Art historian Daniele Pinton points out that the work is characteristic of Bernini's sculpture in "depicting not a figure but an event." Bernini attempts to freeze a moment in time and the action is suspended in the midst of the drama. His son Domenico described it as an "amazing contrast of tenderness and cruelty," seen in the details of Pluto's fingers pressing into Proserpina's thigh, creating an extraordinary illusion as the hard and cold marble seems soft and delicate in contrast with the violence. In this work Bernini shows his fascination with depicting scenes in dramatic mid-action, inviting the viewer to witness the piece and become fully absorbed. Pluto grabs Proserpina around the waist and thigh while she struggles to escape she is pushing away his head while her other arm reaches out with helpless abandon. Pluto is shown with a regal crown and scepter while the three-headed dog, Cerberus, is behind ensuring no one interferes. This sculpture depicts a story from Ovid's Metamorphoses in which Pluto falls in love with the goddess Proserpina and abducts her, taking her to the underworld where he reigns as king. Marble Sculpture - Palazzo di Spagna, Rome In contrast to this, Bernini and other Baroque artists like Caravaggio and Rubens paved the way for a new way of depicting the human body with a new focus on sensuality. This dramatic depiction of the flesh was also new in art, contrasting to previous Mannerist styles, which often attempted to recreate ancient Roman and Greek traditions. Although produced early in Bernini's career, these works brought together many elements that would remain present in all of Bernini's future works such as religious salvation, intense human emotion, and technical skill in sensual depictions of the human body. Bernini would have looked in a mirror and some believe he even cut his arm to produce the agonized expression on his face. Damned Soul is believed by some to be a self-portrait. As this piece looked down toward hell, the other represented looking up toward God. When placed together, these sculptures juxtapose a duality of human emotion, the opposing spectrums between being blessed or being damned. This piece was commissioned alongside another bust Blessed Soul, which portrays a young beautiful woman looking up in blissful joy. It shows a man's screaming face, his features contorted with a wild expression of terror or even agony. This bust was created early in Bernini's career when the artist was twenty one years old. This contributed to the artist's ability to synthesize sculpture, painting, and architecture into a coherent conceptual and visual whole. This flair for drama not only influenced his architecture and sculpture, but also led to his designing of stage sets and theatrical machinery, as well as a wide variety of decorative art objects including lamps, tables, mirrors, and even horse-drawn coaches epitomizing the Baroque love of detail and the ornate.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |