Browse Items (149 total)

Divine Providence: Glorification of the Reign of Urban VIII is one of the reigning examples of the Baroque ceiling fresco, a manifestation of Pietro da Cortona’s mastery of Baroque style. The fresco dominates the ceiling of the Palazzo Barberini, the…

The breathtaking “Neptune and Triton” was completed by Bernini in 1622-3. It was commissioned by Alessandro Damascenti-Peretti Montalto. The sculpture was intended to be the focal point of his large fish pond at his villa.

The sculpture is a…

"Still Life with Fruit on a Stone Ledge," oil on a 105 x 84cm canvas dated to around 1603, depicts various fruits including grapes, pomegranates, watermelon, and more sitting atop a stone ledge [1]. The painting is thought to have been created in…

Barker's article posits evidence based hypotheses about the art of Garzoni's career, and provides a primary source telling of Garzoni's youth. Garzoni was an acting artist even at adolescence, thought to have had her first patron, Grand Duchess Maria…

Triumph in the Name of Jesus is the most well-known of Giovanni Battista Gaulli’s frescoes decorating Il Gesù in Rome. Gaulli, commonly known as Baciccio, was mentored by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, an outstanding figure in the Italian art world. He…

This church, consecrated in 1660, represents another architectural feat and masterpiece of Borromini. Like in San Carlino, Borromini utilizes a novel geometric plan to erect the church unobtrusively in the context of its surroundings. In fact, the…

Commissioned in 1646, this work was a tremendous undertaking to fresco the cupola of the Chiesa Nuova for the Oratorians. Cortona also painted a second ceiling fresco in the same church. This fresco has historically been called "The Trinity in Glory"…

Damned Soul, a marble bust created by Bernini in 1619, depicts a male face with a twisted, painful expression [1]. The eyebrows are deeply arched, the mouth is open revealing a full set of teeth, and the head faces the left as if looking away at…

The marble bust Blessed Soul, or Anima Beata, was created in 1619 along with Damned Soul when Bernini was only 20. The piece is thought to have been commissioned by Cardinal Pedro Foix de Montoya [1]. The bust depicts a woman looking up toward heaven…