Dimensions: Plate: 26 1/2 x 14 7/16 in. (67.3 x 36.6 cm) Sheet: 29 3/16 x 14 3/8 in. (74.2 x 36.5 cm)
Copyright: Public Domain
This print shows Bernini's Baldacchino, which was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII and completed in 1633. Consider the outsized ambition of this bronze structure located at the heart of the Vatican. Rising nearly 100 feet above the tomb of St. Peter, it marks the most sacred space in the Catholic world. The twisting Solomonic columns evoke the ancient Temple of Jerusalem, linking the papacy to the origins of Christianity and the authority of the Old Testament. Bernini's Baldacchino broadcasts the power and wealth of the Catholic Church during the Baroque era in Rome. It also exemplifies the social conditions that shaped artistic production in the papal states. To fully understand its significance, scholars consult historical documents, architectural plans, and religious treatises. Only then can we appreciate the role of art in expressing cultural values.
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