Spectacle, Patronage, and the Jesuits in Baroque Rome-Teresa Berner

Here we are, the last blogpost of this four week series. The time I spent here in Rome was one the most educational experiences of my life.  Actually being in the presence of these works of art that I have learned about over the course of my life has been surreal. This week was no different.

This week was all about the spectacle, patronage, and the Jesuits in Baroque Rome.

The most evident spot of Jesuit patronage and spectacle that we went to this week was the church of S. Vitale. It is an ancient church that was renovated by the Jesuits during the Catholic Reformation. The Jesuits knew that they had to educate people about the reforms of the Catholic Church. They thought that by reminding the public about Catholic martyrs who showed the ultimate sign of faith by dying for their beliefs, people would be inspired to come back to the church. Along the walls of the nave are paintings of different martyrs. There are paintings of the martyrdom of St. Vitale in the apse of the church. S. Vitale was the perfect patron saint for the church because of torment that he went through. This is a great example of Mannerist painting after the rules of church painting were re-established. The Mannerists came after the Renaissance and before the Baroque. Their compositions were characterized by bright colors and elongated, complex figures. After the Catholic reformation, the mannerists were told to make their art more modest and understandable to the common viewer. 

The Mannerist movement brought about the characteristics of the Baroque period. A Baroque artists who had a personal connection with a Mannerists was Bernini. His father, Pietro Bernini, was a mannerist sculptor who taught Bernini about the art of sculpting. Bernini was commissioned to make a several things works which include the Triton fountain found at the Barberini stop on the metro. Pope Urban VIII commissioned him to make Bernini’s first freestanding fountain. It evokes classical antiquity through the subject of Triton who was the son of the Greek god Poseidon. It is a dramatic depiction of Triton blowing on the spiral conch shell to send a message to Poseidon. The size of the figure is larger than life by itself and it is also placed on top of a shell held by four large dolphins. The papal stemma of Urban VIII along with his family symbol of the Barberini bees can be seen on two sides of the fountain. This shows  patronage while also creating a spectacle for everyone to see. 

After the failure of the St. Peter’s bell towers, Bernini needed to regain his reputation. The sculpture of the Ecstasy of St. Teresa of Avila in the church of S. Maria della Vittoria did just that. This is the textbook example of Baroque sculpture. The altar as a whole was designed by Bernini and contains elements of sculpture, painting, and stain glass. The sculpture itself shows Bernini’s talent with marble. The whole statue is made out of the same marble yet it has different textures. The angel seems to be weightless even though it is made out of marble. The angel’s clothing is light and diaphanous reflecting the heavenly realm. St. Teresa is weighted down by gravity and material world. Her clothing is depicted as thick and heavy. The cloud is that she lays on is also a grainy texture while her skin is smooth. The rays of light behind the two figures also represents the heavenly realm. There is a play with natural light through a window that is above the statue. This goes with the motif of heavenly verses earthly worlds. The reason why this sculpture was commissioned for this church in particular also had to do with the Catholic reformation. Cardinal Scipione Borghese commissioned the building of this church to symbolize the victory of Catholicism over Protestantism. In a way, this church symbolizes both the victory Catholicism and also Bernini. 

A contemporary of Bernini was Borromini. Borromini was to Bernini as Michelangelo was to Rafael. He was an innovative architect that did not get along well with others. Although he was not likable, his ideas were revolutionary even if not thought at the time. He designed the church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane which one of his more well known works. He created an undulating facade on the outside which was something that was never seen before. The church is based off a traditional Greek plan, but stretched into an oval. He designed this church using geometry and shapes that do not seem to go together like triangles and circles. The harmonious opposition of the intersecting triangles and circles create a flowing form that reflects the harmonies of music. Everything is calculated and crisply carved. All of the rosettes were individually carved yet do not clash with each other. The San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane is not just a church, it is a depiction of intense mathematics and advanced architecture. 

This whole trip was one great experience made up of several great experiences. I am sad that it is over , but happy that it happened. 

For the last time…

Ciao for now!