Today in class we continued our discussion of the Baroque period, looking at Italy and Spain. Starting in Italy, we looked at the art of Gianlorenzo Bernini, a sculptor but also painter, stage designer, etc. We started our discussion with his David sculpture. For this sculpture, Bernini chose to represent the split second before David releases his slingshot aimed at Goliath. This represents the Baroque ideals of motion and dynamic artwork. This frozen action really engages the viewer as if the slingshot could almost be thrown at them, which was a really cool effect. Another interesting aspect of this sculpture was the attention to detail and focus on David’s face. We then discussed Bernini’s Ecstasy of St. Teresa, a sculpture representing a vision she had. Interestingly, there are sculpted viewers on the side. A hidden window pane with yellow and gilded rays captivate the viewer with a strong sense of light, another Baroque idea.
We then looked at a few paintings from Spain during this time, like The Club Footed Boy. The boy is depicted as a beggar with a note asking for alms for the poor as written in the Bible. His pose with his walking stick mirrors both those of Christ carrying his cross and a man with a weapon, alluding to the beggar boy as a soldier of God. However, the boy has a smile on his face.