Bernini - Howard Hibbard

Howard Hibbard's Bernini is a concise yet authoritative introduction to the life and work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598 to 1680), the towering figure of the Italian Baroque. Sculptor, architect, painter and theatre designer, Bernini transformed seventeenth century Rome with works that fused technical brilliance, theatricality and emotional intensity. Hibbard traces Bernini's career from his early prodigious sculptures through his patronage under successive popes, examining masterpieces including Apollo and Daphne, The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, the Baldacchino of St Peter's Basilica and the grand colonnade of St Peter's Square.

Combining biography with art historical analysis, Hibbard explores Bernini's artistic methods, his relationship with the Catholic Counter-Reformation and the political and religious climate that shaped his work. Richly illustrated and written for both students and general readers, this Pelican Original remains an excellent introduction to one of the most influential artists in Western art history and the enduring legacy of the Baroque.