Thursday, December 1, 2011


Day Four

The trip to The Borghese House included a walk through a park, which was very pleasant.  No cameras were allowed which I actually appreciated; it allowed me to really experience the statues and artwork, rather than concern myself with getting a good photo.  The Bernini’s were amazing! In addition to breathtaking technique, each sculpture captured a moment that was active and very beautiful.  I admire Bernini’s creativity above all of his other talents.  I have seen so many pieces of art that have exceptional technique or color or scale, but I have seen none so creatively executed.  His pieces are active; you can sense the tension and motion. Like a good photograph, good writing, or good singing, I believe good art should posses something present-some sort of tension that implies where something has been and where it is going at the same time. They are by far, the most interesting and inspirational pieces I have seen so far.  My two favorite statues were Apollo and Daphne and the statue of David (in particular, Daphne’s fingers turning into tree branches).

We were also able to learn a little more about the Pantheon today.  It's giant monolithic columns were brought over from Egypt, and it was built by Hadrian in 118 in honor of Marcus Agrippa.  While I love the exterior's solid and sturdy look, the ceiling inside is incredibly beautiful.  The coffered ceiling is enormous; and the oculus in the middle adds to it's aesthetic appeal.  I found the architecture was the most interesting and appealing aspect of the Pantheon, not the statues inside.  



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