What's Up? Comparing ceiling paintings in Rome
Jimmy Guardiola
In the month we spent in Rome, we saw countless amazing pieces of art. The oldest and most spectacular sculptures, the most intricate sarcophagi, the most colorful paintings, and the most breathtaking architectural achievements. All in all, however, the greatest things I saw consistently were the ceiling paintings. Whether fresco or canvas, it seemed that everyone one we saw was better than the last. It is impossible to register and memorize all the art contained in one single church. Most churches of ceiling works in the main naive, in each chapel, the cupola, the transepts, and the apse. Though I can spend hours talking about each, for this, I will focus on the ones located in the main naive. The very first thing you seem with great detail as you look up when entering a church. I'm going to be comparing my two favorite pieces. one actually is from a church, however, the second in located in a famous palazzo. The first is "The Triumph of the Name of Jesus" the main fresco of the Gesu by Giovanni Battista Gaulli. The second is "The Allegory of Divine Providence and Barberini Power" by Pietro da Cortona located in one of the rooms of Palazzo Barberini. Both are major baroque pieces. originally, I thought to compare band contrast works from different eras but overall, I found that to be too easy. The baroque period was exploding with so much art at this time that you could find differences grand in enough in two pieces from the same year as two pieces from different eras before.
First, we will take a look at the piece in the Gesu. What I love about this piece is that it perfectly balances painting with sculpture. Around the frame we see stone angles around given support but towards the upper half, it seems as is the painting leaks out of the frame. figures and angles in clouds branch out of the frame in additional pieces of plaster extending on the ceiling. At the ends of these extensions, we see more stone figures, some halfway between stone and paint. I believe this really gives a new sense to living art as the figures are transitioning from a grounded three dimensional sculptures to heavenly figures basking in the light of the most holy name of Jesus at the peak of the fresco. At the bottom of the piece, we see another extension. These people that are spilling out seem to be more in the shadows, as if they are falling out of heaven. These are the damned, the ones who did not except Jesus into their hearts so they are seen tumbling out of this glorious image back down to earth. Returning to the center of the image, we see all these figures in these clouds looking up at a bright light. Closer to the light we see angles and cherubs dancing and flying around this great big light as bright as the sun. In the center of this light we see the Jesuit Christogram for the name of Christ IHS with a cross above the H. This elevates the most holy of Jesus as the most important thing to the Jesuits. This work is amazing for its use of light and shadows and its "drawing outside the lines" approach to really exaggerate the drama of this scene.
Now on to Cortona. This fresco is massive and bursting with color and detail. It contains a quadratra which is a force perspective technique where architecture such as pillars and arches are painted in a way that makes the ceiling appear to open up and rise even higher, sometimes almost endlessly into the heavens. This piece was pained for the Barberini's and depicts them in a divine status. It was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII to showcase the power of the Barberini family and the soon to be election of cardinal Barberini to Pope. On the outside section, we see scenes of Roman mythology. Nymphs, garlands, bucrania, and mermen are seen around. Scenes of Minerva are also present. Then we see the pillars that have wonderful painted sculptures in them rising to the "Second level" at the inner corners, we see scenes of the virtues Fortitude, Temperance, Prudence and Justice. In the middle we see angle carrying the papal triple tiara and the papal keys as well as a wreath in which the center contains the Barberini bees. This is used to showcase the dive power of this family. essentially handing over the keys of heaven to the Barberini family. This pieces contains so much image from classical antiquity, biblical text, papal stemma, and of course the presence of the Barberini family. The colors are exquisite and stand out wherever you look. It truly is one of the most incredible frescoes in all of Rome.
With both of these works, we get a true sense of the exaggerated drama, colors, movement, emotion etc, that baroque art tries to capture. we also get a look into the evolution of baroque as the works are about thirty years apart. The interesting difference in style is that Cortona focused more on bold vibrant colors and extreme detail to literally every figure and scene throughout the entire piece. The quadratura is also one of the best really showing how the ceiling can almost literally open up to the heavens. Gaulli focused more on lightening and we seen a huge contrast between the almost blinding light of the holy name to the shadows underneath figures and the clouds they stand upon. we especially see the darkness fall upon the damn as they fall out of this glorious and holy scene, What is also interesting Gaulli is that he literally thinks outside the box. by adding those extensions and sculpture work around the piece as a whole, he really breathes new life to this fresco. It is easy to see why both can be considered some of the greatest works. One can argue that they match or even surpass Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel.
In the month we spent in Rome, we saw countless amazing pieces of art. The oldest and most spectacular sculptures, the most intricate sarcophagi, the most colorful paintings, and the most breathtaking architectural achievements. All in all, however, the greatest things I saw consistently were the ceiling paintings. Whether fresco or canvas, it seemed that everyone one we saw was better than the last. It is impossible to register and memorize all the art contained in one single church. Most churches of ceiling works in the main naive, in each chapel, the cupola, the transepts, and the apse. Though I can spend hours talking about each, for this, I will focus on the ones located in the main naive. The very first thing you seem with great detail as you look up when entering a church. I'm going to be comparing my two favorite pieces. one actually is from a church, however, the second in located in a famous palazzo. The first is "The Triumph of the Name of Jesus" the main fresco of the Gesu by Giovanni Battista Gaulli. The second is "The Allegory of Divine Providence and Barberini Power" by Pietro da Cortona located in one of the rooms of Palazzo Barberini. Both are major baroque pieces. originally, I thought to compare band contrast works from different eras but overall, I found that to be too easy. The baroque period was exploding with so much art at this time that you could find differences grand in enough in two pieces from the same year as two pieces from different eras before.
First, we will take a look at the piece in the Gesu. What I love about this piece is that it perfectly balances painting with sculpture. Around the frame we see stone angles around given support but towards the upper half, it seems as is the painting leaks out of the frame. figures and angles in clouds branch out of the frame in additional pieces of plaster extending on the ceiling. At the ends of these extensions, we see more stone figures, some halfway between stone and paint. I believe this really gives a new sense to living art as the figures are transitioning from a grounded three dimensional sculptures to heavenly figures basking in the light of the most holy name of Jesus at the peak of the fresco. At the bottom of the piece, we see another extension. These people that are spilling out seem to be more in the shadows, as if they are falling out of heaven. These are the damned, the ones who did not except Jesus into their hearts so they are seen tumbling out of this glorious image back down to earth. Returning to the center of the image, we see all these figures in these clouds looking up at a bright light. Closer to the light we see angles and cherubs dancing and flying around this great big light as bright as the sun. In the center of this light we see the Jesuit Christogram for the name of Christ IHS with a cross above the H. This elevates the most holy of Jesus as the most important thing to the Jesuits. This work is amazing for its use of light and shadows and its "drawing outside the lines" approach to really exaggerate the drama of this scene.
Now on to Cortona. This fresco is massive and bursting with color and detail. It contains a quadratra which is a force perspective technique where architecture such as pillars and arches are painted in a way that makes the ceiling appear to open up and rise even higher, sometimes almost endlessly into the heavens. This piece was pained for the Barberini's and depicts them in a divine status. It was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII to showcase the power of the Barberini family and the soon to be election of cardinal Barberini to Pope. On the outside section, we see scenes of Roman mythology. Nymphs, garlands, bucrania, and mermen are seen around. Scenes of Minerva are also present. Then we see the pillars that have wonderful painted sculptures in them rising to the "Second level" at the inner corners, we see scenes of the virtues Fortitude, Temperance, Prudence and Justice. In the middle we see angle carrying the papal triple tiara and the papal keys as well as a wreath in which the center contains the Barberini bees. This is used to showcase the dive power of this family. essentially handing over the keys of heaven to the Barberini family. This pieces contains so much image from classical antiquity, biblical text, papal stemma, and of course the presence of the Barberini family. The colors are exquisite and stand out wherever you look. It truly is one of the most incredible frescoes in all of Rome. With both of these works, we get a true sense of the exaggerated drama, colors, movement, emotion etc, that baroque art tries to capture. we also get a look into the evolution of baroque as the works are about thirty years apart. The interesting difference in style is that Cortona focused more on bold vibrant colors and extreme detail to literally every figure and scene throughout the entire piece. The quadratura is also one of the best really showing how the ceiling can almost literally open up to the heavens. Gaulli focused more on lightening and we seen a huge contrast between the almost blinding light of the holy name to the shadows underneath figures and the clouds they stand upon. we especially see the darkness fall upon the damn as they fall out of this glorious and holy scene, What is also interesting Gaulli is that he literally thinks outside the box. by adding those extensions and sculpture work around the piece as a whole, he really breathes new life to this fresco. It is easy to see why both can be considered some of the greatest works. One can argue that they match or even surpass Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel.
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