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Bernini: His Life and His Rome
Sculptor, architect, painter, playwright, and scenographer, Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598–1680) was the last of the great universal artistic geniuses of early modern Italy, placed by both contemporaries and posterity in the same exalted company as Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo. And his artistic vision remains palpably present today, through the countless statues, fountains, and buildings that transformed Rome into the Baroque theater that continues to enthrall tourists today.It is perhaps not surprising that this artist who defined the Baroque should have a personal life that itself was, well, baroque. As Franco Mormando’s dazzling biography reveals, Bernini was a man driven by many passions, possessed of an explosive temper and a hearty sex drive, and he lived a life as dramatic as any of his creations. Drawing on archival sources, letters, diaries, and—with a suitable skepticism—a hagiographic account written by Bernini’s son (who portrays his father as a paragon of virtue and piety), Mormando leads us through Bernini’s many feuds and love affairs, scandals and sins. He sets Bernini’s raucous life against a vivid backdrop of Baroque Rome, bustling and wealthy, and peopled by churchmen and bureaucrats, popes and politicians, schemes and secrets.The result is a seductively readable biography, stuffed with stories and teeming with life—as wild and unforgettable as Bernini’s art. No one who has been bewitched by the Baroque should miss it.
453 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 5, 2012
When fate dictated I read two unrelated biographies simultaneously I admit I thought the plan was stupid. Recent reads of Christopher Moore's “Sacre Bleu” and Andrew Graham-Dixon's “Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane” left me curious about both Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and the Baroque period in Italy, respectively, and fate was not to be deterred, especially by a feeble mind. So onward I pushed with my reading of Julia Frey's “Toulouse-Lautrec: A Life” and Franco Mormando's “Bernini: His Life and His Rome” expecting confusion reminiscent of that old Reese's Peanut Butter Cup commercial: “You got your Toulouse-Lautrec on my Bernini....No - you got your Bernini on my Toulouse-Lautrec.”
Some people are born into this world, others are born alongside it. Gian Lorenzo Bernini was definitely one of those individuals born into this world, embracing it, molding it to his desires, squeezing every last drop from it. Recognized immediately as a prodigy, the world seemed to be there for Bernini's picking. And pick he did, combining his artistic talents with his amazing abilities to dissimulate to gain the favor of pope after pope and king and queen alike and amass an unrivaled fortune. Bernini would use that fortune to cushion him from many attacks by jealous rivals and to allow him and his family to escape actions which should have destroyed their noble standing.
Conversely, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, owing to a hereditary bone growth disorder, was born alongside the world, feeling forced to look at the world from a few feet away, anxious to be a part, angry to be apart, quick to point out the world's flaws even – or, rather, especially – amid its beauty. Escaping unscathed was never a possibility for Toulouse-Lautrec. Sentenced from the outset to a life as a derided spectator he thought solace and acceptance were to be found in drink, and that decision brought his life to an early end.
As for the art of the two talented men, again the extreme differences prove somehow complimentary. Much of Bernini's work is at first glance beautiful but seems to bend toward the grotesque with continued examination. It feels as if Bernini takes the sacred and underpins it with touches of the profane which ultimately bleed through to dominate and spoil the work; as evidence consider Bernini's portrayal of St. Theresa. On the other hand, most of Toulouse-Lautrec's work initially feels grotesque but often becomes more beautiful with continued examination; I'm thinking now of his work “Au Salon de la Rue des Moulins (reprise). He takes the profane and adds in gentle touches of the sacred which ultimately come through to augment the work. Admittedly, Toulouse-Lautrec's paintings very often feel like jabs at conventional ideals of beauty, but I really can't blame the man for wanting to jab a world that excluded him from every aspect of its beauty.
Even the subtitles of the two works are revelatory of the difference between the lives of the two men. Mormando's Bernini is subtitled “His Life and His Rome,” indicating the control and mastery Bernini had over his life and his time. Frey subtitles her work on Toulouse-Lautrec impersonally and generically “A Life.”
Regarding each biography as a reading experience I would give the edge to Frey. The many color plates showing many works of Toulouse-Lautrec along with her comments on these works strengthened my feelings for Toulouse-Lautrec the artist, and her sympathetic and thorough text strengthened my feelings for Toulouse-Lautrec the human being. The only complaint I would have is often the references to the paintings are not presented in the same order as the plates themselves. As for the Mormando book, I don't think the chosen plates do justice to the talents of the artist; most plates are just the busts of certain figures from Bernini's time, and these busts feel like little more than concrete evidence of Bernini's dissimulating nature. The author often mentions many of Bernini's architectural masterpieces but no plates showing these masterpieces are present in the book.
Who knew? What initially felt like an ill-advised foray into two unrelated lives at the same time actually ended up as an enjoyable study in contrasts. Like the characters in that old Reese's Peanut Butter Cups commercial, I was pleasantly surprised by the results of the serendipitous blending of such different tastes. I guess it goes to show you - sometimes you feel like a nut, and sometimes you don't.
Some people are born into this world, others are born alongside it. Gian Lorenzo Bernini was definitely one of those individuals born into this world, embracing it, molding it to his desires, squeezing every last drop from it. Recognized immediately as a prodigy, the world seemed to be there for Bernini's picking. And pick he did, combining his artistic talents with his amazing abilities to dissimulate to gain the favor of pope after pope and king and queen alike and amass an unrivaled fortune. Bernini would use that fortune to cushion him from many attacks by jealous rivals and to allow him and his family to escape actions which should have destroyed their noble standing.
Conversely, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, owing to a hereditary bone growth disorder, was born alongside the world, feeling forced to look at the world from a few feet away, anxious to be a part, angry to be apart, quick to point out the world's flaws even – or, rather, especially – amid its beauty. Escaping unscathed was never a possibility for Toulouse-Lautrec. Sentenced from the outset to a life as a derided spectator he thought solace and acceptance were to be found in drink, and that decision brought his life to an early end.
As for the art of the two talented men, again the extreme differences prove somehow complimentary. Much of Bernini's work is at first glance beautiful but seems to bend toward the grotesque with continued examination. It feels as if Bernini takes the sacred and underpins it with touches of the profane which ultimately bleed through to dominate and spoil the work; as evidence consider Bernini's portrayal of St. Theresa. On the other hand, most of Toulouse-Lautrec's work initially feels grotesque but often becomes more beautiful with continued examination; I'm thinking now of his work “Au Salon de la Rue des Moulins (reprise). He takes the profane and adds in gentle touches of the sacred which ultimately come through to augment the work. Admittedly, Toulouse-Lautrec's paintings very often feel like jabs at conventional ideals of beauty, but I really can't blame the man for wanting to jab a world that excluded him from every aspect of its beauty.
Even the subtitles of the two works are revelatory of the difference between the lives of the two men. Mormando's Bernini is subtitled “His Life and His Rome,” indicating the control and mastery Bernini had over his life and his time. Frey subtitles her work on Toulouse-Lautrec impersonally and generically “A Life.”
Regarding each biography as a reading experience I would give the edge to Frey. The many color plates showing many works of Toulouse-Lautrec along with her comments on these works strengthened my feelings for Toulouse-Lautrec the artist, and her sympathetic and thorough text strengthened my feelings for Toulouse-Lautrec the human being. The only complaint I would have is often the references to the paintings are not presented in the same order as the plates themselves. As for the Mormando book, I don't think the chosen plates do justice to the talents of the artist; most plates are just the busts of certain figures from Bernini's time, and these busts feel like little more than concrete evidence of Bernini's dissimulating nature. The author often mentions many of Bernini's architectural masterpieces but no plates showing these masterpieces are present in the book.
Who knew? What initially felt like an ill-advised foray into two unrelated lives at the same time actually ended up as an enjoyable study in contrasts. Like the characters in that old Reese's Peanut Butter Cups commercial, I was pleasantly surprised by the results of the serendipitous blending of such different tastes. I guess it goes to show you - sometimes you feel like a nut, and sometimes you don't.
November 21, 2012
Although the book does cover Bernini's masterpieces, "his Rome" is pretty much the emphasis of this book. It gives a clear background in the political and social climate of his times and the details of his personality and interactions and their impact on the creation of his art, as well as the Baroque conception of art, which is theatrical and dramatic. It is also vigorously and cheerily decorated with the scandals of the Papal Rome of his day. It makes sufficiently skeptical and critical use of suspiciously adulatory contemporary writing (some of which was authorized by the Bernini family).
It is not however centered on aesthetic issues, and it is your focus of interests that determine whether you will be delighted or disappointed by this book.
It is not however centered on aesthetic issues, and it is your focus of interests that determine whether you will be delighted or disappointed by this book.
Want to read
November 19, 2011I'm a sucker for those crazy Italian artists of Renaissance.
Simon Schama has a fine episode on Bernini in his BBC series The Power of Art.
Simon Schama has a fine episode on Bernini in his BBC series The Power of Art.
November 17, 2018
Parlare della vita di Bernini equivale a raccontare l'età barocca a Roma, cosa che fa di questa biografia una lettura indispensabile non solo per conoscere il grande architetto e scultore ma anche per farsi un'idea di cosa doveva essere la Roma del '600. Per ora esiste solo in lingua inglese ma è scritto in modo molto semplice ed è godibilissimo.
September 2, 2020
If you are a Bernini fan, do yourself a favour a read this great book. It describes all the aspects of Bernini's artistic life.
With great images and jokes, you almost feel like walking through Rome with Bernini itself and Mormando.
"If you seek his monument, just look around you!"
With great images and jokes, you almost feel like walking through Rome with Bernini itself and Mormando.
"If you seek his monument, just look around you!"
August 29, 2023
Removed a star because of some disappointing editing errors, but the book and content deserve 10 stars, easily. I deeply enjoyed Franco Mormando's style. It made the subject matter incredibly approachable and digestible. This is by far the best and most thorough Bernini text I've come across. Its raw honesty, no-nonsense factual reporting and humor set it apart from the usual dry as stale toast historical books I'm used to.
March 26, 2024
One of the best nonfiction books I've ever read. I got it during my first visit to Rome, and I was expected to get to know better about Bernini and his art. Instead, I got an excellent introduction in history of Rome, history of popes and Bernini (no wonder it's so big). This is such a real masterpiece when an author can put all the puzzles together, so the reader can get a whole picture and not just not related pieces of knowledge. The storytelling is superior, I absolutely loved how easy to follow the storyline.
August 21, 2015
There is so little known about this titan of 17th century sculpture and architecture! Mormando has done exhaustive research, first on the first biography of Bernini, a paean of praise and not always to be trusted, then on the current book. I read this several years ago, and even I who know very little about the life of this famed artist, smelled a white-wash.
I'm very glad to have read it when I did, as I leave for Italy in just under three weeks. I'm spending four days in Rome (my 5th or 6th visit now), have seen most of the "must-sees" of the City, so this time needed a focus. After reading this, Bernini is it! Not that I haven't seen Bernini's Rome before. It's impossible to look far in the city and NOT see his work. And I make the pilgrimage every visit to St Teresa in Ecstasy in the Cornaro Chapel, Sta Maria della Victoria - every time i see it it puts me in ecstasy, and I know I'll see it again.
But while I am aware of his work in Piazza Navona, on St Peter's and it's brilliant colonnade, other Bernini sites around town, I was not aware until now of his work on Sta Maria Maggiore - I'm overdue to visit the interior again, and now I have several reasons to go. I also have to get back to the Galleria Borghese, where on the ground floor in spring of 96 or 97, though most of the museum was closed, I was startled by his work (the David, especially the dazzling Apollo and Daphne, others) so that's another must-return-to. So! My four days now have purpose!
I should say that I am not a complete fan of the baroque - it is of course overwhelming, but it can seem tacky, and some of Bernini's work fits that bill. But I am a man of the theatre, and as the author points out, Bernini is nothing if not theatrical - that almost always works for me.
And thanks Franco Mormando for helping me focus. I would like to say I liked the writing more, but it seems in many places that he has been over-influenced by early biographies and writes in the florid style of the Baroque. Overall this shouldn't put you off, and it put me off less and less as I read through it, but it weakened the impact for me.
I'm very glad to have read it when I did, as I leave for Italy in just under three weeks. I'm spending four days in Rome (my 5th or 6th visit now), have seen most of the "must-sees" of the City, so this time needed a focus. After reading this, Bernini is it! Not that I haven't seen Bernini's Rome before. It's impossible to look far in the city and NOT see his work. And I make the pilgrimage every visit to St Teresa in Ecstasy in the Cornaro Chapel, Sta Maria della Victoria - every time i see it it puts me in ecstasy, and I know I'll see it again.
But while I am aware of his work in Piazza Navona, on St Peter's and it's brilliant colonnade, other Bernini sites around town, I was not aware until now of his work on Sta Maria Maggiore - I'm overdue to visit the interior again, and now I have several reasons to go. I also have to get back to the Galleria Borghese, where on the ground floor in spring of 96 or 97, though most of the museum was closed, I was startled by his work (the David, especially the dazzling Apollo and Daphne, others) so that's another must-return-to. So! My four days now have purpose!
I should say that I am not a complete fan of the baroque - it is of course overwhelming, but it can seem tacky, and some of Bernini's work fits that bill. But I am a man of the theatre, and as the author points out, Bernini is nothing if not theatrical - that almost always works for me.
And thanks Franco Mormando for helping me focus. I would like to say I liked the writing more, but it seems in many places that he has been over-influenced by early biographies and writes in the florid style of the Baroque. Overall this shouldn't put you off, and it put me off less and less as I read through it, but it weakened the impact for me.
Want to read
December 16, 2011I'm so happy to have won this giveaway! :)
February 11, 2012
A very disorganized bio, overly detailed, boringly relayed. This book is the epitome of a bad historical biography.
October 26, 2013
I found this book sometimes very difficult to follow. The author was all over the place.
November 29, 2017
Review: One gets the sense of knowing Bernini, his personality, character, and his world surprisingly well given the distance in time and scarce documentation of his life and rather private inner circle. Mormando appropriately cautions the reader from what can and cannot be inferred from Bernini’s quotes and/or silence in many cases; due to the dissimulation of the Baroque period (see p. 35). Some of the chapter titles are a little misleading and sometimes are dominated by wild tangents. However, overall the book is fantastically written with all of the detail a reader, hoping to find Bernini, can hope for; few details are ignored. The term “mutual admiration society” is used throughout the book and captures an interesting side of human behavior. Mormando bursts the bubble of many Bernini admirers with his discussion of how Giuliano Finelli sculpted the most breathtaking features of the famous Apollo and Daphne master-piece.
Favorite Quotes: “Bernini’s offspring may have been large in number but it proved small in talent, none of the children even remotely approaching the level of achievement and worldly fame, in any field, of their father. Not a spark of genius or originality in the whole bunch.” (p. 114); “By now the reader will have gotten used to the fact that in Baroque Rome, whether prelate or layperson, one did not rise to the top of the political pyramid by being a nice guy. It took not only powerful family connections, but also a well-thumbed copy of Machiavelli’s The Prince.” (p. 180); “‘You seek a mere marble tomb? A single, puny plaque? A lone portrait bust to contain the memory of so colossal a genius? Do you jest?’ Instead, grandly sweeping his arm across the magnificent panorama of the city of Rome, from the Vatican to the Villa Borghese, he invites us with haughty but justifiable pride: ‘If you seek his monument, just look around you.’” (p. 351).
Favorite Quotes: “Bernini’s offspring may have been large in number but it proved small in talent, none of the children even remotely approaching the level of achievement and worldly fame, in any field, of their father. Not a spark of genius or originality in the whole bunch.” (p. 114); “By now the reader will have gotten used to the fact that in Baroque Rome, whether prelate or layperson, one did not rise to the top of the political pyramid by being a nice guy. It took not only powerful family connections, but also a well-thumbed copy of Machiavelli’s The Prince.” (p. 180); “‘You seek a mere marble tomb? A single, puny plaque? A lone portrait bust to contain the memory of so colossal a genius? Do you jest?’ Instead, grandly sweeping his arm across the magnificent panorama of the city of Rome, from the Vatican to the Villa Borghese, he invites us with haughty but justifiable pride: ‘If you seek his monument, just look around you.’” (p. 351).
December 27, 2017
Gianlorenzo Bernini is the quintessential Baroque artist, but his life is much less known than his art. That has now changed for me thanks to Franco Mormando’s excellent biography, which I recently bought in Rome where it is impossible to escape from Bernini’s work. It is literally everywhere. After reading this book I know it is even where you don’t expect it. But this is no guide to his art. Mormando searched everywhere for the artist himself, his private life, his family, his workshop, his patrons, his beliefs, all in the context of post-Counter Reformation, Baroque Rome from the early 1600s until Bernini’s death in 1680. At that time, Rome was no longer the artistic capital of Europe - that was now Paris, a city Bernini had spent months in 1665 and that he vehemently disliked. Bernini changed the face of Rome for his papal patrons that drove their state to bankruptcy and made Bernini into a multimillionnaire. It is a scandal-ridden story, lively, well-written and indispensable for anyone who wants to look beyond Bernini’s art.
February 12, 2020
Really enjoyed this. I tend to enjoy the "accessible academic" style of writing, where the author clearly knows a ton about the subject but doesn't want to overwhelm you with footnotes. Not only was this a great introduction to Bernini, but I also felt like I gained a much deeper understanding of Rome in the Baroque period, as the church's power waned and the influence of nation-states rose. Bernini's story is emblematic of the age, suffused with theater (literal and figurative) – courtly intrigue, ecclesiastical affairs, and international politics. The books skews towards providing the full story of Bernini's life rather than of his art, and at times I wished it had provided a more comprehensive account of his artistic output, but it's a solid endorsement of Bernini's long career that a 350-page biography can't cover all of his masterpieces.
September 16, 2018
Well researched!
I felt this author did an outstanding job in describing the background and world in which Bernini lived. It gives the reader a much clearer picture of the life and character of this artistic genius. The author has obviously done an amazing amount of research.
I felt this author did an outstanding job in describing the background and world in which Bernini lived. It gives the reader a much clearer picture of the life and character of this artistic genius. The author has obviously done an amazing amount of research.
January 2, 2012
I read this for a literary prize as a first round reviewer.
It was interesting and informative. Mormando writes well and makes you feel like he really personally knew Bernini at times or at least live in Baroque Rome. However, it skips around a lot which, if you've read my previous reviews of biographies you'll know, I find irritating and distracting. He also makes it clear that there simply isn't a lot of documentation out there regarding Bernini's personal life so much of the book is about the people surrounding Bernini and the politics and conflicts of the era. While these are necessary to why Bernini is who he is and created some of what he created, it is also the reason for the book's subtitle.
It was interesting and informative. Mormando writes well and makes you feel like he really personally knew Bernini at times or at least live in Baroque Rome. However, it skips around a lot which, if you've read my previous reviews of biographies you'll know, I find irritating and distracting. He also makes it clear that there simply isn't a lot of documentation out there regarding Bernini's personal life so much of the book is about the people surrounding Bernini and the politics and conflicts of the era. While these are necessary to why Bernini is who he is and created some of what he created, it is also the reason for the book's subtitle.
June 13, 2015
As the foremost sculptor of his day Gian Lorenzo Bernini lived a life of fame, fortune and scandal. Most of what we see as tourists in Rome by him. Working for the patriarchal families of the time, Popes and kings he was always in demand, with practically limitless budgets art of the Baroque age was all about drama and status. With few contemporary biographers (the primary one being one of the artist's sons) the author writes from both sides is the story, seeing the artist through his times and works as well as existing documents. Often described as a fiery character Bernini is the archetypal artists; passionate, temperamental and an ego worthy of his talents. The book is wonderfully informal and full of historic detail which makes you feel as if you know the man himself.
August 4, 2013
A brilliantly written work by Mormando, referencing and honoring all the biographical works done prior to this publication, yet raising questions to the veracity of various remarks in those biographies.
Having lived in Rome for 4 years, what a wonderful journey through the streets of a city with so much life, love, and art. Walking the streets upon my return will never be the same, because I am smarter now!
Grazie, Franco!
Having lived in Rome for 4 years, what a wonderful journey through the streets of a city with so much life, love, and art. Walking the streets upon my return will never be the same, because I am smarter now!
Grazie, Franco!
June 27, 2014
this is the type of book I prefer to listen to. There are lots of details and the book is long. It was interesting to me because of a visit I made to Rome and the fact that I read as much as possible about artists.
October 24, 2015
The only available biography in English of the greatest Roman Baroque artist. If you're a fan this is a must-read. A few surprises along the way! Bernini was a force of nature.
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