Bernini: Genius of the Baroque

Bernini: Genius of the Baroque by Avery, Charles. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780500286333.

A beautifully illustrated testament to this great Baroque sculptorCharles Avery. Gianlorenzo Bernini was one of the greatest artists of all time. World-famous for his uniquely powerful works of sculpture, he was also a virtuoso draftsman, a pioneering caricaturist, and a designer of gorgeous fountain displays. He even wrote plays. Bernini virtually created Baroque Rome. Without his contributions, we could not walk across the Ponte SantAngelo escorted by the angelic statuary that he designed for its balustrades. The Basilica of St. Peter would not have the sonorous crescendo of Berninis bronze Baldacchino over St. Peters tomb. We could not enjoy the huge splashing water display and vigorous drama of the figures on his Fountain of the Four Rivers in the Piazza Navona. Using much previously unpublished research, Charles Avery traces Berninis career from his brilliant beginnings to his last mature works, including his architecture, and pays special attention to his techniques in drawing, modeling, and carving. 400 illustrations, 80 in color.