Gianlorenzo Bernini was a highly accomplished painter, sculptor, and architect during the Counter Reformation period in Rome. As one of the leading artists, he was commissioned to complete various projects for the Catholic Church to further its goals. This included putting finishing touches on St. Peter's Basilica, designing the grand colonnade and square in front of it, and creating dramatic works inside like the Baldacchino and Cathedra Petri to reaffirm the legitimacy and authority of the papacy. His works employed theatrical elements to create highly engaging religious experiences for viewers, in line with the Counter Reformation's aims.

1. Gianlorenzo Bernini
Introduction

2. Gianlorenzo Bernini, Self Portrait as a Young Man, c. 1623
Oil on canvas, Galleria Borghese, Rome
Web Gallery of Art
One of the leading artists of Counter Reformation Rome was
Gianlorenzo Bernini, an accomplished painter, sculptor, and architect,
and devout follower of St. Ignatius Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises

3. Aerial view of St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, with the piazza designed by Bernini
Bernini was invited to put the finishing touches on St. Peter’s Cathedral,
which had been modified by several architects so that it would conform
more readily to the traditional basilica plan (Bramante’s central plan was
deemed too “pagan” for a Christian church!)

4. Bramante’s central
plan
Addition of a
lengthened nave to
conform to traditional
Basilica plan
Bernini was commissioned
to complete the Piazza
space in front of the
Basilica

5. He designed a grand colonnade that enclosed the piazza space, which
included an Egyptian obelisk topped by a crucifix – symbolic of the
church’s triumph over “paganism”

6. Bernini described the colonnade as being like the “welcoming arms of the
church” reaching out to embrace its flock - making it a fitting symbol of
the Counter Reformation Church’s goal to combat heresy and expand its
popular base

7. Gianlorenzo Bernini, baldacchino, Saint Peter’s basilica, Vatican City, Rome, 1624-1663
Gilded bronze, 100’ high
Inside, Bernini designed the great Baldacchino to theatrically frame the
ritual of the mass

8. As tall as an 8 story building, it is made of gilded bronze, and proclaims
the triumph of the church, and of Urban VIII, the Pope who commissioned
it

9. The Pope’s family coat of arms (the Barberini bees) decorate the
structure, while angels carry the Papal crown, symbol of the Pope’s
authority

10. Gianlorenzo Bernini, baldacchino, Saint Peter’s basilica, Vatican City, Rome, 1624-1663
Gilded bronze, 100’ high
Behind the Baldacchino is the Cathedra Petri, a dramatic ensemble that
reaffirmed the legitimacy of the papacy (recently challenged by the
Protestant Reformation)

11. Bernini encased the Chair of Saint Peter (symbol of the Pope’s authority)
in gilded bronze, and set it in a dramatic “virtual reality” environment

12. The chair appears to float on clouds, while two angels float above
carrying the Papal crown

13. Behind the chair is a window with an image of the Holy Spirit, surrounded
by sculpted plaster figures that seem to burst from the light like a
heavenly cloud

14. The goal was to create a kind of “virtual reality” miracle that seems to be
taking place right before our very eyes

15. If the goal of the Renaissance was to take Mary, Jesus, and the Saints
out of the heavenly realm and bring them down into our world, the goal of
Baroque art was to make the heavenly seem palpably real

16. Watch the Smarthistory video

17. Bernini’s David

18. Giuliano Fanelli, Bust of Cardinal Scipione Borghese, 1631-32
Metropolitan Museum
Bernini’s gifts as a sculptor were recognized early on by Cardinal
Scipione Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V, and an avid connoisseur of
art

19. Bernini, David, 1623
Borghese Gallery, Rome
He commissioned Bernini’s statue of David, which broke new ground in
sculpture, and exemplifies the new exuberant style of the Baroque

20. Bernini, David, 1623
Borghese Gallery, Rome
Michelangelo, David, 1501-1504
While Donatello had portrayed the calm moment after the battle, and
Michelangelo represented the tense moment before, Bernini chose to
represent the explosive, action-packed moment when David is about to
release his rock at the unseen giant

21. With his legs wide apart, David pivots on one foot as he “winds up” to
take his shot

22. The work explodes into our space, so that we become a part of the
action (indeed, we must duck to avoid getting caught in the crossfire),
creating the kind of “viewer participation” and personal engagement that
was advocated by the Counter Reformation Church

23. Bernini also adhered to the Church’s codes of
decorum: modestly clothed, rather than nude, the figure is
convincingly lifelike, without “inciting to lust,” or compromising
the beauty expected of Holy individuals

24. One of the most expressive features of the statue is David’s
face, which shows intense concentration as he bites his lips
and furrows his brow

26. Bernini used his own face as a model, and according to
legend, Cardinal Borghese held the mirror for him while he
worked

27. What makes this work typical of the Catholic Baroque?

28. The role of art during the Counter Reformation was to “win the hearts
and minds” of the masses

29. It therefore had to be dramatic, and exciting, and personally engaging

30. Bernini achieves this in this sculpture which is full of action-packed
drama, inviting “viewer participation” as we get caught up action

31. Watch the Smarthistory video

32. Bernini’s Ecstasy of Saint Teresa

33. Bernini, Cornaro Chapel, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome, 1645-1652
Bernini’s Ecstasy of Saint Theresa was commissioned for the private
chapel of the Cornaro family, located in Santa Maria Vittorio in Rome

34. Bernini, Cornaro Chapel, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome, 1645-1652
Highly theatrical in its stage-like setting, the work combines painting,
sculpture, and architecture, and is a Baroque attempt at creating “virtual
reality”

35. Members of the Cornaro family (many of them Cardinals) are depicted in
theater-boxes in reliefs on either side of the chapel

37. The centerpiece is a sculptural group representing Saint Teresa and an
angel

38. The group is spotlighted by a hidden window, creating a mysterious and
“heavenly” effect

39. Peter Paul Rubens, Saint Teresa of Avila, 1615
Kunsthistorices Museum
Saint Teresa of Avila was a Spanish nun who experienced mystical
visions

40. Peter Paul Rubens, Saint Teresa of Avila, 1615
Kunsthistorices Museum
Her visions were recorded in a book widely promoted by the Catholic
Church

41. Bernini’s sculpture was based on her description of a vision she had of
an angel that pierced her heart repeatedly with an arrow

42. “The pain was so great that I screamed aloud; but at the same time I felt
such infinite sweetness that I wished the pain to last forever . . . It was
the sweetest caressing of the soul by God.”

43. Bernini captures the moment at which Teresa succumbs to the overpowering
experience of what can only be described as divine ecstasy

44. “With her head thrown back and eyes closed, Teresa herself collapses,
overcome with the feeling of God’s love. Her physical body seems to
have dematerialized beneath the heavy drapery of her robe. Twisting
folds of fabric energize the scene and bronze rays, emanating from an
unseen source, seem to rain down divine light. The combined effect is
one of intense drama, the ethereality of which denies the true nature of
the work of art. Despite being made of heavy marble, saint and angel—
set upon a cloud—appear to float weightlessly.”
The Ecstasy of St. Teresa, Art Through Time: A Global View (Annenberg
Learner)

45. Teresa’s expression is almost a cliché of sexual ecstasy, with her head
thrown back, eyes partially closed, and lips parted

46. Meg Ryan, fake orgasm scene, in When Harry Met Sally
It is exactly the expression we see on Meg Ryan’s face during her famous “fake
orgasm” scene in When Harry met Sally

47. “Bernini’s sculpture is, after all, a spectacle that hovers on the borderline
between sacred mystery and indecency . . . .”
Simon Schama, “When Stone Came to Life”

48. But far from being scandalous, Bernini’s St. Teresa was consistent with
the ideals of the Counter Reformation Church

49. Like Ignatius Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises, his work transformed religious
experience into something personal, exciting, and appealing

50. If this is how religion makes you feel, wouldn’t you want to get some
religion too?

51. Watch the Smarthistory video for a more in-depth discussion

52. “Bernini has used the power of art to achieve the most difficult thing in
the world: the visualisation of bliss.”
Simon Shama
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2006/sep/16/art

53. Baroque Rome
The architect Francesco Borromini
pioneered a new style of
architecture that equally expressed
the energy and exuberance the
Counter Reformation Church
Image source: http://www.sancarlino-borromini.it/album/Arte_e_architettura/Dipinti/page_01.htm

54. Baroque Rome
Borromini treated architecture like
sculpture
Borromini, San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, 1665-1676

55. Baroque Rome
The undulating forms create an
effect of theatricality, drama, and
movement
Borromini, San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, 1665-1676

56. Borromini,dome, San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, 1665-1676

57. Baroque Rome
Rome became a glorious city of
churches and fountains proclaiming
the triumph of the Catholic faith
In this fountain a cross surmounts
an Egyptian obelisk and the 4 rivers
of the world
Bernini, Fountain of the 4 Rivers. Piazza Navone
1648-51

59. Baroque Ceiling
Decoration
New churches were built, and
needed decorations
Baroque painters drew upon the
discoveries of the Renaissance to
make miraculous visions seem
palpably real
Fra Andrea Pozzo, Glorification of Saint Ignatius
Sant’Ignazio, Rome
1691-1694

60. This ceiling depicts the ascension of Saint Ignatius Loyola into heaven. The
architecture opens up to the sky as hundreds of figures ascend into the heavens

61. Saint Ignatius ascends into heaven
accompanied by angels

62. His missionary achievements are
recorded in figures representing the
continents of Asia and Africa

63. Here an allegorical figure of the
Americas, dressed in Indian
costume, battles against evil

64. Baroque Ceiling
Decoration
Watch the National Gallery of Art
video podcast
http://luxmedia.vo.llnwd.net/o10/clients/nationalgallery/illusion/04_ignatio.m4v
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0w1e5tntDg

65. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0w1e5tntDg

66. Private Patronage
Private patronage also flourished in
Rome, as Popes and Cardinals
surrounded themselves with lavish
works of art
Bernini, Cardinal Scipione Borghese, 1632

67. Private Patronage
Cardinal Scipione Borghese
commissioned this work, based on
the pagan myth of Apollo and
Daphne
Bernini, Apollo and Daphne, 1622-25

68. Private Patronage
To escape Apollo’s unwanted
advances, Daphne is transformed
into a tree
Bernini, Apollo and Daphne, 1622-25

69. Private Patronage
Apparently the ban on “lascivious”
themes applied only to religious art
in churches!
Bernini, Apollo and Daphne, 1622-25

70. Private Patronage
Another “lusty” pagan work for the
Cardinal
Bernini, The Rape of Proserpina, 1621-22

73. Carravaggio
Michelangelo Merisi (known as
Caravaggio) revolutionized painting
in Baroque Italy
Denounced by one contemporary
as the “anti-Christ of painting,”
Caravaggio pioneered a new style
of realism that pushed the
boundaries of the church’s rules of
decorum
Chalk portrait of Caravaggio by Ottavio Leoni, c. 1621
Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bild-Ottavio_Leoni,_Caravaggio.jpg

74. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gnv2aon8RM0

75. Realism
Caravaggio often used real people
as models for his religious paintings
Caravaggio, detail, the Crucifixion of Saint Peter,
Web Gallery of Art

76. Realism
He was rebelling against the
idealized style of religious painting
then current in Rome
Annibale Carracci, Domine Quo Vadis, 1602

77. Realism
Accused of painting “saints with
dirty feet,” Caravaggio’s powerful
style was nonetheless sought after
for his ability to bring the stories of
Christ’s life to life, in a way that had
never been done before.
Caravaggio, The Crucifixion of Saint Peter, 1600
Cerasi Chapel, Santa Maria del Popolo
Web Gallery of Art

79. The Conversion of Saint Paul was
painted for the Cerasi Chapel in
Rome
Cerasi Chapel, Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome
Image source: http://panoramicearth.blogspot.com/2006/10/church-of-santa-maria-del-popolo-in.html

81. It depicts the moment when Paul
was converted to Christianity
Caravaggio, Conversion of Saint Paul, 1601
Cerasi Chapel, Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome
Web Gallery of Art
“According to the Acts of the
Apostles, on the way to Damascus
Saul the Pharisee (soon to be Paul
the Apostle) fell to the ground when
he heard the voice of Christ saying
to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you
persecute me?' and temporarily lost
his sighte.”
Web Gallery of Art

84. Lighting
Tenebrism: dramatic contrasts
between light and dark
The light does not appear to come
from a natural source
It is the mystical light of God
Caravaggio, Conversion of Saint Paul, 1601
Cerasi Chapel, Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome
Web Gallery of Art

85. Composition
The composition is also dramatic
Paul is placed at an oblique angle
to the picture plane, so that we are
“up close” and personal to the
action
Caravaggio, Conversion of Saint Paul, 1601
Cerasi Chapel, Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome
Web Gallery of Art

86. Realism
Most distinctive of the painting is its
realism
The picture looks like an accident in
a stable, rather than a religious
miracle
Caravaggio, Conversion of Saint Paul, 1601
Cerasi Chapel, Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome
Web Gallery of Art

87. Realism
He wanted to make religion real by
portraying Christ and the saints as
real people
Caravaggio, Conversion of Saint Paul, 1601
Cerasi Chapel, Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome
Web Gallery of Art

88. Realism
This work was painted for another
chapel in Rome, and depicts
another dramatic moment of
“conversion”
Caravaggio, The Calling of Saint Matthew, 1597-1601
Contarelli Chapel, San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome
Web Gallery of Art

92. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMp7hpzF5lQ&feature=relate

93. Another extraordinary work by
Caravaggio is The Entombment,
which recalls the emotional
intensity of Giotto’s Lamentation
Caravaggio, The Entombment, 1602-3
Web Gallery of Art

94. Mary is portrayed with great
realism, contrasting with the
idealism of Michelangelo’s Pieta
Caravaggio, The Entombment (detail), 1602-3
Web Gallery of Art

95. But the body of Christ adheres to
codes of decorum, and is based on
Michelangelo’s famous statue
Caravaggio, The Entombment (detail), 1602-3
Web Gallery of Art

96. This painting was rejected because
church authorities regarded it as
indecent
Caravaggio, The Entombment (detail), 1602-3
Wikipedia

98. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Zdoh-8DwlY&feature=relate

99. The Caravaggisti
Caravaggio’s dramatic style
inspired a group of followers --
called The Caravaggisti
One of them was a female painter
named Artemisia Gentileschi
Artemisia Gentilleschi, Self Portrait as the Allegory of Painting, 1638-39
Royal Collection, Windsor

100. Artemisia Gentilleschi
Gentilleschi imitated Caravaggio’s
style
Tenebrism
dynamic compositions
Real life models
But she brought a perspective that
was all her own
Artemisia Gentilleschi, Judith and Holofernes, 1614-1620

101. Judith and Holofernes
Judith was an Old Testament
heroine who saved her people by
cutting off the head of the Assyrian
General Holofernes
“Judith was left alone in the tent,
with Holofernes stretched out on the
bed, for he was overcome with wine
(Judith 13,2)... She went up to the
post at the end of the bed, above
Holofernes' head, and took down his
sword that hung there. She came
close to the bed and took hold of the
hair of his head, and said: "Give me
strength this day, O Lord God of
Israel!". And she struck his neck
twice with all her might, and severed
his head from his body (Judith 13,6-
8)... After a moment she went out
and gave Holofernes' head to her
maid (Judith 13, 9)”.
http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/x-
Schede/CSNs/CSNs_V_Penn_01.html

102. Judith and Holofernes
Caravaggio depicted the scene with
great realism -- though Judith
appears too delicate to carry out
the dirty deed
Caravaggio, Judith and Holofernes, 1598
Web Gallery of Art

106. Artemisia depicted a heroine who
could definitely kick butt!
Artemisia Gentilleschi, Judith and Holofernes, 1614-1620

109. Baroque painters strove for the kind
of special effects that movie makers
use today
Drama
Action
Sex
Violence
Special fx
Viewer participation

110. Catholic Art in Europe
Southern Flanders remained under
Catholic control in the 17th century
The leading artist was Peter Paul
Rubens

111. Catholic Art in
Flanders
Like Bernini, Rubens was an
international superstar
He worked for all the courts of
Europe, and was trusted enough by
monarchs to be sent on diplomatic
missions
In this self-portrait, Rubens depicts
himself in the aristocratic finery and
posture of a gentleman
Peter Paul Rubens, Self Portrait, 1639
Kunsthistorisches Museum
Web Gallery of Art

112. Rubens traveled to Italy where he
studied the work of Michelangelo
and Caravaggio
He sythesized these sources in a
style that combined Carravaggio’s
dramatic realism with the
superhuman idealism of
Michelangelo
Peter Paul Rubens, Elevation of the Cross, 1610
Antwerp Cathedral
Image source: http://smarthistory.org/baroque-flanders.html

120. Peter Paul Rubens, Elevation of the Cross, 1610
Antwerp Cathedral
“The two most important artists of the Baroque era in Northern Europe (what we knew as Flanders in
the 15th century)—Rubens and Rembrandt—worked under enormously different circumstances, even
though they lived only a few hundred miles apart, because Flanders became divided along religious
lines in the 16th century. The area which is today Belgium remained Catholic (where Rubens lived),
while the area which is today the Netherlands, or Holland (where Rembrandt lived) broke away from
Catholic Spain and established an independent and Protestant Republic.”
http://smarthistory.org/baroque-flanders.html
Rembrandt van Rijn, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp, 1632
Mauritshuis Museum in The Hague

121. Listen to the Smarthistory
comparison of Rubens’ Elevation of
the Cross and Rembrandt’s
Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp before
moving on to the next lecture on art
in the Protestant Dutch Republic
http://smarthistory.org/1600-1700-the-Baroque.html