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 300th Anniversary of the Death of Gian Lorenzo Bernini Self-Portrait of Bernini and Medallions Depicting: 80 L: Baldacchino at Saint Peter's 170 L: Saint Peter's Square with Third Wing (never completed) 250 L: Bronze Chair of Saint Peter 350 L: Apostolic Palace Stairway Scott 673-676 (1980) On October 16, 1980, Vatican City issued a four-stamp set commemorating the 300th anniversary of the death Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the Italian sculptor and architect who had a major impact on the art and architecture of the Vatican. Born on December 7, 1598 in Naples, Bernini was quickly recognized as a "childhood genius...and prodigy". As early as age eight, his skills were nurtured by his father, the Mannerist sculptor Pietro Bernini. His patrons hailed him as the "Michelangelo of his century". Our first thoughts of Bernini are likely connected to his architectural works at Saint Peter's, but his impact in the field of sculpture is equally prominent. Generally viewed as the leading sculptor of his day, he is credited with creating the Baroque style of sculpture. In the words of one scholar: "what Shakespeare is to drama, Bernini may be to sculpture". One of his most stunningly beautiful works is the "Ecstasy of Saint Teresa", which was depicted in sketch form on a Vatican City stamp from 1982. A Vatican Notes article from 2019 by art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon provides a review of this work by Bernini.  Ecstasy of Saint Teresa Drawing by Riccardo Tomasi-Ferrone Scott 711 (1982) Bernini's architectural legacy extends beyond the Vatican. He worked on both religious and civic buildings, as well as in urban design. However, his works at the Vatican stand out, including the Piazza San Pietro and the colonnades in front of St. Peter's Basilica. His interior decorations at the Basilica include the magnificent St. Peter's baldachin, the bronze columned canopy over the high altar of St. Peter's Basilica. His other significant works at the Vatican include the "Scala Regia", the monumental grand stairway entrance to the Vatican Palace, and the "Cathedra Petri", the Chair of Saint Peter, in the apse of St. Peter's. The artistic legacy of Bernini in the fields of architecture and sculpture (and to a lesser extent painting) spans most of the 17th century. His first documented sculpture is dated to 1609 (at age 11). His final work is dated to 1678. Bernini died in Rome on November 28, 1680. He is buried in a simple tomb in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome:  Tomb of Gian Lorenzo Bernini Photo by Nicholas Hartmann From Wikimedia Commons, used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license The inscriptions on the tomb read: "Gian Lorenzo Bernini / who ornamented the arts and the city / here humbly lies," and "The noble Bernini family / here / awaits the Resurrection." REFERENCES: |
