Week 12—Rhetoric of Unity

Rhetoric of Unity: High Baroque Art and Architecture in Papal Rome

Urban VIII Barberini (1623-1644)

• sees to the throne of Peter
• first thing he did was to acquire Bernini from Cardinal Scippione

Innocent X Pamphili (1644-1655)

Alexander VII Chigi (1655-1667)

• becomes premier papal architect after innocent X
• continues work at St. Peters

S. Pietro in Vaticano

Gianlorenzo Bernini, Architetto della fabbrica, 1629

• becomes Head of the Fabric of St. Peters…accrues commissions faster than he can execute them
• many times the ideas are created by the architect, and then completed by others…due to the nature of the work itself and the location
• tries to organize a number of different workshops in order to facilitate his oversight of work

Baldacchino, 1624-33

• a.k.a. the canopy
• commissioned to do this as well as the sculpture for the four niches— he would create one sculpture and then execute it for the rest to be done by someone else
• involved Bernini in many elements that were new to him:
  • casting bronze on a scale so large as he envisioned in the space
    • took 3 years to cast the columns—because of height, excessive weight, and an amount of a very expensive material that is not normally used for art…so he learns to manipulate the materials to make them look as though they’re solid
• thinks about architecture as though it is figural sculpture…implying narrative references
  • true cross is framed by column s that relic old st. peters
  • references Temple of Solomon as well
• realizes how to display his mastery of sculpture in his architecture as well:
  • draping of the tassels
  • detailing in the spiral columns (olive branches)…gilded actual olive branches that burnt out in the casting
  • bee’s in the column as well—Barberini Bees…showing over the canopy of the grave of Peter
  • accidentally puts cracks into the dome—he was highly criticized

Towers, 1641-46

• would’ve acted as framework for Michelangelo’s dome, but the cracks worsened so the work was stopped and then the work that was done was then pulled down

Cathedra Petri, 1657-66

Piazza, 1657-67

Scala Regia, 1663-66

Cornaro Chapel,

• creates a framework for the altarpiece in the chapel
• cardinal _______ comissions
• dynamic spatial quality initiated by early baroque architecture with alternation between concave/convex forms. the niches and paired columns are set on an angle, then another pair is brought forward…etc…
• created faux architectural spaces (as seen in theaters) to reference people who may be watching
• desire to create stronger emotion, a more explicit representation of stakes and morality
• ecstasy of st. theresa
  • places you perspectively into the room, and then pulls you in to look at the action that was going on
  • creates a dynamic, spiritual theater…the framework acts as an object to put you into a space, as well as becoming a part of the piece

Piazza Navona (“Centro Pamphili”)

S. Agnese, 1652-66

• architect who ends up completing the facade is Francesco Borromini
• treatment of urban spaces continues along the same lines of Sixus V
• continues marking public spaces with important obelisks and columns
• reoriented as the facade didn’t used to be on the piazza side, but the side opposite of it

Beg. by Carlo and Girolamo Rainaldi, cont. 1653-57 by Francesco Borromini, compl. by Carlo Rainaldi (1611-1691)

Bernini, Fountain of the Four Rivers, 1648-51

• commission for new, centralized fountain (including the obelisk)
• relationship of fountain to the rest of the urban space—elevates the obelisk to an even higher position
• executes a number of terra cotta models for reference
• has to create different water effects as well as different sculptural effects

Bernini

S. Andrea al Quirinale, 1658-ca.62

Sculpture- Antonio Raggi, Painting- Guglielmo Cortese

Palazzo Chigi, 1664, Piazza dei SS. Apostoli

The Louvre

• incorporates motifs from windows
• straight lentils on bottom story also has indicators of basement level
• monumental order is 2-story— becomes almost a public rather than a private statement to have the orders on residence
• it is essentially a problem of scale, because it is on such a large scale that some of the elements/compositions have to be manipulated so there isn’t a big boring block look to the building
• recession of bays on either side, and then projection of the end wings (imitates medieval castle and palace types—the extension is a protection thing—but it also might be recognizing the French)
• horizontal roofline imitates italian style

French vs. Italian Style in horses….very different