Yesterday we spent three hours with an art teacher whose thesis was on Gian Bernini. Our teacher's family has spent several centuries in Rome. We studied two pieces of art.The ecstacy of Saint Teresa found in the church Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome sculpted in 1652 and the Triton fountain in Berberini square.Bernini like so many of the Italian artists was sponsered by various Popes and wealthy families. He became a "rock star" of art. He was well known in his own day. When he came into various towns the townsmen filed along the roads to catch a glimpse of him. He was a child prodigy creating masterpieces at the age of eleven. Bernini was very much influenced by Michaelangelo who was a renaisance painter. But Bernini went a step further and created a whole new school of art known as the Baroque. His figures were energetic, the bodies were active and appear to move. He was able to catch their emotions The statue of Saint Teresa was commisioned by a very wealthy family. In their time the way to immortalize your family was to build a chapel. In this case no expense was spared. The gold rays that are behind the angel are pure gold. This work memorialized the point of death of Saint Teresa who was in religious ecstacy at the realization of being raised to heaven by the angel. The rarest and most expensive marbles were used. It was an incredible experience to view this beautiful piece of art.
