If there is one Baroque artist who took the world of sculpture to another level in the 17th century, then it’s Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680). That’s why he is often referred to as the founding father of Baroque sculpture, a notion exemplified by the amazing Bernini sculpture described in this article. Let’s take a closer …
Sculptures
The career of Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi (1386-1466), a Renaissance sculptor better known as “Donatello,” started in the early 15th century and lasted nearly 7 decades. During this period, he transformed the world of art by integrating the true spirit of the Renaissance into his amazing artworks. He produced one of his most …
The Renaissance was a period of immense innovation in a wide variety of fields. It started in Italy in the 14th century and it spread all across Europe in the following centuries. A renewed interest in classical antiquity and the goal of surpassing the incredible achievements of ancient times was the main goal of Renaissance …
There aren’t that many intact ancient Greek sculptures, and one of the most famous ones is missing a couple of features as well. Historians classify ancient Greek sculpture into 3 different periods, Archaic (650 to 480 B.C.), Classical (480–323 B.C.), and Hellenistic (323-30 B.C.). The best-known sculptures date back to this Hellenistic period, including this …
The late 1630s and early 1640s was a rough period for Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680), an artist considered to be one of the greatest Baroque artists in history. Something didn’t go quite as planned while he was leading a project. This was a period in which he was already considered to be the leading artist …
When Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) was in his early twenties, he earned a commission from a French Cardinal. The sculpture is now simply referred to as the Pietà (1498-1499) and became one of the greatest artworks in history. It’s still on display at St. Peter’s Basilica today and turned the Renaissance master into one of the …
One of the greatest Baroque artists in history spent nearly his entire life in Rome. Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) was a child prodigy who dreamed of creating monumental works of art for the most famous church in the city. That’s exactly what he did, and one of these works was a marvelous decoration for a …
Easter Island is one of the most peculiar and mysterious islands in the world. Why? Mainly because of the existence of nearly 1,000 statues of large heads, monuments referred to by the native people of Easter Island as “Moai.” The island is located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, and in fact at the southeasternmost point …
We can only imagine the shockwaves that went through the city of Florence when renowned Renaissance artist Donatello (1386-1466) unveiled a sculpture of Mary Magdalene. She didn’t look exactly as she had been depicted since then, that’s the least we can say. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most interesting facts about …
Many things can be said about Benevenuto Cellini (1500-1571), an Italian artist who lived in the 16th century. According to his autobiography, he was involved in multiple violent events that forced him to flee multiple times. When he managed to escape prison in Rome he was hired by King Francis I of France. The Mannerist …