Arielle Basel

Art 101
Prof. Ryan
Mid Term
Gian Lorenzo Bernini was an Italian Baroque artist, born in Naples. He was an early-born
artistic genius starting out at just the age of ten. Gian Lorenzo had a sort of affinity for making
his art work look as if they were in motion and feeling just as we would in that very moment. He
had a way of making marble sculptures look as if they were breathing and screaming a moment
ago. As good a painter as he was, he made glorious angelic paintings in a church he was
commissioned for, look like they walked right out of scripture. His architecture was one of the
first to bend around the sculptures they were encasing. Bernini had an eye for the arts like no
other; well renowned sculptor, architect, and painter. His huge forte for the arts made him a bit
arrogant about his works, even so cocky that he wouldnt listen to anyone elses advice. His rival
Francesco Borromini, once realized that one of Berninis architectural feats would not work,
being built on soggy ground, knowing that he would never listen, Borromini stayed quiet until
Bernini failed and he swooped in and stole the job out from under him. Bernini however, was
favored by the pope and had been awarded many jobs from him, leaving Borromini living in his
shadow. Like all other gentlemen, Bernini had a woman he was smitten with Costanza Bonarelli,
a full figured, busty woman that you can see was alluring as ever in his sculpture of her. He was
so smitten that in this very sculpture you can see how everything from her full lips to bust,
exposed by her open shirt, is perfected. Sadly, Bernini became mad-obsessed and believed she
was cheating with his brother. He found out this was true by staking out her house, chased his
own brother through the town and nearly beat him to death in the church. Since Bernini was
favored by the pope, it was his brother that was exiled. Later in life, you can see by Berninis
Angels that he became (hopefully) more spiritual.
Below are pictures of his sculptures of Apollo and Daphne and his rendition of his
lover The bust of Costanza Bonarelli. Baroque art is displayed in both of his pieces by the
motion, emotion, and life-like qualities displayed here. In Apollo and Daphne you can see the
motion as she tries to escape his grip and cries out with all her will to the gods to please take
mercy on her and get her away from this lustful man that wants to have his way with her. It is
shown how the gods finally take mercy on her and as he finally catches and grasps her, she is
transformed into a tree. Her delicate fingers begin to sprout leaves and her legs become a trunk
as he grasps her hip and she cries out in anguish. In The Bust of Costanza Bonarelli you can
see how he loved her, making her perfect. Her bust is showing just enough through the collar of
her shirt and is so perfect as if to say these are mine and her mouth is parted just so she looks like
she just drew a gasp of air in. These life-like, motion qualities in Berninis art, really allow you
to see the drama of the Baroque period.
Rembrandt Van Rijn was a Dutch Baroque artist. Not only was he a painter, but he was
also an etcher. He was born July 15, 1606 in Leiden, Holland and died October 4, 1669 in
Amsterdam, Holland. He began training as an artist when he was young and it spread from there.
Rembrandt not only painted self-portraits of the wealthy but also created master pieces of
landscapes where the influence of realism is found. Rembrandt had a way of creating shadows in
his paintings around an enlightening, light middle focal point.
Rembrandts painting The Stone Bridge done in 1638, is one of my favorites because
he has mastered the beauty of the landscape in this painting as the tree is seen to be the center
piece, while everything else is in shadow. The tree being the focal point in the painting, draws
you in and this is where you realize the realism present here as if he froze the scene for a brief
moment when the sun was shining, just right. This then shows the baroque style in the
chiaroscuro, the playfulness between the light and darkness, along with the realism.
Another of Rembrandts lovely paintings, The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, done in
1633, is a depiction of Jesus calming the Sea of Galilee. This painting, like The Stone Bridge
has a lightened center focal point with the shadows surrounding it. This has the focus on the
baroque style drama that is happening in that circle of light. The chiaroscuro is also seen here
with the contrast between the light and the dark parts of the painting.