Gian Lorenzo Bernini: Baroque Master's Life and Key Works

Gian Lorenzo Bernini, born in Naples on December 7, 1598, was a prodigy trained in his father Pietro Bernini's workshop. He worked for Pope Paul V and Cardinal Scipione Borghese from 1618 to 1624, and later for Pope Urban VIII. A devout Catholic, Bernini supported the Counter-Reformation through emotionally engaging Baroque art. In 1665, he traveled to Paris at Louis XIV's invitation to redesign the Louvre, though none of his four projects were accepted; he created a marble portrait of the king instead. Bernini had a notorious affair with Costanza Bonarelli, wife of his assistant, and after she had an affair with his brother Luigi, he nearly killed Luigi and had Costanza's face slashed, escaping punishment due to papal protection. His rivalry with Francesco Borromini is well-known. Key works include 'Apollo and Daphne' (1622–1625, Galleria Borghese), capturing Daphne's transformation into a laurel tree; 'David' (1623–1624, Galleria Borghese), showing the biblical hero in mid-action with expressive torsion; 'Ecstasy of Saint Teresa' (1647–1652, Santa Maria della Vittoria), depicting the saint's spiritual rapture with theatrical Cornaro family spectators; 'Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi' (1648–1651, Piazza Navona), representing four major rivers; and Saint Peter's Square (1665–1667), with a colonnade of 284 columns and 140 saint sculptures symbolizing the church's embrace.