Draws on contemporary biographies and a wealth of hitherto unpublished archival material to illuminate the position and practice of the Baroque sculptor, to enable the reader to appreciate, understand and evaluate the sculptural monuments of the Roman Baroque.

Examines seventeenth-century sculpture in Rome. Focuses on questions of historical context and criticism, including the interaction of theory and practice, the creative roles of sculptors and patrons, the relationship of sculpture to antique models and to contemporary painting, and contextual meaning and reception.

Gian Lorenzo Bernini was the greatest sculptor of the Baroque period, and yet—surprisingly—there has never before been a major exhibition of his sculpture in North America. Bernini and the Birth of Baroque Portrait Sculpture showcases portrait sculptures from all phases of the artist’s long career, from the very early Antonio Coppola of 1612 to Clement X of about 1676, one of his last completed works. Bernini’s portrait busts were masterpieces of technical virtuosity; at the same time, they revealed a new interest in psychological depth. Bernini’s ability to capture the essential character of his subjects was unmatched and had a profound influence on other leading sculptors of his day, such as Alessandro Algardi, Giuliano Finelli, and Francesco Mochi. Bernini and the Birth of Baroque Portrait Sculpture is a groundbreaking study that features drawings and paintings by Bernini and his contemporaries. Together they demonstrate not only the range, skill, and acuity of these masters of Baroque portraiture but also the interrelationship of the arts in seventeenth-century Rome.

This book accompanies the National Gallery of Scotland's major Festival exhibition in 1998, a joint celebration of the fourth centenaries of the births of the two greatest sculptors of the Italian Baroque era, Gianlorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) and Alessandro Algardi (1598-1654). The Baroque is a style renowned for its elaborate combination of materials and its unification of various branches of the arts into a harmonious whole. This book will include detailed information and commentaries by leading authorities on the marble sculptures, bronzes, terracottas, medals and drawings produced by these two great artists in what was a fascinating and highly influential period in European art and design.

Reconsidering the terminology art historians use to describe 17th-century Roman sculpture, this history examines how famous artists, such as Bernini, Alessandro Algardi, François Duquesnoy, and lesser-known artists influenced one another during this period. Artistic events and completed works are presented in chronological order with an emphasis on the workshop relationships that allowed accomplished sculptors to apprentice younger artists. The use of Venetian-derived color, sublime accents, and travertine and marble that marked this era created a thoroughly modern Rome as statues and other examples of sculpture were placed in gardens, homes, and churches.

An in-depth look at the exquisite metal sculpture of the Roman baroque Roman baroque sculpture is usually thought of in terms of large-scale statues in marble and bronze, tombs, or portrait busts. Smaller bronze statuettes are often overlooked, and the extensive production of sculptural silver—much of which is now lost but can be studied from drawings—is frequently omitted from the histories of art. In this book, Jennifer Montagu enriches our understanding of the sculpture of the period by investigating the bronzes that adorn the great tabernacles of Roman churches; gilded silver, both secular and ecclesiastical; elaborately embossed display dishes; and the production of medals. Concentrating on selected pieces by such master sculptors as Bernini and leading metal-workers such as Giovanni Giardini, Montagu examines the often tortuous relationship between patrons and artists and elucidates the relationship between those who provided the drawings or models and the craftsmen who executed the finished sculptures.