders for portrait sculptures. He was first of all recognized as a portrait sculptor. Among them, the small marble bust of Paulus V in the Borghese Museum is a lovely example. Although it is thought to be somewhat earlier than the generally accepted date of 1618, it shows a marked improvement over the earliest portraits, both in the delicate finish of the marble and in the skillful treatment of the clothing.
Masumi Ishinabe, Yoshikawa KobunkanBernini, Giant Star of Baroque Art.p18-19
This bust is really small as this description says. I was also surprised when I saw it at the museum. I was surprised when I saw it in the museum. The statue was placed on a pedestal and it was so small that one could have walked past it without noticing it.
But if you take a closer look at this small bust, you will soon realize that this is already a fearsome quality. It is small, but it has a strange power. Masumi Ishinabe described it as "a fine work that should be loved," which is exquisite. Even though it is not a special masterpiece, it is a mysterious work that somehow appeals to us.
Now that we have introduced you to Bernini's early works at the Borghese Museum, we will begin the next article with a look at three of Bernini's masterpieces at this museum.
be unbroken
*The list of articles in the "Rome Travel Journal" can be found atCategory page hereindicates direction or goal (e.g. "to")
*Please visit this category page for recommended books to learn about Rome and Italy.
The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, the Vatican, and Roman Catholicism."
The Italian Renaissance and the Revolution in Knowledge."
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