The Influence of the Laocoon in Bernini's Neptune and Triton - Essay Example

? The Influence of the Laocoon in Bernini's Neptune and Triton The Influence of the Laocoon in Bernini's Neptune and Triton Gian Lorenzo Bernini was a highly influential architect in Rome. He was the most creative and brilliant Baroque sculptor whose art was rated as high as Michelangelo’s art. However, unlike Michelangelo who hardly revealed the essence of his art to people, Bernini was an enthusiastic teacher who communicated the essence of his art to his students and assistant. According to Boardman, Bernini was the first sculptor to use light, as well as incorporate skin and cloth textures, emotions and movements in his sculptures. For this reason, his influence was widespread in the 17th and 18th century. Apart from being a sculptor, Bernini was also gifted as a stage set designer, an architect, funeral trappings and painter among others1. Bernini’s art was highly influenced by the ancient Roman and Greek art and the Italian masters of the 16th century. Among some of his most celebrated sculptures include the Ecstasy of St. Theresa in Santa Maria Della Victoria, the Neptune and Triton sculptor and the Blessed Ludovica Albertoni in San Francesco among others. In 1622 to 1623, Bernini created the Neptune and Triton, which portrays the life-size figure of Neptune and the sea-god Triton (Pollitt, 1990) 2. Thus, this paper will examine the influence of Laocoon on the carving technique of Bernini’s Neptune and Triton sculpture, and how this sculpture has an emotional power through facial expression and body language. Bernini began learning art at an early age from his father who was also a sculptor. At seven years, his family moved to Rome where they worked for the Barberini and Borghese families. This gave him a chance to learn to sculpt even further, and at the age of eight, he made his first authenticated work: The Goat Amalthea with an infant Jupiter and a Faun, which was a considerable achievement for a boy his age. Boardman states that Bernini was able to absorb the realism of Caravaggio that was the basis of all his art, and always sought full verisimilitude in his figures, which retained the classical art features of the previous period 3. The great influence of Greek art in his work was such that one of his works was classified as Hellenistic from 300 BC. Bernini expected so much from himself as well as his assistants. His work shows a level of virtuosity in his ability to carve marble, and to assemble it together from several blocks in order to produce an effect of realism. Additionally, he thought in terms of settings just like Michelangelo and intended his art to be seen from one viewpoint only. Thus, Virgil argues that Bernini made his marble appear real through shouting, speaking, laughing, screaming and even sighing4. For instance, the statue of the damned soul, which is a three dimensional horror from a Caravaggio scene of terror, appears to emit blood which shows fear2. Moreover, Bernini’s statue of David is portrays how David was able to use every muscle in the body to slay the giant. The grim of his jaw reflects how he is straining and sweating as he tries to slay the giant. Thus, these features make Bernini’s statue of David quite distinct from those created by Verrocchio, Donatello and Michelangelo. It portrays sculptural realism taken to greater heights by Bernini. During his youth, Bernini studied the works of Raphael and Michelangelo, but his work was influenced more by the Hellenistic sculpture and the Roman sculpture in the Hellenistic tradition. This classical art helped him to develop a more powerful dynamic and fluid style that characterized his art. According to Boardman, his stylistic work in art was inspired by contemporary paintings such as the Guido Reni and the carraci that were made by Caravaggio 5. Bernini’s art was based entirely on the baroque style in which he was able to achieve a maximum drama and movement of change. Baroque art was influenced and inspired by political and social factors, as well as exploration and discovery of the American. According to Pollitt (1990), there are significant differences between the Baroque sculpture and the classic statue (High Renaissance). One key, significant difference is that the Baroque statue is physically intermediate e.g. Bernini’s sculptures, which appear to be in motion, while the classic statue portrays has a principle view and a firm silhouette (Boardman) 7. However, the classical art had a significant influence on the Baroque art. This is because baroque art was evolution of the renaissance, which was based on classicism i.e. Greek-Roman art. For instance, the monarchs in the Baroque art are a reflection of the Roman emperors in the way they are depicted; thus, they were influenced by classical art. Additionally, the Baroque architecture contains a number of classical elements although it exaggerates them by cloaking them with extravagance3. The extravagance is a concept that would not be acceptable in the classical art as it distracts the mathematical harmony that was highly recommended by the Greek-Roman artists (Pollitt, 2006). Some characteristics of the classical art that can also be found in Baroque architecture include: the bodies of the figures in the sculptures appeared active, believable and in motion, were naked, and the artists valued balance and harmony. In addition, the figures were always perfect than in real life; they lacked emotion and sense of perspective and they mostly portrayed heroic figures of people. However, only a few of these features can be seen the baroque art. Most of the baroque art figures show emotions, perspective, and are not always of heroic figures. Some classical art sculptures that have been able to pass the test of time into the present include the Laocoon statue4. The Laocoon was a significant inspiration for many sculptors including Bernini, which came from the Hellenistic period. This was the period when the Greek sculpture evolved from the stiff and immobile art into a natural art full of passion and emotion retaining some of the previous features. Thus, the Laocoon sculpture represents the change of style from the ancient Greek art to the Hellenistic style. As stated by Virgil, the Laocoon sculpture is considered the most superior to all other products of arts of sculpture, as well as painting . This is because it portrays the agony of Laocoon, a priest and his two sons being attacked by a serpent, depicting the suffering that would befall them. In the sculpture, it is clear how the serpent unites the three figures, and this draws the attention of the viewer from one figure to the other. The three figures depict a state of agony; for example, Laocoon’s face is sculpted in such a way that his forehead is wrinkled, his eyes are shut and his lips are parted, which shows that he is crying out in pain5. The basic human emotions have been brought out clearly in the sculpture such that there is not a single part in the sculpture that does not reflect pain and suffering of the three figures. The artists who made the Laocoon used a number of techniques to create the stunning Baroque sculptural effect in the sculpture. The facial expression and the body language of the three figures in the sculpture can be described as excellent. Laocoon’s head is cocked to one side looking into the skies with furrowed brow and his mouth is wide open, while his hair, and beard are in a mess. In addition, his facial expression portrays pain, despair and astonishment for such a brutal attack, while his younger son has his head tilted backwards, which also depicts pain due to the serpent’s biting on his torso. Moreover, the eldest son is shown looking at the wound on his arm after being bitten by the serpent, while removing the other serpent coiling around his leg. He is also portrayed looking at his father and brother with a terrified expression on his face. His eyes show pity, as well as hope and faith of how he would remove the serpents coiled around him and escape (Wilkins, 2000). The body language also portrays suffering in that the Laocoon’s leg and arm muscles are shown to be taut with veins building on the skin surface (Pollitt, 2006). His left hand that is holding the serpent as it bites him shows the tightness of his grip has he is being bitten; thus, causing his torso muscles to contract and show his ribs outline. Additionally, Laocoon’s left foot toes are curled, and his younger son’s right foot is pressed against the left foot, which also shows pain. Thus, the facial expressions and body language of the three figures portray human emotions of fear, pain and agony in the sculpture. This sculpture inspired Bernini with its tension and movement. The depictions of the dramatic conflict, emotion and the thrill of agony and victory presented a more realistic, naturalistic, and pleasing sculptural work compared to the previous periods. Other artists such as Michelangelo also got inspired by the work of art on the Laocoon, which shows the significance of this work of work. One of Bernini’s sculptures that portray a lot of influence from the Laocoon sculptor is the Neptune and Triton sculpture. The statue of Neptune and Triton is one of the most celebrated work of art in Rome, which was commissioned by Cardinal Montalto. According to Boardman, it was initially set up on a fishpond with water flowing from Triton’s couch shell but was later sold and transported to Europe 12. In this sculptural work of Bernini, movement is an essential element that is present in nearly all his works just like in the Laocoon sculptor. According to Virgil, the statue of Neptune and Triton was based on a story that narrates that Jupiter had vowed to destroy life on earth. Thus, he called Neptune to create a flood in which he struck the earth with his trident and released a deluge. After the destruction, he placed his trident down and asked Triton to blow the conch shell in order to signal the waters to subside. However, from Bernini’s statue, it is clear that Neptune’s gesture with the trident and the initial presence of water around the sculpture is not a sign of him quelling but rather summoning the deluge (Pollitt, 2006). Moreover, the body language and the facial expressions of the two figures in the sculpture reflect Laocoon’s influence. The sculpture is made of marble and copper just like the Laocoon and portrays the figure of Neptune standing over the seated figure of Triton, with his head tilted. Neptune is shown holding his trident that depicts command while Triton, the sea-god, is shown blowing on a couch shell to the four corners of the world. Virgil claims that the first impression of the sculpture shows the two figures dominating the space between them 15. Thus, the viewers have to imagine the waters and the echoes of the ocean since they are commanding the sea6. Bernini has clearly brought out the concept of motion in the sculpture through a variety of ways. For instance, the head of Neptune is tilted, which reveals his features as his hair is being blown away from his face by the wind. Also, the wind blows his cloak at the ends splitting them into brisk spirals. In addition, Neptune seems to be in constant motion as he balances on the shell. In order to reveal this motion, Bernini placed Neptune’s feet on the edge of the shell such that he resembles a surfer rocking on the sea. On the other hand, Triton is portrayed sitting on a sea shell supported by four dolphins and blowing on a couch while steering the shell under the heavy weight of Neptune’s muscular torso (Boardman). Although the concept of motion has been described differently in the Laocoon, it is quite clear that Bernini was inspired by the Laocoon sculpture when incorporating movement in the Neptune and Triton sculpture. Virgil argues that the three figures in the Laocoon are enclosed in a three dimensional space, which portrays their expressive and dramatic poses close to the surrounding environment. This creates motion in the minds of the viewers and leaves them to image how Laocoon and his two sons were writhing in physical pain and emotional agony. Thus, Laocoon exhibits a lot of emotion and movement, but unlike the Neptune and Triton statue, it does not extend much to the surrounding. This shows a distinct difference between the classical Greek and the Baroque sculpture. Moreover, the facial expression in the statue of Neptune and Triton shows that Bernini was inspired by the Laocoon. The facial expression of Triton shows tension as he blows the conch shell. His emergence is expressed by the form of his legs, while his thick logs of hair are still heavy with water, which jetted from the conch shell. However, according to Wilkins, the story of Neptune and Triton was well explained in the original statue, which was surrounded by a fountain and placed near a pool in Rome. Other masterpieces made by Bernini that reflect the use of classical art include the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, which was made between 1647 and 1652. This sculpture represents a mystical figure that is overwhelmed by a miraculous vision (Brandenberg). However, this statue reflects Bernini as a stage designer because it shows a bust of members of Cornaro family witnessing the miraculous vision7. The body language and the facial expression on the figures are excellent. The figure of Saint Teresa portrays ecstasy after being visited by an angel. Her body posture reveals joy as well as the pain she felt after the angel plunged the golden arrow in to her heart several times. According to Pollitt (2006), the most crucial goal of the Baroque art is to involve the viewers; thus, this sculpture describes the intense spiritual experience of Saint Teresa in both physical and sexual terms in order to capture the attention of the viewer 20. Bernini incorporated the figures of viewers seated in the theater boxes. The body language and facial expressions of the figures are portrayed by how the figures appear to be gesturing to each other as they watch the scene of the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa. The figures are portraits of members of the Cornaro family. However, although some cynical people have criticized this sculpture, devoted Christians still see it as a premonition of the intensity of happiness that God provides as Bernini intended (Brandenberg). Thus, it is the highest point of the counter reformation of art. Another grand masterpiece by Bernini is that portrays the influence of the classical art is the statue of Apollo and Daphne, which he made in 1622-1624. This sculpture also portrays how the facial expression and body language has been used to create movement and emotions in the statue. For instance, the figure of Daphne shows her in a running state; thus, creating the feeling of motion to the viewers as she runs away from Apollo. Apollo is also shown running as fast as he can to catch Daphne so that he can make her his wife. The cloak around Daphne’s waist also shows that the figure is in motion because it is about to drop from her waist. The facial expression in the two figures shows emotion between Apollo and Daphne. The figure of Daphne shows her calling out to the father to help her so that she cannot be caught by Apollo. Moreover, Apollo’s figure portrays a feeling of sorrow after he saw his love, Daphne, turn into a tree. Thus, this statue shows that Bernini was inspired by classical art in creating the movement in the two figures through the body composition and facial expression. The greatest work of Bernini that inspired many artists was the triton fountain that he created for Pope Urban VII, in 1642. Wilkins describes that design of the statue as sheer fantasy. It portrays four dolphins with their tails up supporting a gigantic shell on which triton is seated while blowing a conch. In this sculpture, Bernini the concept of movement can be seen through water, which is the integral part of the composition. The water is shown rising from the conch and spurting as it splashes into the basins formed by the shells. It spills over the edges and pours into the pool that surrounds the sculpture8. In this case, the movement of the water creates the feeling of movement in the sculpture while the sound of water pouring into the pool creates sound; thus, bringing about realism in Bernini’s sculptural work (wilkins, 2000). In conclusion, Bernini’s art provided the greatest processional route in the history of art. He is the last of the universal men in the world of art and the greatest since Michelangelo, as well as the best architect of the period. His art was highly influenced by the ancient Roman-Greek art and the Italian masters of the 16th century (Pollitt, 2006) 24. One of his greatest inspirations was the Laocoon statue in which the basic human emotions can be felt through the facial expression and the body language of the three figures in the sculpture9. The influence of the Laocoon in the statue of Neptune and Triton is reflected by how Bernini incorporated the facial expressions and the body language into the sculpture, which are similar to those present in the Laocoon. The facial expressions and body language of the three figures in the Laocoon statue portray human emotions of fear, pain and agony in the sculpture (Brandenberg) 25. This is similar to Bernini’s statue of Neptune and Triton in that emotions can also be felt in statue through the facial expressions of the two figures in the sculpture. Additionally, the Laocoon came from the Hellenistic period when the Greek sculpture evolved from the stiff and immobile art into a natural art full of passion, emotion and movement. For this reason, the statue had a feeling of movement especially from the three figures in the sculpture. This influenced Bernini such that when making the Neptune and Triton sculpture he incorporated movement, which created a feeling of motion to the viewers. Thus, it is quite clear that most features in Bernini’s statue of Neptune and Triton were influenced by features present in the Laocoon. Bibliography Boardman, John. Greek Art. London: Thames & Hudson, 2006. Pollitt, Jerome. The Art of Ancient Greece: Sources and Documents. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Pollitt, Jerome. Art in the Hellenistic Age. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Virgil (Trans West D). The Aeneid. London: Penguin Classics, 2003. Wilkins, Ann. Bernini and Ovid: Expanding the Concept of Metamorphosis, Oxford: Oxford Press. 2000. Brandenberg, Aliki. The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus.  USA: Harper Collins Publishers, 2004. Read More