Humanities Baroque Period or Italian Reinassance or Northern Reinassance - Essay Example

Bernini and the Fountain of the Four Rivers Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) is responsible for a great deal of Rome’s Baroque character, having created an amazing number of sculptures and buildings throughout his lifetime under the patronage of powerful Popes. Although he also reportedly painted hundreds of paintings and authored several plays, very few of these survive, leaving only these stone testaments to his creative energy and vision (Wittkower, 1955). Fortunately, it was as a sculptor that Bernini chose to represent himself, considering this his greatest talent. A careful study of some of his multi-media works such as the Fountain of Four Rivers can illustrate a great deal about Bernini’s new Baroque ideas regarding time and space that were entering Rome as the 17th century progressed out of the earlier Renaissance. The Fountain of the Four Rivers, created between 1648 and 1651 and commissioned by Pope Innocent X, is Bernini’s largest and most celebrated fountain. He was asked to erect a monument sufficiently large enough to emphasize the center of the square without upsetting its unity. “At the same time, the fountain – not axially related to the façade of S. Agnese – had to be attuned to the Baroque church that had been planned for the area, but not yet erected” (Wittkower, 1955). The difficulty of the assignment itself was daunting, yet Bernini managed to execute a fountain that not only complemented its location, but also captured attention as a monument in and of itself, speaking with eloquence and grace regarding the new ideas of his age. Although the fountain was actually executed by a large group of co-workers who worked under Bernini’s direct supervision, existing sketches provide proof that the idea and the design are definitely Bernini’s. Fountain of the Four Rivers In recognition of the Age of Exploration that characterized this entire time period, the fountain represents the four continents that were identified in Bernini’s time, which were Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas, via the four major rivers that were associated with each of these continents – the Nile, the Danube, the Ganges and the Rio della Plata respectively. The continents are represented by a different figure at each of the cardinal points of the fountain with significance attached to the direction they face helping viewers to identify the continent being represented. Each figure can also be identified by the objects he holds and the plants and animals that surround him which are considered to be representative of the continent. The Ganges is shown with an oar in his hand, representing his navigability, for example, during a time when this river hosted a great deal of trade between nations. The Nile is seen with his head covered, perhaps because the origin of the river was not known at that time or because the continent was already given the appellation of the ‘Dark Continent’ forcing the figure to exist with his eyes forever darkened. Ganges figure Nile figure The Danube River, the heart-blood of the European continent, is shown holding his arms up towards the coat of arms of Innocent X’s family with doves and lilies above him. This illustrates the exalted status of the continental peoples above all others as this is the only figure to be relieved of work and worry in order to dedicate himself more fully to God and his representative on Earth. Finally, the Rio della Plata is portrayed as a black man sprawled on a ledge with a collection of coins scattered about him. This symbolizes the riches of the Americas coming in through the plundering of the land and the natives as well as the products that could be grown there at tremendous profit thanks to the already growing slave trade and slave labor. The figure stares in open-mouthed wonder at the S. Agnese illustrating for the highly civilized Italians the degree of innocence and naivety in which these native peoples existed. Within this expression, there also seems to be a little fear, putting the Italians at ease as this simple-minded figure remains forever dependent on their beneficence. Lions, elephants and other creatures representative of their respective continents also join these personifications to further help in identification. Finally, all four of these ‘rivers’ flow into a circular tank at the base, representing the melding waters of the world. The entire fountain works to support a 54-foot Egyptian Obelisk dedicated to the sun elevated in the absolute center of the piece. Physically, this obelisk is placed directly above several cutouts in the base rock that were specifically designed to afford a human-sized view at street level directly through the center of the fountain to the buildings on the other side. This clever placement creates an illusion that the obelisk is floating in the air above the fountain, apparently weightless despite its massive size. It is at once a symbol of an ancient age in its origin, international conquest and global expansion in its acquisition and a reminder of the presence of a higher power in its ability to defy the laws of gravity. A large bronze hen pigeon was placed on top of the fountain to symbolize the peaceful work of the Church watching over the world as well as the family of the Pontiff who commissioned the work (“Rivers Fountain”, n.d.). Understanding this symbolism again brings out the various ways in which Bernini sought to emphasize spiritual power and proper religious devotion. Obelisk detail Cut-through detail While many of the techniques and representational ideas can be traced throughout the Renaissance period, Bernini’s break from the past into the Baroque was through his emphasis on a more natural appearance and interaction. More natural forms were suggested through his careful use of materials and strongly emphasized by the design of the fountain itself so that its interaction with the environment would be one of smooth transition. The use of water was an essential ingredient in portraying this natural aspect of the overall design. Although fountains created through much of the Renaissance featured highly controlled streams of water designed to flow without interruption from the point of exit to the fountain basin. Bernini’s fountain shifts into the Baroque with its purposeful natural flow to the water streams. The water is allowed to stream in several different directions in simultaneous gushing torrents that reinforce the idea of real movement, Divine naturalness and pulsating life despite its lifeless material. A surprising effect of this change is that Bernini’s fountain, more than many of the earlier fountains with thin jets of water, manages to convey a very real sense of time passing within the artwork, thus capturing the fourth dimension in his representation. Detail of naturally flowing water direction Although Bernini was definitely working from within the dominant ideas of the Renaissance era, he was also strongly affected by the significant world events occurring during this period in time. In designing this fountain, he made a significant move toward a more natural, casual or less-posed expression in his artwork and attempted something new in attempting to convey the important elements of his time period. Through its expression, he is able to convey ideas of colonialism, international trade, ideas regarding the known world, conceptions regarding other peoples, associations made regarding other regions and the overwhelming and overarching importance of religion. At the same time, he introduces a new means of capturing the fourth dimension – time – within his art and helps to usher in a new age in artistic approach. Works Cited Wittkower, Rudolf. Bernini: The Sculptor of the Roman Baroque. London: Phaidon, 1955. Read More