Bernini, << buhr NEE nee, >> Gian Lorenzo (1598-1680), an Italian sculptor, was probably the most famous artist of the 1600’s. He was an outstanding interpreter of the baroque, a highly ornamental style. He also wrote comedies, painted portraits, and was an architect.
Bernini’s intensely dramatic baroque style appears in many of his works, notably his sculptures for the Cornaro Chapel in Rome. The chapel altarpiece becomes a stage where an angel is poised to drive an arrow into the heart of a swooning Saint Teresa. Bernini also created realistic works, particularly in his portraits. His best-known architecture, the great plaza of St. Peter’s Basilica, is shaped to symbolize the church’s welcoming embrace. His bronze canopy with its twisted columns shelters the high altar in St. Peter’s.
Bernini was born in Naples on Dec. 15, 1598. He died on Nov. 28, 1680.
