3.1 - Artwork of architecture and sculpture in Rome Flashcards
by maderno.
The church´s most visible effort was the continued work on St. Peter´s Basilica . The work was initiated by Pope Julius II in 1502. In 1607 Pope Paul V commisioned Carlo Maderno to convert Michelangelo´s unfinished greek-cross plan into a latin cross plan complete with a new facade. There was a practical reason for this : the long nave of the latin cross plan provided space for more people to attend services.
Maderno´s facade followed Michelangelo´s conception of using the colossal order to unite the stories and of topiing the entrance with a triangular pediment . In fact his composition is even more theatrical than michelangelo intended. Pope Paul V conceived the church facade as a backdrop to his own public appearances and required a balcony. A crescendo rises from the sides of the facade toward the central portal, generating a dramatic baroque effect.
Gianlorenzo Bernini.
After maderno died, Pope Urban VIII replaced him with gianlorenzo bernini. He considered himself a classicist, but fused his classicism with extraordinary drama and emotion.
He designed and supervised the building of a colonnade (row of columns) in front of st. peters´. beginnng in 2 straight covered walkways (porticoes), the doric columns extend down a slight incline from the church facade, then swerve into 2 curved porticoes, surrounding the open space of the piazza. forgoing the square and circular forms of the renaissance, bernini´s colonnade uses the more dynamic ellipse and trapezoid. in the center of the oval plaza stands an obelisk (four-sided shaft topped by a pyramid. From there , lines on the pavement radiate out to the colonnade. Finally, surmounting each inner column is a different statue, creating an irregular silhouette along the top of the colonnade.
By bernini.
Carved in 1623 and a good comparison to michelangelo´s high renaissance david.
Michelangelo´s david seems restrained. Bernini captures the split second before David flings the stone that kills goliath , implying a second figure to complete the action. David´s pose and facial expression charge the space surrounding the sculpture with tension, so effectively that people viewing the statue avoid standing between david and his implied target.
By bernini.
Most impressive sculpture created to celebrate the life of a counter-reformation saint. He designed it for the cornaro chapel of santa maria della vittoria in rome and positioned it in an oval niche above the altar, framed by green marble pilasters. created between 1645 and 1652. abandoning renaissance restraint, bernini captres the sensuality of her ecstacy.
By francesco borromini.
the interior of the church was designed between 1638 and 1641, and the facade between 1665 and 1667.
Deviating from the classical tradition, the columns are are of no known order. instead borromini designed a new order of his own. rather than building with the traditional flat surfaces of ancient architecture, he made the stone facade seem elastic, curving in and out, the stone appearing to undulate in a serpentine motion. the facade is so 3d that it almost becomes sculpture.
He designed it with a double facade, a clever solution to a practical problem. the church faces so small an intersection that it is not possible to stand back far enough to view the facade entirely. His double facade divides the surface into 2 smaller compositions, yet the entablature of the lower story forms the balcony of the upper story (typical of the baroque concern for unity of design).
his extravagant style was popular.
