Baroque Blog

Gian Lorenzo Bernini

The Fountain of Four Rivers

1648-51

Travertine and marble

Piazza Navona, Rome

Gian Lorenzo Bernini was an Italian artist who worked in Rome, Itlay.  He was the primary sculptor of his time and also was a well-known architect.  He also painted, wrote plays, and designed metalwork and stage sets.  As a student of classical sculpture, he had the ability to create, in marble, extremely realistic moments in time.  His talent went beyond the limits of his sculpture to reflection of the setting in which it would be positioned; his skill to be able to produce sculpture, painting and architecture into a logical theoretical and visual whole.  Bernini was a primary figure in the appearance of Roman Baroque architecture.  Bernini’s created many wonderful pieces of artwork, especially his Roman fountains that were both public works and papal monuments.

The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or Fountain of the Four Rivers is a fountain in Rome, Italy, that is located in the Piazza Navona.  It was created in 1651 in front of the church of Sant’Agnese in Agone, and it was only yards from the Pamphitj Palace belonging to Innocent X.  It was unveiled to the Roman public on June 12, 1651.  Bernini’s engineering skills are demonstrated in the creation of this fountain.

The four gods on the corners of the fountain have a symbolic significance.  They represent the four major rivers of the world known at the time: the Nile, Danube, Ganges, and Plate.  There are plants and animals by the gods.  The Ganges carries a long oar, which symbolizes that the river can be navigated.  The head of the Nile is covered with a cloth, symbolizing that, at that time, nobody knew where it began.  The Danube is touching the Papal coat of arms, as it is the largest river nearest to Rome.  There is a bunch of coins under the Rio de la Plata, symbolizing that America could offer Europe great wealth.  The Rio de la Plata appears to be frightened by a snake, which represents the fear that the wealthy have that their riches could be stolen.

This fountain was influenced by the Council of Trent.  The goal of the Council was to condemn Protestantism and to define disputed points within the Catholic Church.  Pope Innocent X sponsored the erection of the fountain which symbolizes the influence of the Catholic Church on four continents, and celebrated the success of the Church.

What I found appealing in this art piece was how realistic the figures look.  You can actually see their muscles straining.  This fountain is very detailed and complicated.  It is truly a beautiful piece of work.

Sources:

Wikipedia. “Gian Lorenzo Bernini”, February 22, 2010.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gianlorenzo_Bernini#Fountains_in_Rome (accessed February 21, 2010).

Wikipedia. “Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi”, February 15, 2010.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fontana_dei_Quattro_Fiumi (accessed February 21, 2010).

Web Gallery of Art. “Fountain of the Four Rivers”.  http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/b/bernini/gianlore/sculptur/1650/4_rivers.html (accessed February 21, 2010).

Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.  “Gian Lorenzo Bernini”, 2000-2010.   http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/bern/hd_bern.htm (accessed February 21, 2010).

Renaissance Blog

Sandro Botticelli

“Birth of Venus”

Sandro Botticelli

c.1482–1486

Tempera on canvas

172.5 cm × 278.5 cm (67.9 in × 109.6 in)

Uffizi, Florence

Botticelli was born to a poor tanner in the backstreets of Florence.  His real name was Alessandro Filipepi and he was brought up by his brother.  His brother was the one who gave him the nickname Botticelli, which means “little barrel”.  Botticelli’s art became the most bright, artistic, and familiar voice of the Florentine Renaissance period.

By the late 1460s, he had made a name for himself with the apprenticeship of Filippo Lippi, a well-known Medici artist.  Botticelli was first spotted by Piero il Gottoso and was presented with his own working space inside the Medici Palace.  He became friends with the heirs to the family, Lorenzo and Giuliano Medici.  Being involved with the most powerful family in Florence was important to his job.  He didn’t need to depend on Lorenzo and Giuliano for work.  He was always kept busy with his artwork.

Sandro Botticelli’s Birth of Venus is one of the most familiar images in the history of artwork.  His work demonstrates the mastery of graceful line and flexible form.  Botticelli used all of his creative skill to create this work of art.  In this painting, Venus, the Classical goddess of love and beauty, is brought to life.

The Birth of Venus represents the goddess’s birth.  In Classical mythology, Venus (Aphrodite) emerged as a full adult on a huge shell that she stands on.  She is standing modestly in the center of the painting.  She is also reasonably covering her nude body with her graceful hands and golden hair.  The soft breeze in the painting, which is showed as the wind god, Zephyrus, lifts the hair of Venus up into the air.  The breeze also causes draperies to flap and many pink rose blossoms drift in the wind.  Venus is also accompanied by the wind god’s female companion, who is recognized as one of the Hours (also known as the Horae, or Seasons, in Greek mythology), who is shown putting her flowered cloak around Venus.

Botticelli took his idea from this part of the myth and added his own creative ideas into the painting.  It was designed to be hung over the marriage bed.  This piece of artwork was so notorious that it was hidden for half a century.  This painting was different from any other painting of its era.

He stayed close to Lorenzo and was one of the friends who was at his death bed in 1492.  After Lorenzo Medici’s death, Botticelli was overcome with religious passion.  Later, fearing for his own eternal deliverance, he threw some of his paintings into the Bonfires of the Vanities.  Nobody will ever know what pieces of art of the Renaissance period may have been lost forever.

Botticelli never got married and showed a strong dislike at the thought of marriage.  The model that he used for Venus was a married noblewoman named Simonetta Vespucci, whom he loved.  Though alive at the time she was the model for this painting, she died in 1476.  However, he continued to picture her in his other paintings for many years after her death.  Botticelli had made a request that when he died, he would be buried at Vespucci’s feet in the Church of Ognissanti in Florence.  When he past away in 1510, his wish was carried out.

As a painter myself, I can greatly appreciate the amazing detail, shading, colors, lighting, and many other art skills that he has put into his masterpieces.  I found that this piece of art was interesting because I really like Greek Mythology.

Sources:

Wikipedia. “The Birth of Venus (Botticelli)”, February 7, 2010.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Birth_of_Venus_%28Botticelli%29 (accessed February 7, 2010).

PBS.  “Sandro Botticelli”.  http://www.pbs.org/empires/medici/renaissance/botticelli.html (accessed February 7, 2010).

Loggia: Exploring the Arts and the Humanities.  “Birth of Venus”, 1997-2008.  http://www.loggia.com/art/renaissance/botticelli02.html (accessed February 7, 2010).

Wikipedia.  “Sandro Botticelli”, February 6, 2010.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandro_Botticelli (accessed February 7, 2010).