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Travels in Rome] (27) Bernini's "The Laws of St. Teresa" - A masterpiece of Baroque art! The marvelous illusions of the Cornaro Chapel!
Previous Article(26) Bernini's Failure and Downfall: The Death of Patron Urbanus VIII and the Rise of the Prodigy Borromini."In the following section, I told you about Bernini's disqualification upon the death of his most powerful patron, Pope Urbanus VIII.
But as I told you at the end of that article, Bernini doesn't just stop there. The genius Bernini creates his masterpieces through hardship.
Bernini's masterpiece, created because he was disgraced and cut off from public work.
Bernini was disgraced by the accession of Inocentius X to the throne. Although Bernini continued to silently carve the statue of "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 during a difficult period. 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 forced to retire from the front line. As already mentioned, during the reign of Urbanus VIII, he did a number of chapel decorations, all of which were based on the designs of Bernini and were created by his disciples. However, now that he had been cut off from official work by the accession of Inocentius X, he could afford to take on this kind of work himself.
Federico Cornaro, from one of Venice's most prominent families, was Archbishop of Venice, but resigned his office in his later years and moved to Rome. In 1647, he founded thesuperior to (a professional, etc. in ability or achievement)He acquired the rights to the left aisle of the Carmelite church, Santa Maria de la Vittoria. He decided to use it as his tomb and commissioned Bellini to decorate it. The conditions for this wing chapel were not good, as it had to be in proportion to its width and in harmony with the whole church. However, he overcame some of the disadvantages and successfully realized his ideal of total art.
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.
Let's take a look at this work.
The Ecstasy of St. Theresa."
Here, I dare to say that it is not the usual "Bernini" by Masumi Ishinabe, but Takashina Shuji'sThe Light and Darkness of the Baroque."I will quote from the following.
In fact, it was this book's commentary on "The Ecstasy of St. Teresa" that sparked my strong interest in Bernini. From there, I wanted to know more about Bernini and started reading Masumi Ishinabe's books. In a sense, this book was my first entry into the Bernini swamp. Let's take a look at the commentary of this book.
The emphasis on gestures and facial expressions naturally produces dramatic effects. Baroque art is highly theatrical in nature, as some historians have likened it to Hollywood movies. The artist is not only a painter and sculptor, but also a director of various dramas.
In this sense, the artist who best represents Baroque art is probably the sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini. His magnificent mystical drama "The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa" in the Basilica of Santa Maria de la Vittoria Cornaro in Rome is without a doubt the pinnacle of Baroque art.
The subject matter here is also "the ecstasy of the law. This saint from Avila, known as a Carmelite reformer, was also a mystic full of illusions and left behind a magnificent record of her own experiences. One day, in a vision, she was carried high into the air and had an arrow of God's love shot into her heart. She says, "My whole body burst into flames, enveloped by God's great love.
The saint, lying on a gently floating cloud, is an angel as youthful as Cupid, with her body turned broadly over, eyes closed, lips half-open, in a state of ecstasy and oblivion. The marble marble reproduction of the soft clouds and rippling folds of her garments is a marvel to behold, but what makes the most powerful impression is the expression of ecstasy on her face, which could almost be described as a death-like state. The most striking expression is that of the saint's mystical world in which he has become one with God in a state of extreme pain and pleasure. There is no other example of a work in which the body and spirit fly into an ecstatic state of transcendental illusion that transcends ordinary experience, and which has been so vividly sculpted.
Bernini's astonishing ingenuity does not stop there. Behind the group of angels and saints, a thin golden line, suggesting divine light pouring down from above, flows like rain, and in response to this, a skylight is actually opened at the top of the chapel to let in light. In other words, natural light and artificial light are combined to illuminate the entire building. In addition, the left and right walls surrounding the chapel are framed as if they were the seats of a theater, and the figures of people watching this mystery play are embossed on them. We are present here as one with these spectators. This is truly a baroque theatrical space. It is a triumph of the director, Bernini.
Shogakukan, Takashina Shuji, "Baroque Light and Darkness," p.168-171
Takashina Shuji's narrative is a wonderful commentary that even a beginner can enjoy reading. I became very interested in Bernini after reading this commentary. Takashina continues as follows
The saint's expression, which indicates a state of rapture of the soul far beyond the earthly world, is expressed through her flesh and blood, and the sensual aspect is also hard to deny. The French aristocrat de Brocchus, who was known as a debauchee, said in front of the statue, "Is this what God's love is like? If so, I know it well," he is said to have said in an irreverent tone of voice. At the same time, however, it is not unreasonable to perceive the shadow of anguish that marks the end of life on earth. Agape and Eros become one, and Eros communicates with Thanatos.
In fact, in the last years of his long and rich life, Bernini left another unforgettable masterpiece, "The Blessed Ludovica Albertini" (Basilica di San Francesco a Ripa, Rome), a statue of Ludovica, who, like St. Teresa, has an expression of oblivion, but is actually lying on her deathbed. The statue of Ludovica, which has the same look of oblivion as St. Theresa, is actually a figure lying on her deathbed. There, the joy of the spirit in eternal life and the agony of the body are fused into one.
Shogakukan, Takashina Shuji, "Baroque Light and Darkness," p.171-172
It is said that de Broglos, a French aristocrat known for his debauchery, said in front of the statue, "Is this the love of God? I know it well," he is said to have said in an irreverent tone, which is not without truth.
This commentary left a very strong impression on me. When I went to Rome and actually saw this statue, this commentary was also on my mind. Takashina Shuji described de Broglie as "irreverent," but it is not surprising that people today who do not have a religious background would have this impression of him. This is especially true for Japanese who are not familiar with Christian culture. However, Bernini did not have such a secular intention, but rather was extremely faithful to the Roman Catholic teachings of the time when he created this work. For more on this, see.(32) Bernini, who incorporated into his sculptures the meditative techniques of the Jesuit Church of Jez and its founder Ignatius de Loyola's "Spiritual Manipulation."I would like to consider this again in an article in the following section.
Visit the "The Ecstasy of St. Teresa" in the Cornaro Chapel.
The Church of Santa Maria degli Vittoria, where "The Ecce of St. Teresa" is located, is in an area near Termini station. I was staying near Termini station, so I walked to the church from there.
Inside the church. Although this church is famous for Bernini's "The Ecce of St. Theresa," the church itself is also wonderful. It is a solemn interior space where one can feel the Baroque world. The "The Ecstasy of St. Theresa" is housed in a slightly darkened area in the back left corner of the photo.
This is the Cornaro Chapel with "The Ecce of St. Teresa" by Bernini.
Looking at it from below, you can see that it is indeed fitted with a window for lighting. The golden lines, which represent the light of God, shine brightly when outside light shines through them. It is a marvelous idea of Bernini's to make "light" shine brightly.
Let's also look at the theater pier on the right side of the photo. It is also important to note that this area is dark against the statue. Bernini adjusted it so that no light shines on it. This is the same audience as us. The man on the far left is looking at "St. Teresa" with interest, asking "What is this about? The other three are discussing the statue. This is exactly our reaction to this overwhelming statue.
The expression of the angel and St. Theresa...! And Bernini's signature expression of the folds of the robe. The rippling of the robe, which is impossible in nature, truly embodies the mystery of God.
The light shining from above illuminates the face of St. Theresa, who is joyfully celebrating. And the face of the angel looking down is slightly darkened, but that too is a wonderful effect. Bernini calculated the effects of light and shadow in every detail. This is probably comparable to the lighting techniques used in modern theater. This is a great example of the theatrical talent of Bernini.
Incidentally, the Cornaro Chapel is located on the exterior of the church, in a protruding area to the left of the clock and the red sign. This protruding part was also built by Bernini. The addition of this structure allows for perfect lighting.
This technique, which Bernini had experimented with in the Raimondi Chapel, was perfected in the Cornaro Chapel. For more information on the Raimondi Chapel, please refer to the previous article(24) Bernini's Raimondi Chapel - A spectacle of stunning light! Bernini as playwright and director."Please refer to the article in the following section.
Still, it's wonderful..! I can see why this sculpture is considered a baroque masterpiece.
I visited this church many times during my stay in Rome. No matter how many times I see it, I am always amazed. It is just shocking that he was able to manipulate light so perfectly in an era when there was no electricity and no lights. Bernini must have been a great artist.
I would like to conclude this article by quoting Masumi Ishinabe's commentary as a summary.
Thus, the decoration of the Cornaro Chapel represents the most complete synthesis of the various attempts that Bernini has made so far. In this case, too, the root of the project is, as discussed at the time of the Raimondi Chapel,playandfestivalsThe concept of "sculpture" is an experience of the "visual arts," and by extension, the concept of a comprehensive visual art form centered on sculpture. This cannot be overemphasized. In other words, although the "Ecstasy of Saint Teresa" adorning the main altar is very famous, Bernini's concern was with the unity of the chapel as a whole, including the altar.
In this chapel, we are the spectators of a "play within a play," a play between reality andfictionAt the same time, architecture and sculpture, stucco and painting merge with each other in an illusion, and the "I" of the "I" of the "I" of the "I" of the "I" of the "I" of the "I" is lost.Beautiful fusionWe will recognize the formation of the "world of the living. There, heaven and earth, life and death, spirit and body, reality and fantasy all come together to lead us into a mystical world. This mystical experience was a very important element in the religious life of the seventeenth century, and through the genius of Bernini, it has been passed on to us in the twentieth century. In this sense, the Cornaro Chapel is not only one of Bernini's masterpieces, but also one of the finest examples of the Baroque spirit and its expression.
In this regard, Lavin writes "If one had to choose a single monument from each century, most historians would choose the Chapel of Teresa as the representative of the seventeenth century, the Baroque period. In this sense it is on a par with Giotto's Arena Chapel, Masaccio's Brancacci Chapel, and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel as masterpieces of an undisputed era." And Bernini himself is said to have said, "This is not the worst work of art.
Masumi Ishinabe, Yoshikawa KobunkanBernini, Giant Star of Baroque Art.p113-114
*some line breaks.
The Cornaro Chapel is not only one of Bernini's finest works, but also one of the finest examples of the Baroque spirit and its expression."
This is exactly what it comes down to.
If you are in Rome, you should definitely visit this church. Even if you are not a Bernini fan, I highly recommend this wonderful church.
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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