The extraordinary man at the right was the most successful Italian artist of the seventeenth century. As one scholar has commented, "What Shakespeare is to drama, Bernini may be to sculpture: the first pan-European sculptor whose name is instantaneously identifiable with a particular manner and vision, and whose influence was inordinately powerful…." He was both a great architect and a great sculptor–the greatest sculptor since Michelangelo. He was born in Naples, but lived most of his incredible 82 years in Rome. And it would be impossible to appreciate his work without a trip to Rome.
REQUIRED READING:
This is the best one-volume history of Italy that includes the modern part that we want. It provides you with a nice introduction to earlier periods and those of you who studied the Renaissance last year will find these chapters an easy review. You can read about the earlier periods a bit each week tip you get up to 1600. We will use the book all year.
