Sunday, 3 April 2011

Bernini's Masterpiece


Gian Lorenzo Bernini was born in Naples in 1598. He grew to be a master sculptor, painter and architect and an outstanding exponent of Italian Baroque. One of his greatest masterpieces is often overlooked. The bronze columned canopy over the high altar in St Peters Basilica in Rome is extraordinary. Carved from four massive ebony trunks which are dressed in bronze, the columns are punctuated with carvings of small gold bees. The scale in the overall space is imposing without being overwhelming. He was a genius.

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