Bernini and the Art of Architecture

The work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) has virtually defined the Baroque style in the visual arts. Bernini's famous Square of St. Peter's and Scala Regia at the Vatican transformed the forecourt of the basilica and the vestibule of the Papal Palace into breathtaking theatrical sets. While Bernini is famous for his masterly integration of painting, sculpture, and architecture in one site -- in the Chapel of St. Teresa, for example -- most specialists tended to focus exclusively on his sculpture. T.A. Marder is the first to create an extensive narrative considering all of Bernini's architectural achievements and his art at these sites, along with an interpretation of their meaning. Full-color photography specially commissioned for this project shows the sites as they were meant to be seen in the 17th century; these pictures are complemented by relevant drawings and photos of related buildings by other architects. Professor Marder's lively text discusses the political and personal causes that shaped each commission, well as problems of construction, questions of interpretation, and consideration of the sculpture programs in each commission.