Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) sculptor,
architect, painter and playwright was the most influential artist of
seventeenth-century Rome and indeed, one of the leading creative forces in
European art for most of that century. He is universally recognised as one of
the creators of the vastly popular Roman Baroque style, which was quickly
disseminated throughout all of Europe. His influence lasted well beyond his
death, and the popularity of his numerous works: fountains, statues, churches,
and public squares is today as great as it was during his own lifetime, if not
more so.
I am a great fan of Bernini, and this book that I am presently reading is fascinating.
