Percorsi per cinquant'anni di studi berniniani

Abstract

Thoughts on fifty years of Bernini studies. This overview of the past and extremely prolific half-century of studies dedicated to the greatest 17th-century Italian artist begins with Rudolf Wittkower's fundamental monograph (1955) and goes up to more recent years. The essay follows the division of the Bernini volume (a lengthy interpretative study and the catalogue of his works) and is split into two extensive paragraphs : the first (Knowing Bernini) takes stock of the acquisitions and gives an account of the main arguments of the debate on attribution, principally surrounding Bernini's sculptural work (for example, the young Bernini and his relationship with his father, or the chronology of the early works). However, it also touches on modeling, drawings and paintings. The second (Interpreting Bernini) reviews the main trends in the historical interpretation of Bernini's art (from his relationship with tradition to the theoretical dimension, to the rich and often debatable iconographical readings). A third paragraph attempts to outline the results and expectations stemming from an issue that held no interest for Wittkower but that has, in contrast, drawn the attention of recent generations of scholars : the relationship between society and Bernini, understood in a variety of different ways. An extensive (albeit not exhaustive) bibliography offers a first overview to those interested in focusing their research on Bernini.