Yet another example where a nymph transforms into a tree (see also Phyllis and Demophoön, 1905). Here Daphne is fleeing from Apollo’s advances because she decided to remain a virgin. To help her, she is turned into a laurel tree by her father, the river-god Peneus who is represented by the river in the background. Apollo continued to admire the laurel tree and used his eternal youth to prevent the leaves from withering.
The work is clearly inspired by the marble statue of Bernini from Galleria Borghese in Rome. Waterhouse never managed to sell this painting and that is probably also because the art critics reviewed it in a very negative way. They criticized in particular the feeble representation of Apollo.
“Beauty is unbearable, drives us to despair, offering us for a minute the glimpse of an eternity that we should like to stretch out over the whole of time.” ~ Albert Camus [The Ecstasy of St. Teresa, c.1640 - Gian Lorenzo Bernini]
• Albert Camus (1913–1960) was a journalist, editor and editorialist, playwright and director, novelist and author of short stories, political essayist and activist—and, although he more than once denied it, a philosopher. He ignored or opposed systematic philosophy, had little faith in rationalism, asserted rather than argued many of his main ideas, presented others in metaphors, was preoccupied with immediate and personal experience, and brooded over such questions as the meaning of life in the face of death. More: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/camus/
• Gian Lorenzo Bernini dominated the Roman art world of the seventeenth century, flourishing under the patronage of its cardinals and popes while also challenging contemporary artistic traditions. His sculptural and architectural projects reveal an innovative interpretation of subjects, use of forms, and combination of media. Forging a path for future artists, he played an instrumental role in establishing the dramatic and eloquent vocabulary of the Baroque style. More: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/bern/hd_bern.htm
Statue in marmo bianco, struttura in travertino, obelisco romano in granito; h totale 30 m
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A vorte ritorneno. E anfatti ecchime quane. Avevo detto che me pijiavo na pausa e così è stato, e così è, che nun ce vojo avè più ‘a scadenza de un post a settimana, come che dovessi da timbrà er cartellino (che c’è chi dovrebbe e nu ‘o fa, mannaggia a loro, ma io sto qua pe divertimme mica pe lavorà).
E dunque, siccome che v’aavevo promessa, ecco ‘a fontana dii quattro fiumi de Bernini. Si ve ricordate, Bernini era caduto in disgrazia cor papa Innocenzo X Pamphili coll’acca, pe via che era stato l’artista preferito der papa Urbano VIII Barberini coll’api, che ste du famije nun se poteveno vedè.
Senonchè, er papa Innocenzo eccetera eccetera, ciaveva na particolare ideuzza de abbellì Piazza Navona, pe er motivo non indifferente che er palazzo de famija suo affacciava appunto su ‘a suddetta piazza. E fece na gara pubblica, che tutti l’artisti de Roma poteveno presentà l’idea loro pe na bella fontana da piazzà ar centro, e ‘a mejo averebbe vinto. Tutti, tranne Bernini, che pe espressa volontà der papa era stato escluso d’aappalto, che sto Bernini ar papa je stava popo sui cojoni.
Ma Bernini, che come ar solito ce annava in puzza, ciaveva na bella idea paa fontanella, e che fece? Fece un modellino in argento e ‘o regalò aa cognata der papa, Olimpia. Quanno che er papa vide er modellino esclamò: “Anvedi, bello! Me piace! Vojo questo aho! Chi t’haa dato? Chi ‘ha fatto? Che ‘a firma nun ce sta”. E Olimpia “Eh, veramente ‘ha fatto er sor Bernini…” “Li mortè!” sbottò er papa (e subito pensò “mortacci tua Bernì, mo me devo puro annà a confessà”), “Te giuro je vorebbe menà a Bernini, però me possino cecamme sto modello è er mejo. Oramai l’ho detto e tocca che mantengo ‘a parola”. E diede a Bernini ‘a commissione daa fontana.
Mo nun se sa si è vero o leggenda, ma io v’ho detta comunque. E poi ce stanno mille antri significati nascosti e mille aneddoti, ma ve ne dico solo arcuni sinnò quii pochi che sò rimasti se ne vanno.
In pratica ‘e quattro statue sò i quattro fiumi che rappresenteno i quattro continenti (l’Australia l’aveveno pe puzza appena avvistata e ancora nu ‘a carcolaveno): er Danubio pe l’Europa, er Gange pe l’Asia, Er Nilo pe l’Africa e er Rio daa Plata p’Aamerica. E poi ce stanno vari simboli pe ‘e varie parti der monno, tipo cavallo pe l’Europa, leone pe l’Africa, e na specie de misto tra un coccordillo, n’armadillo e Paperino p’Aamerica. E in cima, tanto pe strafà, Bernini cià piazzato ‘n obelisco, come cilieggina su ‘a torta, in bilico su i quattro bracci de sta specie de grotta, come a dì “sò bravo o nun sò bravo?”
E infine se dice che mentre Bernini stava a fà ‘a fontana, Boromini, er rivale suo, stava a costruì ‘a chiesa de fronte, Sant’Agnese; e se dice che pe sto motivo er Rio daa Plata arza er braccio come a dì “Bada che cade!”, mentre er Nilo addirittura se copre ’a faccia co un cencio pe nun vedella da quant’era brutta. Ma nun è vero, de questo semo sicuri. E in reartà ‘a testa der Nilo è velata perché ‘e sorgenti der Nilo ancora nun se conosceveno, che ce provareno poi in tanti a trovalle compreso er dottor Livingstone suppongo e infine pare l’abbieno scoperte i tedeschi ma ‘a questione è ancora dibattuta quinni vedete che c’è ancora tanto da studià ar monno.
E ve rilascio, ma no pe sempre. E soprattutto restate in campana e nun m’abbandonate, che potrebbero essece presto dee belle novità, e nun ve dico gnent’antro pe nun rovinà ‘a saspens.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini - St. Peter’s Chair (c. 1647). St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican.
In the Roman Rite, the feast of the Chair of Saint Peter is celebrated on 22 February. Before Pope John XXIII’s revision in 1960, the Roman Calendar also included on 18 January another feast of the Chair of Saint Peter (denominated the Chair of Saint Peter in Rome, while the February feast was then called that of the Chair of Saint Peter at Antioch).
not to be a nerd but it’s so crazy how he (Bernini) really did that from cold hard stone……. truly a spectacle, truly breathtaking, an honor to behold
I think you should know he was 23 when he finished this and the ass gets a lot of attention but the hand on Persepina’s side/tummy is also exquisite
before i saw the caption I knew that HAD to be bernini.
I try not to make sweeping statements but I think there’s a case to be made for bernini as the greater sculptor there’s ever been.
here’s his bust of costanza bonarelli
here’s apollo and daphne from the front, where she’s mostly human
from the back, where she’s mostly tree
and details
Apollo and daphne is a wonderful piece—and it was worked on by both Bernini and his apprentice Giuliano Finelli (who had a hand for detail that even Bernini didn’t and who I think is about to become one of y’all’s favourite sculptors)
May I introduce you to my favourite piece of his: the bust of Maria Barberini Duglioli, niece of Pope Urban VIII
Medusa, with a classically beautiful face and delicate features, sees herself in an imaginary mirror and is caught in the moment when she realizes the atrocious trick of fate, and before our eyes, her soft skin changes color, the writhing serpents in her hair paralyse and her expression of pain and anguish are forever captured in marble.
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