Rome Week 3

In this, the third week of our time in Rome we focused on art and artists from the 17th century. Here we see quite an evolution in art. Renaissance art is evolving to be more elaborated, ordain and complex. paintings no longer portray people as perfect representations of humanity. instead their flaws are shown in detail, rendering them more human. Caravaggio was the master of this when it came to painting. In terms of sculpting, we see true facial expressions and we see two or more figures cut from the same slab of marble interact with each other, touch each other in very impressive ways. We see frescoes literally jump out of the constraints of their borders, as seen in the Gesu. Painted figures leap into the walls, some turn to three dimensional sculptures, and some are caught in between. We see in this shift to the baroque that no expense is too great for the sake of art. We have been to the Gesu many, as it is our base church and classroom in Rome, however it wasn't until this week that we focused on the art. The most ironic thing is that Saint Ignatius and other Jesuits believed in simplicity and would not approve of highly ornate and expensive artworks in a church. This way of thinking originated from the answer to the protestant reformation, the Council of Trent. However, the Gesu, a church built to honor Ignatius and Jesuit values, is arguably the most ornate and richly decorated church in Rome. The tomb of Saint Ignatius himself contains, paintings, frescoes, sculptures, gold, bronze work, and one of the largest pieces of solid lapis lazuli in existence. It was here that we took our first step into baroque art as the Gesu is one of the first baroque churches in Rome.

We then get to finally elaborate on an artist we talked extensively about throughout this whole trip, Caravaggio. Born Michelangelo Merisi in 1571, he is considered the father of baroque painting. He often broke the rules of his fellow renaissance colleges. Most painters at the time would sketch first, apply to canvas, had color and layering and slowly flush out the full work of art. Caravaggio instead painted directly on canvas with no prep. It is the equivalent of shooting a masterpiece cinematic scene in one take. Caravaggio also perfectly captured expression in his painting and included physical flaws and blemishes to make his works more life like. We've come across his paintings in many places, Palazzo Barberini, the Vatican Museum, Santa Maria del Popolp, and Palazzo Borghese to name a view.

Lastly, we get to the great Bernini, another name we've hear all month long. Bernini was a great architect and sculptor from the 17th century. I am convinced he built and/or designed at least 60% of Rome. His sculptures are like Caravaggio paintings cut out of marble. Bernini too focused on expression and movement in his works. Bernini's David depicts the biblical figure seconds before firing the sling shot that would kill Goliath. His body is twisted, ready to fling the stone at the giant. his mouth is tucked in and his face tense, showcasing his intent and strength in delivering this final blow. My personal favorite work of Bernini's is his sculpture of Apollo and Daphne. the lovers begin to embrace but as the story goes, Daphne is being turned into a tree. Her fingers melt into her hair as they become leaves. Roots shoot from the ground and begin to entrap her lower body. her toes become elongated roots. It is a truly breathtaking masterpiece that truly shows the evolution of art that the baroque period represents. Both works were found in Borghese's gallery.

-Jimmy