Fountain of the Four Rivers

Fountain of the Four Rivers The Fountain of the Four Rivers is a monumental example of Italian Baroque style and eloquence. This sculpture is one of many that transformed Rome into the city we know today. There are many fountains that can be found throughout Italy. The Fountain of the Four Rivers is a breathtaking sculptural fountain in Piazza Navona, Italy. It is made of travertine and marble. This sculpture was designed and constructed from 1648-1651. On June 12, 1651 this magnificent masterpiece was unveiled to the world.

The famous Italian sculpture and architect, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, is the brilliant artist responsible for this masterpiece. He won the honor of designing this fountain by subterfuge; an advocate of Bernini had placed a model of the fountain in an area where the pope would hopefully see it and choose him to design the structure. This spectacular piece was built for the Pope Innocent X Pamphili. Its water source comes from the Acqua Vergine; this is one of the main water supplies in Rome. The pope ordered this water supply to be redirected to the front of his palace in the Palazzo Pamphili where the fountain stands.

The town square that houses the Fountain of the Four Rivers not only is the location for Pamphili’s family palace, it is also the location of the ancient stadium of the Emperor Domitain. This was one of the first fountains constructed in Rome that was designed by Bernini, which would be followed by many more. The Fountain of the Four Rivers is a complex design. This sculpture depicts Gods of the four great rivers that are found in the four continents that were recognized by renaissance geographers during that time period.

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These rivers include the Nile, in Africa, the Ganges in Asia, the Rio de la Plata in the Americas and the Danube in Europe. Also, each countries area on the fountain is enhanced with details of its native animals and plants. Bernini’s magnificent fountain efficiently integrates an Egyptian obelisk that stands in the center of this piazza. This is one of Bernini’s most well-known and breathtaking works of art. Pamphili is quoted stating, “The only way to avoid employing Bernini was not to see his designs. ” Bernini’s art to this day remains admired works of beauty and creativity weaved throughout Rome’s ancient streets.

Bernini and his brilliant creations brought Rome to be known as “the city of fountains”. Bernini was a magnificent architect and sculptor of Baroque style. He was born in Naples in 1598; He had a very long and successful career until his death in 1680. In Rome, he worked for the city’s most authoritative families and the popes. Some of his Royal patrons included the Pope Innocent X Pamphili, King Charles I and Louis XIV. Bernini was Caravaggio’s (Michelangelo Merisi) contemporary. Bernini brought Caravaggio’s style of painting to his sculptures. He created many exceptional baroque styled sculptures, fountains, and dynamic monuments.

All of which are prized by patrons centuries after their creations. People travel across the world just to admire his historical masterworks. Bernini’s style truly depicts the eloquence of creativity and ingeniousness of the Italian Baroque styled sculptures in seventeenth-century Rome. Different types of Baroque styles are found throughout Europe, they all began from ideas from the Italian’s version of this style. The Fountain of the Four Rivers portrays the main four rivers of the world known at that time. This structure integrates the artistic styles of the era, the religious aspects and the geological significance of its time.

This particular water feature is one of many fountains that transformed Rome to being known as “the city of fountains”. One of the main water sources of Rome was redirected to give the sculpture life. This fountain is one of many works of art that demonstrates the imaginary art and thinking of peoples around the seventieth century. This ancient sculpture is also one of many that transformed Rome into the city we know today. Bernini’s designs are integrated though out surrounding areas and had influence on other artists through history. Works Cited

National Gallery of Art, Washington,DC; http://www. nga. gov/exhibitions/2000/baroque/2013 February 2, 2013 Alexandra Korey, Bernini’s “Fountain of the Four Rivers” restored (Quattro Fiumi), March 2009 February 5, 2013 Zuzana Pastirikova. Heidi Schwartz http://www. rome. info/bernini/fountain-four-rivers/ 2003-2009 Rome info; February 6, 2013 Hugh Honour, John Fleming; A World History of Art, Laurence King Publishing, 2005 February 7, 2013 Ann Sutherland Harris; 17th century art and architecture, Laurence King Publishing, 2005 February 9, 2013

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