Rebuilding The Renaissance

Napoleon's younger sister, Paolina Bonaparte, married Prince Camillo Borghese in 1803. One year later the prince commissioned Antonio Canova to carve his new wife as the mythological goddess of chastity, Diana. The licentious Paolina laughed off the suggestion claiming that no one would be believe her a virgin and chose to be represented scandalously as the semi-nude Venus instead. 

Carved in only a few months between 1800-1801, Canova's “Perseus Triumphant” is one of history's great sculptures. It exists in several versions, the most important of which are in the Vatican and Metropolitan Museums. Clearly inspired by Cellini's earlier version, Canova also depicts the Greek hero as he contemplates his victory over the Gorgon as he stares at her severed head. 

In 1802, Napoleon courted Antonio Canova to go to Paris to make a bust of him. Four years later, Canova instead completed an 11ft. (3.5m) free-standing idealized nude statue depicting Napoleon as the Roman god of war, Mars. Surprisingly, Napoleon was not pleased with the sculpture, describing it as “too athletic.” 

Carved by Antonio Canova in 1787 and today located in the Louvre Museum in Paris, the Neoclassical sculpture of “Cupid and Psyche” is one of history's most beautiful and popular sculptures. The romantic sculpture depicts Cupid cradling the head of his lover after reviving her from a supernatural slumber, while she reaches up to him preparing to receive a kiss. 

Antonio Canova was Europe's most famous artist round the year 1800. His sublime Neoclassical style sculptures – such as “Cupid and Psyche,” “”Perseus with the Head of Medusa,” and the “The Venus Victrix (Paolina Bonaparte)” - are some of the most beautiful in the history of art. This podcast will explore the life and career of the great Italian sculptor. 

One of Rome's most spectacular works of art is the illusionistic fresco that covers the ceiling of the church Sant'Ignazio. It was painted in 1685, covers nearly 40m of ceiling surface and depicts the “Glorification of St. Ignatius of Loyola” in an extraordinary example of trompe-l'oeil perspectival painting. 

Located on the famous Via Veneto in Rome, Italy, the 17th-century Capuchin Crypt is one of the world's most unique examples of funerary decoration. It consists of a series of rooms decorated with human bones! Each room has a different theme based on the type of bone used – skulls, pelvises, leg bones, etc., resulting in an absolutely fascinating – some might say macabre – display of human creativity!

Built between 1723 and 1725, the Spanish Steps in Rome, Italy, are one of the most famous staircases in the world. Consisting of 135 stairs spread over different levels, the steps were immortalized in the famous movie “Roman Holiday” and today are one of the most popular destinations of the “eternal City.”

The Trevi Fountain is arguably the world's most famous fountain! It was designed in 1732 by the Roman architect Nicola Salvi for a competition staged by Pope Clement XII. Rushing water passes through massive allegorical sculptures and blocks of stones into a massive stone basin in a uniquely dramatic fashion. 

From how many paintings Caravaggio produced, to visiting Florence at Easter time, to how form and color were applied in Renaissance painting, to an overlooked equestrian monument, to finding the wooden beams in Brunelleschi's dome, to the model used by Leonardo da Vinci in three of his most famous paintings, and much, much more - this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great art, artists and history of the Italian Renaissance.

In 1653, Borromini was asked by Pope Innocent X to take over the building of his family church of Sant'Agnese in Agone in Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy. The result was a revolutionary façade design that tragically was not realized according to Borromini's plans. 

Borromini began construction on another of his architectural masterpieces, the church of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza in Rome, Italy, in 1642 for Pope Urban VIII. His curvilinear façade, bulging drum, and spiraling lantern are all eye-popping aspects of his design. But it is the extraordinary floor plan of the church which makes it unique – an equilateral triangle with semi-circular niches along its sides and corners cut off by inward swinging arcs. 

In 1637, Francesco Borromini designed and began building an oratory – a place for public worship and musical performances – for the followers of St. Phillip Neri, known as the “Filippini.” The façade of this oratory is another of Borromini's visionary architectural projects with its curved plan and unorthodox sculptural elements. 

The cloister and façade of the church complex San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane (better known in Rome as “San Carlino”) are two of the most beautiful and revolutionary aspects of Borromini's design for this project. 

The church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane (1634) - better known to the Romans as San Carlino (“little St. Charles”) due to its small size - is one of the most revolutionary in the history of art and introduces the new architectural vision of a Baroque genius named Francesco Borromini.

Francesco Borromini is celebrated as the greatest architectural genius of the Baroque age. This podcast shall examine his life, career, and rivalry with the great Gian Lorenzo Bernini. 

On November 28, 1680,  the 82-year-old Bernini passed away. His spectacular career was nearly 70 years long, during which he worked for 8 different popes. Only Michelangelo surpassed him in terms of lifespan and papal patrons! This podcast looks back on Bernini's career, his rather surprisingly modest tomb, and the great legacy that he left behind.

In 1672, Gian Lorenzo began the creation of the most spectacular papal tomb monument in St. Peter's Basilica – the “Tomb of Pope Alexander VII.” Located in the southern transept arm of the church, the monument depicts a pious figure of the pope kneeling in prayer, surrounded by four massive marble statues representing the virtues of Charity, Truth, Prudence, and Justice. But the most amazing aspect of the tomb is the stone drapery that wraps around the figures and from which a winged figure of death emerges!

Carved in the last decade of Bernini's life, the monument to Blessed Ludovica Albertoni shows that Bernini had not lost his touch in his later years. As sensual and beautiful as his more celebrated earlier works such as “Apollo and Daphne” or “Ecstasy of St. Teresa,” the “Blassed Ludovica Albertoni” depicts the mystic in an ecstatic state of union with God.

In 1669, at the age of 71, Gian Lorenzo Bernini was commissioned by Pope Clemet IX to renovate the most important pilgrimage bridge in Rome, the Ponte Sant'Angelo. Bernini planned on installing 10 spectacular statues of angels holding the instruments of the passion, only two of which were ultimately carved by Bernini.

Completed in 1667 and located in front of the church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in Rome, Italy, Bernini's “Elephant” is a powerful symbol combining Egyptian lore and Roman power. The elephant was designed as an imaginative base for the ancient Egyptian obelisk from the 6th century BCE.

From why the façade of San Lorenzo was never completed, to the use of the “golden ratio” in the Medici Palace, to the speed of Caravaggio's painting technique and his use of the camera obscura, to future podcasts on Sofonisba Anguissola and Artemisia Gentileschi,  to why Bramante is considered the first High Renaissance architect, and much, much more - this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great art, artists and history of the Italian Renaissance!

Although commissioned while Bernini was in Paris in 1665, Bernini did not work on the statue until he returned to Rome. When it was finally delivered to Paris 20 years later, it was immediately rejected by the king, who vowed to destroy it!

In April of 1665, Gian Lorenzo Bernini was sent by Pope Alexander VII to the court of King Louis XIV in Paris as a gesture of goodwill between monarchs. Although Bernini's main project was the design of the east façade of the Palace of the Louvre (which was eventually rejected, perhaps out of jealousy), the only work of art he created while in Paris was a spectacular marble bust of the “Sun King.”

Originally commissioned in 1654 by Pope Innocent X to be a free-standing statue in the Basilica of St. Peter, Bernini's “Vision of Constantine” was later incorporated into Bernini's Scala Regia. The marble statue represents – in typical Bernini dramatic fashion – the miraculous vision of Constantine who was shown a cross by an angel and told “In hoc signo vinces” (“In this sign, you will conquer”) on the eve of the momentous Battle of the Milvian Bridge.

In 1663, Pope Alexander VII commissioned Gian Lorenzo Bernini to restore and reinvent the official royal staircase – “Scala Regia” in Italian - leading up to the Apostolic Palace. The result was one of the world's most majestic and breathtaking staircases.

Gian Lorenzo Bernini was commissioned in 1658 by the nephew of the late Pope Innocent X to build the third Jesuit church in Rome. Sant' Andrea al Quirinale was Bernini's first church project, and he did not disappoint. The combination of convex and concave forms dressed in polychromed marbles, gilded stucco, plaster statues and dramatic paintings result in a stunning example of theatrical architecture.

In 1656, Gian Lorenzo Bernini was commissioned by Pope Alexander VII to design and build an appropriate forecourt to the Basilica of St. Peter, known as Piazza San Pietro (“St. Peter's Square”). The resulting space is one of the greatest triumphs of Baroque architecture, combining a trapezoidal space joining the façade of the basilica to Bernini's massive Doric order colonnades. St. Peter's Square is still one of the world's most famous piazzas.

In 1647, Gian Lorenzo began work on a monumental reliquary for an ancient wooden chair (“Cathedra Petri”) thought to have belonged to St. Peter himself.  The result was a spectacular ensemble of sculpture, gilded architecture, stained-glass and stucco that dominates the western apse of the great basilica.

In 1651, with the help of the niece of Pope Innocent X, Bernini was able to sneak his design for the “Fountain of the Four Rivers” into the Pamphilj Palace. When Innocent saw it, he realized that despite being excluded from the competition, Bernini was clearly Rome's greatest artist and deserved the commission for the fountain.  

Once the site of an ancient stadium used for athletics (“agones”), the Piazza Navona is arguably Rome's most famous piazza. It was renovated during the reign of Pope Innocent X in the middle of the 17th century and contains some of Rome's most spectacular monuments such as Bernini's “Fountain of the Four Rivers.”

The central sculpture of the Coronaro Chapel in Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome, Italy, is one of history's greatest statues. Bernini depicts the ecstatic heavenly experience of the Spanish nun, which is described in vivid detail in St. Teresa's autobiography.

In 1647, Gian Lorenzo Bernini was commissioned by Cardinal Federigo Coronaro to design a funerary chapel in the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome, Italy. While the actual sculpture of the saint's ecstatic experience is simply breathtaking, its architectural context is also magnificent. For the first time in his career, Bernini combines painting, sculpture, architecture, and stained glass to produce a milestone “composto” work that became a common theme in Baroque art.

Begun in 1645, one year after the death of his great patron Pope Urban VIII, the unfinished “Truth Unveiled by Time” is perhaps Bernini's most personal statue. He was carving it for himself as a visual expression of vindication against the slander against him by his rivals for his earlier mishap on the facade of St. Peter's.

Although commissioned in 1627, at the height of Bernini's involvement at St. Peter's, Bernini did not complete the tomb of Pope Urban VIII until 3 years after the pope's death. Inspired by Michelangelo's tombs in the New Sacristy in Florence, Italy, the tomb of Urban VIII was also the first sculptural work into which Bernini added color.

The spectacular “Triton Fountain” was carved by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1642 for Pope Urban VIII for the piazza named after him – the Piazza Barberini – in the heart of Rome. Made of travertine stone, the fountain depicts the sea god kneeling upon a shell blowing into a conch out of which water projects. The base of the statue consists of four rather scary-looking dolphins whose tails entwine the papal keys and Barberini coat of arms, which is a shield with three bumble bees on it.

Celebrating my 300th episode by answering your questions! From why we call him Titian in English instead of Tiziano to the influence of Donatello on Masaccio to why I dedicated so many podcasts to Caravaggio to the “Venus of the Beautiful Buttocks” to St. Peter's feet, and much, much more – this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great art, artists, and history of the Italian Renaissance!

In 1637, Pope Urban VIII decided to let his superstar artist, Gian Lorenzo Bernini realize a project that had been abandoned 25 years earlier – bell towers at either end of the façade of St. Peter's in Rome. The project would end up being the greatest failure of Bernini's long, illustrious career.

In 1627, Pope Urban VIII hired Carlo Maderno to design his new family palace in Rome. When Maderno died two years later, instead of assigning Maderno's nephew, the visionary architect Francesco Borromini, as architect, the pope gave the job to Gian Lorenzo Bernini. This may have been the beginning of the famous rivalry between the two architects.

In 1624, Pope Urban VIII commissioned Gian Lorenzo Bernini to carve a statue of the early Christian saint, virgin, and martyr St. Bibiana. The result is one of Bernini's most overlooked but by no means less beautiful statues.

Under the direction of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, head architect of St. Peter's, a group of sculptors closely associated with him produced three spectacular statues for the crossing piers of the church. These statues represent the three other most important relics of the Vatican – the largest piece of the “True Cross,” the Veil of Veronica (Sudarium), and the skull of St. Andrew.

In 1627, Bernini became the head architect of St. Peter's Basilica. His first project was to oversee the decoration of the great crossing piers of the church. Four different sculptors – including Bernini – each produced a large-scale sculpture of a saint. But it was Bernini's 4m tall marble statue of “St. Longinus” that stole the show. Its dramatic gesture, expression and drapery theatrically portray the spiritual conversion of the Roman soldier at the foot of the cross after piercing Christ's side with his lance.

Located directly in front of the high altar of St. Peter's and below Bernini's magnificent Baldacchino, Maderno's “Confessio” is an architectural stage that allows the faithful to revere the remains of St. Peter.  It consists of a beautiful marble balustrade, nearly 100 perpetually burning oil lamps and a double staircase leading down to the chapel of St. Peter's remains.

Commissioned in 1623 by Pope Urban VIII – whose coat of arms are ubiquitous throughout the monument - Bernini's Baldacchino was his first large-scale project. Standing over 100ft. tall, the bronze structure marks the central point of the great Basilica of St. Peter over the tomb of the first pope in spectacular fashion.  

Gian Lorenzo Bernini carved his statue of “David” in 1623 in only 7 months, interrupting his work working on the “Apollo and Daphne” to do so.  His “David” shows the young shepherd boy in the act of casting the stone with an assortment of symbols surrounding him. Perhaps the most striking feature of the statue is the concentrated expression on its face which tradition maintains is a self-portrait of Bernini.

In 1622, at the age of 24, Gian Lorenzo Bernini began carving his most spectacular sculpture, the “Apollo and Daphne,” for Cardinal Scipione Borghese. The marble statue magically demonstrates the transformation of the nymph Daphne into a laurel tree to escape the advances of the god Apollo.

Located in the Borghese Gallery in Rome, Italy, and carved when Bernini was only 23 years old, the spectacular “Pluto and Persephone” depicts the Greek myth which explains the cyclical seasons. Pluto, the god of the underworld, abducts Persephone. Eventually forced to release her, Pluto tricks Persephone in eating magical pomegranate seeds that will force her to spend part of the year with him in the underworld.

Carved when Bernini was only 20 years old for the powerful cardinal-nephew Scipione Borghese, the “Aeneas, Anchises and Ascanius” demonstrated the extraordinary talent of the sculptor to the world.  Mesmerizing special effects transform stone into stretching, malleable flesh, and textures that you can almost feel with your eyes!

Born in Naples in 1598, the sculptor, painter and architect, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, showed signs of genius from a very early age. He produced some of history's greatest sculptures, such as the “Apollo and Daphne” and the “Pluto and Persephone.” But he also blurred the lines between sculpture and architecture with massive works such as the “Baldacchino.” This podcast will trace the life and career of the greatest sculptor of the 17th century.

In 1608, the architect Carlo Maderno was commissioned by Pope Paul V to complete the Basilica of St. Peter by building its façade. That façade has been criticized for centuries for looking more like a palace façade than a church façade because of its emphasis on horizontality. This podcast explores the history and design of the of the most important church front in the world!

From Caravaggio's courtesan models to the “Michelangelo” kitchen drawing going up for sale for €8M, to the restoration of Masaccio's “Holy Trinity” and Brancacci Chapel frescoes, to my recommendations for art historical journals, to moving massive canvas paintings and much, much more – this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great art, artists, and history of the Italian Renaissance!