In class today we covered Baroque Art in both Italy and Spain. We began with studying Gianlorenzo Bernini in Italy, an artist to whom we can apply the term “Renaissance man”, as he worked as a sculptor, architect, painter, as well as stage designer. I was really taken by his depiction of Teresa de Àvila in The Ecstacy of St Teresa. This sculptural work was created for a chapel. The sculpture itself is made of white marble, which is illuminated by a secret window placed above the sculpture. There are golden rays that come down from the hidden window, casting a golden radiation towards the sculpture, which against the bright white of the stone, gives the appearance of heavenly light. We can see how Bernini’s work as a stage designer impacted his work, as on either side of the central sculpture there are theatrical boxes with onlookers. This places the viewer in the interesting position of watching people who are watching the exchange between the angel and St Teresa.
We looked at another work at the end of class which also placed the viewer into an interesting dynamic with the subjects of the work. Las Meninas by Velàzquez, a Spanish painter, depicts the artist painting a large canvas in the royal palace. He is surrounded by many figures, including the royal family, their maids, and entertainers. The picture is complex because we are not quite able to place ourselves within the context of the painting, but we still feel as though we are being brought in. Additionally, the mirror on the back wall seems to suggest that the King and Queen are in the room as well, though we only see them as a reflection, not in physical form.