Rating: 
Summary: Excellent
Review: An Extrordinary piece of literature and reference. Recomended to all who appriciate art.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: An Extrordinary piece of literature and reference. Recomended to all who appriciate art.
Rating:
Summary: Bernini the undaunted genius
Review: Bernini, the most eloquent spokesman for the Italian Baroque and the counter-reformation, shines incandescently in this brilliant book. Not many people know that Bernini's art, sculpture in particular, dominated the entire 17th century Italy unmatched to a degree even by Michelangelo's dominance in the precedent century - this book will tell you how and why, both visually and verbally. The writeup on the Ecstacy of Santa Therese alone is worth the price of the entire book.
Rating:
Summary: Bernini the undaunted genius
Review: Bernini, the most eloquent spokesman for the Italian Baroque and the counter-reformation, shines incandescently in this brilliant book. Not many people know that Bernini's art, sculpture in particular, dominated the entire 17th century Italy unmatched to a degree even by Michelangelo's dominance in the precedent century - this book will tell you how and why, both visually and verbally. The writeup on the Ecstacy of Santa Therese alone is worth the price of the entire book.
Rating: 
Summary: Tough call between the Scribner and the Wittkower
Review: I have the two main American books on Bernini; the Scribner and the Wittkower, plus the Scala edition by Maurizio Fagiolo from their "Great Masters of Art" series. Each book has something to commend it. Scribner's prose is by far the most passionate, easiest to read, and most informative for the general reader. The Wittkower is a bit dry and academic while the English translation of the Fagiolo is poorly done and shorter on material than either of the other two (understandable, since it's a shorter book).On the other hand, the Wittkower contains far more photographic material than the other two. While many are in b&w, they still form the best record of Bernini's work to be had in book form. I don't know what Scribner's editors were thinking when they planned their edition (save money?). Inexplicably, it contains hardly any photographic close-ups or details of Bernini's work. For example, the Scribner's contains one full-length color plate of Pluto and Proserpine. The Wittkower has a full-length b&w plus seven different close-ups. The Scribner has one full-length color plate of the Ludovica Albertoni. The Wittkower has a full-length color plate, a close-up color plate, and five b&w close-ups. And how is anyone supposed to properly appreciately Bernini's multi-story Baldacchino in St. Peter's without close-ups? Since it is impossible to properly study or appreciate Bernini without the availability of the close-ups that really magnify his skill and genius, I would recommend buying the Wittkower over the Scribner. The Fagiolo has a good mix of photographs and is cheapest of all, but may only be available in Italy.
Rating:
Summary: Tough call between the Scribner and the Wittkower
Review: I have the two main American books on Bernini; the Scribner and the Wittkower, plus the Scala edition by Maurizio Fagiolo from their "Great Masters of Art" series. Each book has something to commend it. Scribner's prose is by far the most passionate, easiest to read, and most informative for the general reader. The Wittkower is a bit dry and academic while the English translation of the Fagiolo is poorly done and shorter on material than either of the other two (understandable, since it's a shorter book). On the other hand, the Wittkower contains far more photographic material than the other two. While many are in b&w, they still form the best record of Bernini's work to be had in book form. I don't know what Scribner's editors were thinking when they planned their edition (save money?). Inexplicably, it contains hardly any photographic close-ups or details of Bernini's work. For example, the Scribner's contains one full-length color plate of Pluto and Proserpine. The Wittkower has a full-length b&w plus seven different close-ups. The Scribner has one full-length color plate of the Ludovica Albertoni. The Wittkower has a full-length color plate, a close-up color plate, and five b&w close-ups. And how is anyone supposed to properly appreciately Bernini's multi-story Baldacchino in St. Peter's without close-ups? Having seen a majority of Bernini's originals in person, I believe it is impossible to properly study or appreciate Bernini without the availability of the close-ups that really magnify his skill and genius, I would recommend buying the Wittkower over the Scribner. The Fagiolo has a good mix of photographs and is cheapest of all, but may only be available in Italy.
Rating:
Summary: Tough call between the Scribner and the Wittkower
Review: I have the two main American books on Bernini; the Scribner and the Wittkower, plus the Scala edition by Maurizio Fagiolo from their "Great Masters of Art" series. Each book has something to commend it. Scribner's prose is by far the most passionate, easiest to read, and most informative for the general reader. The Wittkower is a bit dry and academic while the English translation of the Fagiolo is poorly done and shorter on material than either of the other two (understandable, since it's a shorter book). On the other hand, the Wittkower contains far more photographic material than the other two. While many are in b&w, they still form the best record of Bernini's work to be had in book form. I don't know what Scribner's editors were thinking when they planned their edition (save money?). Inexplicably, it contains hardly any photographic close-ups or details of Bernini's work. For example, the Scribner's contains one full-length color plate of Pluto and Proserpine. The Wittkower has a full-length b&w plus seven different close-ups. The Scribner has one full-length color plate of the Ludovica Albertoni. The Wittkower has a full-length color plate, a close-up color plate, and five b&w close-ups. And how is anyone supposed to properly appreciately Bernini's multi-story Baldacchino in St. Peter's without close-ups? Having seen a majority of Bernini's originals in person, I believe it is impossible to properly study or appreciate Bernini without the availability of the close-ups that really magnify his skill and genius, I would recommend buying the Wittkower over the Scribner. The Fagiolo has a good mix of photographs and is cheapest of all, but may only be available in Italy.
Rating:
Summary: This book describes in full detail the life of Bernini
Review: I loved reading this majestic book by my distant cousin which surpasses any other art-history book that I or my collegues have ever read. Each page gives this resounding artwork a new meaning. Being an art-historian myself and writing books on Michelangelo Buonarrotti, I never knew of the talant and delicate touch that Bernini posessed. I recommend that anyone interested in art read this book immediatly.
Rating:
Summary: An apt personification.
Review: My appreciation of this book is primarily based on my desire to possess a few of the sculptures which it discusses. There have been philosophical attempts to equate beauty and truth, but the people responsible for such discussions seem to be information looters and shooters compared to the ability of Bernini to make a dynamic representation of father time ripping the covers off of truth. There is just a sketch to show what Bernini had in mind regarding father time, but the sculpture for truth, done when Bernini was young and kept, so there is no possibility that I will ever have it, is the subject of this comment on page 86: In his later years the sculptor enjoyed quoting a quip bandied about Rome that "Truth was to be found only in Bernini's house."
Rating:
Summary: An apt personification.
Review: My appreciation of this book is primarily based on my desire to possess a few of the sculptures which it discusses. There have been philosophical attempts to equate beauty and truth, but the people responsible for such discussions seem to be information looters and shooters compared to the ability of Bernini to make a dynamic representation of father time ripping the covers off of truth. There is just a sketch to show what Bernini had in mind regarding father time, but the sculpture for truth, done when Bernini was young and kept, so there is no possibility that I will ever have it, is the subject of this comment on page 86: In his later years the sculptor enjoyed quoting a quip bandied about Rome that "Truth was to be found only in Bernini's house."
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