Bernini and other studies in the history of art

Listeners are invited into a thoughtfully assembled study of one of the Baroque era’s most inventive artists. The author weaves together detailed essays with high‑quality reproductions of Bernini’s own sketches, from early studies for the piazza of St. Peter’s to the small clay models he sculpted with his hands. By following the progression of these drawings, the book reveals how Bernini visualized space, movement, and drama long before the marble took shape.

Beyond Bernini, the collection broadens to examine portraiture in sculpture, the legacy of Phidias and Michelangelo, and a handful of enigmatic works by Giorgione. Illustrated plates showcase everything from a delicate Angel with a Crown of Thorns to the grand designs for St. Peter’s colonnades, offering a visual guide that complements the scholarly commentary. Listeners with a curiosity for how great art is conceived will find this blend of narrative and image both accessible and inspiring.