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Travels in Rome] (26) Bernini's Failure and Downfall: The Death of Patron Urbanus VIII and the Rise of the Prodigy Borromini
Bernini continues to revolutionize the art world by working with his most powerful patron, Pope Urbanus VIII.
Baldacchino.andSt. Longinus"He was entrusted with important sculptures of St. Peter's Basilica, such as the "Cavalieri", and worked diligently to maintain the fountains.
But in 1644, Urbanus VIII finally passed away. The next Pope was Innocent X. He was a cardinal of the Pamphili family, which opposed the Barberini family that had produced the previous pope, Urbanus VIII. Let's listen to Masumi Ishinabe's commentary to find out what will happen to Bernini after losing his most powerful patron.
Bernini's downfall
When Inocentius X ascended to the throne, he became very anti-Barberini and began to strictly pursue the accounts of the Urbanus VIII era. This forced the Barberini family to flee to France for a time.
In contrast to Urbanus VIII, he showed little interest in learning and the arts. Ziㇽli also states, "This Pope Innocentius is not friendly to literature, poets and rhetoricians." The Pamphili family originally came from Umbria, but settled in Rome from the 15th century onward, and Gian Battista also grew up in Rome. It is often pointed out that Romans like him were not very intellectual and had little interest in learning and art. Besides, the financial difficulties of the papacy did not allow for extra spending. Everyone had to realize that the cultural prosperity of the Urbanus VIII period could not be expected nowadays. In the summer of 1645, Nicolas Poussin wrote to Chantreux in Paris, one of his most important patrons: "Under the present papacy, the situation in Rome has changed so much that we no longer enjoy any special favor in the papal court.
Upon his accession to the throne, the Pope undertook the expansion and maintenance of his own palazzo facing Piazza Navona and the renovation of San Giovanni in Laterano, which had been in trouble because of severe damage in anticipation of the 1650 Holy Year celebration. Girolamo Rainaldi, aged seventy-four, was hired for the former work, and Francesco Boㇽromini, a rival of Bernini, for the latter. For portraits and other sculptures, Alessandro Algardi, who at the time was second only to Bernini in sculpture, was used. The anti-Barberini sentiments of the Pope had completely removed him from the forefront of the art world. All that was left to him was the position of architect of St. Peter's, where he put the finishing touches to the interior decoration of St. Peter's in preparation for the Holy Jubilee, but all the important work had been lost to his rivals.
Masumi Ishinabe, Yoshikawa KobunkanBernini, Giant Star of Baroque Art.p102-103
As you can see from the portrait, he looks very stiff. Bernini, who was favored by Urbanus VIII, was kept away by this pope and ended up losing his position.
And Nicolas Poussin, mentioned in the commentary above, is another important figure.
Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665) was a superstar of Roman painting and a contemporary of Bernini, four years older than the latter. Poussin, too, was troubled by the accession of Innocent X to the throne.
It is very interesting to note that the superstars of sculpture and painting in Rome were almost contemporaries.
The genius Borromini rose to prominence in step with Bernini's downfall.
The Rise of the Genius Borromini
Among these rivals, BoㇽRomini was particularly hostile toward Bernini. After the death of his teacher Maderno, he was forced to work for Bernini, but he was too talented and individualistic to work in such an environment. Moreover, as an artist and as a human being, BoㇽRomini was the complete opposite of Bernini.
In contrast to Bellini, who was in the vein of the Renaissance "man of all trades," Boㇽromini was a professional architect and tried to be dedicated to his profession. Also in terms of architectural concepts,proportionIn contrast to the Renaissance concept of the "geometry and symbolism" that was at the center of Bernini's work, Bocciaromini tried to replace it with geometry and symbolism.
While Boㇽromini's architecture is calculated and thought out in every detail, the fruit of his intellect and imagination, so to speak, Bernini criticized it as "exaggerated" and based not on human proportions but on Chimera (a monster of Greek and Roman mythology with a lion head, goat body, and dragon tail that breathes fire), saying that "a good He says, "It is less harmful to be a bad Catholic than to be a good heretic.
On the human side, Bernini was sociable and outspoken, a perfect social and family man, whereas Boㇽromini was solitary, nervous, uncooperative, and a lifelong bachelor.
Reflecting this character, Bohoromini's architecture, which bears the stamp of a finely honed sensibility and individuality not only in space but also in every detail, appears highly original to our eyes today and has a strange charm that is difficult to describe. For example, a prominent art historian who recently published a book on Boㇽ Romini wrote of his own case, "Once Boㇽ Romini bites you, he will never let you go. There can be no doubt that Bernini and Borromini, these two rivals, were the greatest geniuses of the Roman Baroque.
Masumi Ishinabe, Yoshikawa KobunkanBernini, Giant Star of Baroque Art.p103-104
*some line breaks.
Borromini is a genius. The two photos above show his architectural masterpiece, the Basilica of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane. I will talk about this church in another article, but it is a wonderful church that shows Borromini's genius. I was also astonished by this church, and it has become one of my favorite churches.
Borromini was also forced to work for Bernini during the reign of Urbanus VIII. As mentioned in the above commentary, Borromini was a maverick man who deserves to be called a genius. His violent character is well known from the fact that his last death was a suicide due to nervous derangement.
Borromini attacking Bernini hard.
Bㇽolomini, who had been forced to work under him, came down hard on Bernini during the reign of Innocentius X. During five meetings held between March 1645 and February of the following year, he harshly held Bellini responsible for the failure of St. Peter's Tower, claiming that it was the result of Bellini's lack of technical and professional knowledge.
As mentioned earlier, Bernini took over the bell tower in 1638 after Maderno had left it unattended. However, due to insufficient foundation work by Maderno and the lack of awareness of the two maestros who inspected it at the groundbreaking and Bernini himself, shortly after the south tower was almost completed in 1641 and celebratory events were held,ante-hallThe construction work remained suspended when a crack was discovered in the
In a tight situation, Bellini came to the meeting with a plan to make the tower independent, while Boㇽromini attended the meeting with a blueprint of a lighter bell tower. In the end, however, the construction of the tower was abandoned, and on March 23, 1646, the Pope signed a document "ordering the demolition of the tower. For this demolition, Bernini's bonds were seized. Baldinucci later reported that the Pope regretted this decision as being too hasty, but it was the greatest humiliation and the first setback in the life of Bernini, who was a man who had enjoyed success after success.
And to follow up on this, in 1646Missionary Revolution (1918-1919)Boho Romini, who had been ordered to extend the chapel, immediately planned to demolish the chapel, which had been designed and built by Bernini. This work did not actually take place until some time later, and since the building was located across the street from the Bernini house, he was humiliated to have his work demolished before his very eyes.
Masumi Ishinabe, Yoshikawa KobunkanBernini, Giant Star of Baroque Art.p104-105
*some line breaks.
Bernini's sudden fall from grace at the height of his glory...
Bernini even experienced the humiliation of having his work demolished before his eyes. How did he respond to this desperate situation?
Bernini, who entrusted his thoughts to sculpture and continued to carve "Truth
The will expressed by Bernini in response to these events was of a kind that we moderns cannot even imagine. This makes it all the more clear what this period was like. First, he staged a comedy for Olympia, the vizier of the Pope's family, the Pamphili family, and had the slander-stricken protagonist say, "It is true that time reveals the truth, but usually not in time"; then he created a statue of "The Time of Truth" in his house.
Of these, the comedy was performed at the Carnival of 1646, but rumors were already circulating that Bernini was going to make some kind of defense even before the performance. However, it is doubtful that the defense was successful, as it was criticized as "too free and scandalous," presumably because of its satire and obscenity.
The sculpture, on the other hand, was completed only with the statue of the Truth, leaving the allegory of time, which was to be combined with it, as a marble block. Bernini passed down "The Truth" to his children as a lesson that "truth is the greatest virtue. Later in Paris, when someone praised the statue, he said with amusement that in Rome the saying goes, "Truth can only be found at Bernini's." (Omitted.) (omitted).
Like the portrait of Costanza Bonarelli, "The Truth" is an entirely private work, one that, instead of lamenting his misfortune, Bellini took only as a consolation prize. Of course, it was also an appeal to the public (it was even talked about in Paris, so it was not entirely without effect). What we can learn from this work, therefore, is that Bernini was an industrious individual who was always compelled to do something, and that sculpture was his ultimate means of expression.
The idea of expressing a certain idea in sculpture to appeal to the public and expressing it in an allegorical image seems to us to be too long-suffering. Unlike today, however, in the 17th century, art was a living means of expression, and people were far more sensitive to the meanings conveyed by works of art than we are.
It is not easy to imagine Bernini's intention with this statue, as it is placed today in a discreet corner of the Borghese Gallery. Rather, it is the peculiar atmosphere of this female allegory that attracts our attention. This atmosphere is, in part, due to the slightly stretched, often "anticlassicalThis is probably due to the physical expression that is known as "the
But here's how it was done.human body proportionThe atmosphere of the work is what Grassi calls "Rubensian," but upon closer inspection, it is not a truly worldly sensuality like Rubens, but rather a somewhat mystical aesthesis of Bernini's inner self. This atmosphere is what Grassi calls "Rubensian," but upon closer inspection, it is not a truly worldly sensuality like Rubens', but rather a kind of "inner atmosphere" that evokes a communion with some mystical, ethereal world, so to speak.ecstaticThe sensuality of the work is a sensuality that is not only a matter of the "truth" but also a matter of the "joy" of the "truth. This may be seen as an attempt to express the surprise, shame, and joy of the "truth" revealed by "time. But more than that, it seems to me to be a manifestation of the mystical vision that is gradually nesting in Bernini's inner self.
Masumi Ishinabe, Yoshikawa KobunkanBernini, Giant Star of Baroque Art.p105-108
*some line breaks.
Indeed, the statue of "The Truth" is placed in a corner of the Borghese Gallery and is not conspicuous. In the center of the room is the early Bernini's "Aeneas" (right), which inevitably takes center stage.
But this "Truth" contained the sincere thoughts of the ill-fated Bernini, as mentioned in the commentary above.
What we can learn from this work is that Bernini was a hard worker who was always compelled to do something, and that sculpture was his ultimate means of expression."
Even when he was disgraced and suffered the first setback and humiliation of his life, Bernini continued to carve. This is where Bernini's personality is condensed.
And with this statueTruth is the greatest virtue."The fact that he left his children with the words, "I am the one who is going to make the world a better place," also shows his typical sincerity.
Bernini's masterpiece, created because he was disgraced and cut off from public work.
Bernini was disqualified by the accession of Inocentius X.
Although Bernini continued to silently carve the image of The Truth, he was still a great man. It was during this period of frustration that he produced his masterpiece.
By the way, we can take Baldinucci at his word when he writes that Bernini lived calmly, worked hard, and produced great works even in difficult times. We can take him at his word, because one of his best works, the decoration of the Cornaro Chapel of Santa Maria de la Vittoria, was done during this difficult period when he was out of the forefront. As already mentioned, during the reign of Urbanus VIII, he did a small number of chapel decorations, all of which were based on Bernini's designs and were created by his disciples. However, now that he was deprived of official work after the accession of Inocentius X, he could afford to take on this kind of work himself.
Masumi Ishinabe, Yoshikawa KobunkanBernini, Giant Star of Baroque Art.p108-109
The romanticism of history lies in the fact that his best work was not born during smooth sailing.
It was adversity that opened the way for him. Even in the face of setbacks, Bernini never lost his passion and faith in sculpture. It was because of this attitude that the next opportunity presented itself.
In the following article, I would like to introduce you to this Bernini masterpiece, a Baroque treasure.
be unbroken
*The following photos are my Bernini notes. I hope you will find them useful.
*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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