George Rodriguez week 3
This blog post was written by George Rodriguez. This week we covered a whole lot in one day and not necessarily in chronological order. Trying to keep artists and styles in their proper place proved to be a difficult but worthwhile challenge. The locations were all stunning but the art within the places were the true treasures, particularly at the Borghese Gallery and Museum where Cardinal Scipione Borghese kept his private collection. Because of the sheer number of fantastic artists featured at the Borghese Gallery, we will start there.
The first artist we will look at will be Tiziano Vecelli, better known as Titian. He was an extremely talented Italian painter who had a wide range of skills that allowed him to masterfully paint everything from portraits, to landscape backgrounds, to mythological to religious subjects. He was not of Rome or Florence as most masterful painters of this period were, Titian was in fact of the Venetian school of painters. He was so good at his craft that among his peers he was known as "The Sun Amidst the Stars". He made waves by doing portrait work for big names in royalty which included the likes of King Phillip II of Spain and the holy roman emperor Charles V. Eventually, his work was recognized by the papacy and Pope Paul III who had him do portraits of himself and his grandsons. What really made Titian standout amongst a crowd of standouts was his application of color, giving his portraits a softly lit tone that was a departure from the harsher lighting of Renaissance artists like Michelangelo. Several of Titian's pieces were on display at the Borghese, but arguably his most important piece there was "Sacred and Profane Love", the meaning of which experts are still unsure of. This ambiguity worked in Borghese's favor, as it allowed him to start conversations with visitors to his lovely hideaway.
Borghese was no stranger to scandals, many criticized him on his near-public gay affairs and picked up on possible homoerotic overtones in some of the art he collected. Despite being such a controversial figure, the legacy he leaves behind in his gallery as well as the artists who were able to continue producing pieces because of his sponsorship shows he was a true patron of the arts. One individual who seemingly shaped the walls of Rome was Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Possibly the greatest sculptor in all of western history, many of Bernini's works decorate the halls of the Borghese Galleria, including Bernini's rendition of David which, while smaller, in my humble opinion is superior to Michelangelo's sculpture. While this may be a controversial statement to some, what puts Bernini's work above Michelangelo's is the Baroque presentation of David. The viewer feel as if, at any moment the statue could come to life and use his sling to defeat Goliath. The intensity in the face shows the power that David wields, the unseen Goliath allows the viewer to use their imagination to construct the giant for themselves while still making him feel present, the way that David looks so in the moment that he crosses the line between his world and ours with his toes ever so slightly passing beyond the base upon which he was constructed, it all comes together in a triumphant marvel of art. Beyond all that, Bernini's David piece is viewable at any angle. It feels as if it has been plucked directly from the Old Testament and simply frozen before our eyes. While Michelangelo's piece is certainly three dimensional, it has a very particular angle at which it can best be viewed. Another brilliant Bernini piece on display was nothing short of moving. It is terrifying in the most astounding of ways, it is known as "The Rape of Proserpina". The subject matter is absolutely gut wrenching, both subjects have these incredibly human looks on their faces, Proserpina in particular has a broken look of terror as she fights back against the lustful Pluto. What is more impressive than the face work though are the details within the marble that make the viewer question whether or not the piece is marvel at all. The way that Pluto's hands dig into the side and thigh of Proserpina trick the eyes into seeing flesh where there is stone. It is perhaps one of the best Baroque sculptures done by Bernini and it was completed when he was just twenty-three years old, showing how much genius and skill this gentleman was capable of.
All in all, I believe the Vatican museum had the best paintings between Raphael's stanza and the Sistine chapel. However the sculpting done by Bernini up on display at the Borghese Gallery is unmatched in quality and truly represents the drama and dynamics of Baroque art.
The first artist we will look at will be Tiziano Vecelli, better known as Titian. He was an extremely talented Italian painter who had a wide range of skills that allowed him to masterfully paint everything from portraits, to landscape backgrounds, to mythological to religious subjects. He was not of Rome or Florence as most masterful painters of this period were, Titian was in fact of the Venetian school of painters. He was so good at his craft that among his peers he was known as "The Sun Amidst the Stars". He made waves by doing portrait work for big names in royalty which included the likes of King Phillip II of Spain and the holy roman emperor Charles V. Eventually, his work was recognized by the papacy and Pope Paul III who had him do portraits of himself and his grandsons. What really made Titian standout amongst a crowd of standouts was his application of color, giving his portraits a softly lit tone that was a departure from the harsher lighting of Renaissance artists like Michelangelo. Several of Titian's pieces were on display at the Borghese, but arguably his most important piece there was "Sacred and Profane Love", the meaning of which experts are still unsure of. This ambiguity worked in Borghese's favor, as it allowed him to start conversations with visitors to his lovely hideaway.
Borghese was no stranger to scandals, many criticized him on his near-public gay affairs and picked up on possible homoerotic overtones in some of the art he collected. Despite being such a controversial figure, the legacy he leaves behind in his gallery as well as the artists who were able to continue producing pieces because of his sponsorship shows he was a true patron of the arts. One individual who seemingly shaped the walls of Rome was Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Possibly the greatest sculptor in all of western history, many of Bernini's works decorate the halls of the Borghese Galleria, including Bernini's rendition of David which, while smaller, in my humble opinion is superior to Michelangelo's sculpture. While this may be a controversial statement to some, what puts Bernini's work above Michelangelo's is the Baroque presentation of David. The viewer feel as if, at any moment the statue could come to life and use his sling to defeat Goliath. The intensity in the face shows the power that David wields, the unseen Goliath allows the viewer to use their imagination to construct the giant for themselves while still making him feel present, the way that David looks so in the moment that he crosses the line between his world and ours with his toes ever so slightly passing beyond the base upon which he was constructed, it all comes together in a triumphant marvel of art. Beyond all that, Bernini's David piece is viewable at any angle. It feels as if it has been plucked directly from the Old Testament and simply frozen before our eyes. While Michelangelo's piece is certainly three dimensional, it has a very particular angle at which it can best be viewed. Another brilliant Bernini piece on display was nothing short of moving. It is terrifying in the most astounding of ways, it is known as "The Rape of Proserpina". The subject matter is absolutely gut wrenching, both subjects have these incredibly human looks on their faces, Proserpina in particular has a broken look of terror as she fights back against the lustful Pluto. What is more impressive than the face work though are the details within the marble that make the viewer question whether or not the piece is marvel at all. The way that Pluto's hands dig into the side and thigh of Proserpina trick the eyes into seeing flesh where there is stone. It is perhaps one of the best Baroque sculptures done by Bernini and it was completed when he was just twenty-three years old, showing how much genius and skill this gentleman was capable of.
All in all, I believe the Vatican museum had the best paintings between Raphael's stanza and the Sistine chapel. However the sculpting done by Bernini up on display at the Borghese Gallery is unmatched in quality and truly represents the drama and dynamics of Baroque art.
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