Gian Bernini's Fountains

Gian Bernini's Fountains There are countless celebrated water fountains in the city center of Rome. One of the greatest sculptors and designers of the 17th century, Gian Lorenzo Bernini fashioned, conceived and built nearly all of them. Also a city builder, he had abilities as a water fountain designer, and marks of his life's work are evident throughout the roads of Rome. Bernini's father, a renowned Florentine sculptor, mentored his young son, and they ultimately moved to Rome, in order to fully express their art, primarily in the form of public water fountains and water features. The juvenile Bernini was an exceptional employee and received praise and patronage of important artists as well as popes. His sculpture was originally his claim to fame. An expert in ancient Greek architecture, he utilized this knowledge as a foundation and melded it gracefully with Roman marble, most notably in the Vatican. Though many artists had an impact on his work, Michelangelo had the most profound effect.

The Magificent Early Masterpieces by Bernini

The Magificent Early Masterpieces by Bernini Bernini's earliest fountain, named Barcaccia, is a masterful work of art found at the bottom of the Trinita dei Monti in Piaza di Spagna. This spot is still filled with Roman locals and tourists who enjoy exchanging gossip or going over the day's news. Today, the city streets around Bernini's water fountain are a trendy area where people go to gather, something which the artist would have been pleased to learn. In about 1630, the great artist built the first water fountain of his career at the behest of Pope Ubano VIII. Illustrated in the fountain's design is a large ship gradually sinking into the Mediterranean Sea. Period reports dating back to the 16th century indicate that the fountain was constructed as a memorial to those who lost their lives in the great flooding of the Tevere. In what became his sole extended absence from Italy, Bernini {journeyed | traveled] to France in 1665.