Saturday, June 23, 2012

Bernini's Portrait Busts

Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) was surely one of the greatest portraitists ever. These figures amaze me with their  personality.

 His mistress, Constanza Bonarelli. More on their relationship here.


Louis XIV, capturing his monumental vanity.



Cardinal Richelieu.



It should be noted that Bernini ran a large studio and his assistants did a lot of the actual carving, but given how distinctive his works are, the master surely exercised close control.

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