Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Constanza Bonarelli, 1635Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence
(Source)
(Source)
Today while recovering from the picnic, I was flipping channels and came across Simon Schama's The Power of Art, with the episode covering Bernini. I've written before about my appreciation for Bernini's work and this portrait bust was covered by Schama in being demonstrative of Berninis' artistic brilliance but incredible assholey aspects of his personality.
The wife of one of his collaborators, Costanza Bonarelli was Bernini's lover. This wonderfully intimate portrait shows Bonarelli in a moment of deshabille - her hair is loosely tied her the undone shirt exposes her breast. But everything turned to hell. Bernini suspected Costanza was also having an affair with his younger brother, Luigi, again a sculptor. In an act of incredible jealousy and violence, Bernini nearly beat his brother to death (in St. Peter's, according to Schama) and had one of his servants go to Bonarelli's house and slash her face with a razor. As the favourite of Pope Urban VIII, Bernini's 'punishment' was a fine and ordered to marry another woman. Luigi was banished to Bologna while Costanza was sent to prison for fornication.
Seeing this in real life, the piece is so alive it is almost like a photograph that has captured her in an unguarded moment as she is about to speak. He clearly felt quite a bit for her as this private piece was apparently kept in his home. After the fallout, he apparently couldn't look at it again and his wife unsurprisingly didn't want it. It was sold to the Medici Family which is how this work ended up in Florence, away from Bernini's city, Rome.
The wife of one of his collaborators, Costanza Bonarelli was Bernini's lover. This wonderfully intimate portrait shows Bonarelli in a moment of deshabille - her hair is loosely tied her the undone shirt exposes her breast. But everything turned to hell. Bernini suspected Costanza was also having an affair with his younger brother, Luigi, again a sculptor. In an act of incredible jealousy and violence, Bernini nearly beat his brother to death (in St. Peter's, according to Schama) and had one of his servants go to Bonarelli's house and slash her face with a razor. As the favourite of Pope Urban VIII, Bernini's 'punishment' was a fine and ordered to marry another woman. Luigi was banished to Bologna while Costanza was sent to prison for fornication.
Seeing this in real life, the piece is so alive it is almost like a photograph that has captured her in an unguarded moment as she is about to speak. He clearly felt quite a bit for her as this private piece was apparently kept in his home. After the fallout, he apparently couldn't look at it again and his wife unsurprisingly didn't want it. It was sold to the Medici Family which is how this work ended up in Florence, away from Bernini's city, Rome.
1 comment:
Schama's piece on Bernini is marvelous, as is that whole series. FYI: Sarah McPhee (daughter of writer John McPhee)has written a book on Costanza, "Bernini's Beloved." Haven't read it, but sounds interesting.
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