Bust of Costanza Bonarelli

The Bust of Costanza Bonarelli is a marble statue bust created by Gian Lorenzo Bernini during the 1630's.[1] The piece is currently being shown in the Museo Nazionale del Bargello in Florence, Italy. Considered among the most personal of Bernini's works, the bust shows a figure named Costanza Piccolomini Bonarelli, the wife of Matteo Bonarelli, and one of Bernini's disciples and colleagues.

Bust of Costanza Bonarelli
ArtistGian Lorenzo Bernini
Year1636–1637 (1636–1637)
Catalogue35
TypeSculpture
MediumMarble
Dimensions72 cm (28 in)
LocationMuseo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence
Coordinates43°46′13.34″N 11°15′30.06″E
Preceded byPasce Oves Meas
Followed byBusts of Paolo Giordano and Isabella Orsini

Subject
Gian Lorenzo Bernini

The subject of the work is Costanza Bonarelli, with whom he fell in love when her husband was working as Bernini's assistant in 1636. During his encounters with Bonarelli, Bernini decided to spend some of his free time stalking Bonarelli. Later, Bernini discovered his brother, Luigi, had also been having an affair with Costanza.[2] With the frustration that Luigi has shown against Bonarelli during the feud, it created tension and led to Bernini assaulting his brother. Bernini then decided to barge into the home of his brother and attempt to assault and murder him; the assault involved one of his servants attacking Luigi with a knife and a blunt object. Bernini was also known to hold a sword during the attack where he willingly used it to strike his brother down.[3]

Later on, Bernini was punished and was fined three-thousand scudi for homicide against his brother during the affair; Pope Urban VIII eventually released him from his fines due to his reputation with the church and the relationship with the pope. Years after the affair, and after a conversation with the pope, Bernini decided to move on from Costanza Bonarelli and marry another woman named Caterina Tezio instead; he made sure he would commit to his work, as well as his family and faith for the remainder of his years as an artist.[4]

Style

Clothing

The Bust of Costanza Bonarelli was an artwork that introduced numerous elements from the Baroque style; the bust feels light weighted, and the hair and clothing exude a presence of energy and life.[5] Bernini managed to portray some good qualities in creating the bust, such as adding the clothed drapery on the subject. Other than the The Bust of Costanza Bonarelli that was created, Bernini has incorporated similar drapery work to several other sculptures as well.[6]

This Bust was made to commemorate King Charles I

One example that has a similar emphasis towards drapery work would be The Bust of Charles. The Bust of Charles was another sculpture that not only emphasized drapery work, but the drapery also had more detail within the folds as well. The arrangement of this bust's clothing seems to give the subject more life, making the figure of the bust look more realistic.[7]

Expression

Another aspect that Bernini has included in the Bust of Costanza Bonarelli, is the emotions evident on the face. The details within the sculpture were well developed and included multiple incisions and cuts in order to add accuracy and detail to the sculpture piece, such as folds and frills within the clothing or hair within the bust of the person. With these details added, Bernini was able to shape the facial expression of Costanza; the features that the bust has, as well as the light and darkness the statue has produced within the work, the appearance within the artwork suggests that Bernini stays true to the figure as well as an accurate representation of the figure.[8] As Bernini put more details into the facial expression, he gave Costanza a slightly opened lip within the emotion of the sculpture's face, representing the realism within the piece, as well as how it shows the head bust exemplifying the feeling of the subject of the work.[9]

Contrast

Looking at a collection of Bernini's busts, most of them would end up having religious themes.[10] The Bust of Costanza Bonarelli was not related to Church patronage, but instead represents someone Bernini remembered from his past; this person was related to his personal life outside his work, as well as a women he once loved. This sculpture was also not commissioned by anyone, but was created as his own personal work instead. This is what makes this bust different compared to other busts Bernini has created; the busts he would create would normally involve important figures of high class or other important people.[11]

Context
Another Angle of Costanza Bonarelli

Memory

Looking back at Bernini's Bust of Costanza Bonarelli, Bernini had a direction in making this particular artwork. Bernini's thoughts towards this work involves his affection for a certain women though his time. Other than his interest towards Costanza Bonarelli, the portrait bust was created by Bernini in order to shape the experience and memory of a certain person he once knew. The bust created by Bernini was made in order to remember Costanza Bonarelli, a women he had once loved, as well as preserving the life of the that specific person in time.[11] In an accumulation of facial traits, as well as sculpting the entirety of the statue head, the artists conveys us a memory of his past time; The Bust of Costanza Bonarelli was made as a personal artwork, rather than a commission from someone else.[12]

See also

References
  1. Wittkower, Rudolf (1997). Bernini: the sculptor of the Roman Baroque (4th ed.). Phaidon Press. p. 256. ISBN 978-0-7148-3715-4. OCLC 777304255.
  2. Mormando, Franco (2012). "Review of Bernini's Beloved: A Portrait of Costanza Piccolomini". Renaissance Quarterly. 65 (3): 888–889. doi:10.1086/668318. JSTOR 10.1086/668318. S2CID 164205791.
  3. McPhee, Sarah (2006). "Costanza Bonarelli: Biography versus Archive". In Delbeke, Maarten; Levy, Evonne Anita; Ostrow, Steven F. (eds.). Bernini's Biographies: Critical Essays. Penn State Press. pp. 315–376. ISBN 978-0-271-02901-6.
  4. Soussloff, Catherine M. (1987). "Old Age and Old-Age Style in the 'Lives' of Artists: Gianlorenzo Bernini". Art Journal. 46 (2): 115–121. doi:10.2307/776888. JSTOR 776888.
  5. Jones, Jonathan (8 August 2003). "Costanza Bonarelli, Gianlorenzo Bernini (c1636-37)". The Guardian. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
  6. "Gian Lorenzo Bernini | Biography, Style, Sculptures, Architecture, Paintings, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  7. Raatschen, Gudrun (1996). "Plaster Casts of Bernini's Bust of Charles I". The Burlington Magazine. 138 (1125): 813–816. JSTOR 887180.
  8. Puu, Tönu (2015). "Perfection in Art". Arts, Sciences, and Economics. pp. 119–157. doi:10.1007/978-3-662-44130-5_6. ISBN 978-3-662-44129-9.
  9. artincontext (2021-10-02). "Bernini Sculptures - A Look at the Best Gian Lorenzo Bernini Statues". artincontext.org. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  10. "Bernini and the birth of Baroque portrait sculpture". Choice Reviews Online. 46 (10): 46–5440–46-5440. June 2009. doi:10.5860/choice.46-5440.
  11. Moretti, Rebecca (30 September 2013). "McPhee Reveals the Woman Behind Bernini's Sculpture". The Heights. Vol. 94, no. 32. p. A2. ProQuest 1439091458.
  12. "Bust of Costanza Bonarelli by Gian Lorenzo Bernini". www.thehistoryofart.org. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
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