Bernini’s Statues in the Villa Borghese

The Borghese were one of the most influential families in early 17th century Rome. Originating in Siena, where the Borghese gained power through appointments to communes, the family moved to Rome under the guidance of Marcantonio in 1541. The family rose to power in 1605, when Marcantonio’s son Camillo Borghese was picked as the compromise candidate between two front-runner cardinals in a surprising papal election. Camillo, taking the name Pope Paul V, used the papacy as a throne of power, exercising nepotism by giving several of his family members prominent positions.
Perhaps the most power was given to Scipione Borghese, nephew to the pope. Paul V adopted Scipione as his own son and gave him the position of cardinal-nephew, which positioned him as the Pope’s secretary and the effective head of the Vatican government. Under his power, Scipione acquired much of the family wealth. He also purchased many adjacent vineyards in the north of Rome and built the Villa Borghese.
Villas were a structure of the true noble families in Rome. Used both for relaxation and diplomatic function, the villa was practical in nature but extravagant in splendor. The Villa Borghese showcased the new wealth and power of the family and also provided a resting place for Scipione’s art collection. Scipione had exceptional taste in art, amassing over 1700 paintings alone for his collection. His legal immunity as cardinal-nephew allowed Scipione to use unscrupulous means such as extortion and theft in order to satiate his desire for pieces. Raphael’s Entombment is one such piece, stolen from a church in Perugia at midnight. Despite his many near-public scandals and some controversy over his sexual behavior, Scipione is remembered most for his art collection. Perhaps his best move as an art collector was his discovery of the prodigy Bernini.
Gianlorenzo Bernini was born in Naples in 1598. His father, Pietro, was a mannerist sculptor who divided time between Florence and Naples. Thus, Bernini’s first influences were his father’s natural skill, the refinement of Florence, and the pagan sensuality of Naples. However, whereas Pietro focused on Florence and Naples, Gianlorenzo stayed almost exclusively in Rome. Pope Urban VIII said of Bernini, “You are made for Rome and Rome for you.” Bernini progressed quickly, moving from the mannerist style of his father to a baroque emphasis.
The baroque showcased figures in movement; it attempted to capture the raw energy of the human in various forms. In addition, there was a new concern with space in trying to transcend the limits of the statue and engage the viewer in the story. Instead of focusing on just one primary viewing angle, multiple viewing angles were introduced to force the viewer to walk around the statue in order to fully experience it. Use of different chiseling methods and polish gave sculptors an outlet to play with light. Lastly, the baroque tied its material back to mythology and classical antiquity.
Scipione commissioned Bernini to complete four life size sculptures for his villa. Although Bernini was young—these sculptures were started when Bernini was 19 and finished at the age of 26—Bernini still considered them some of his best masterpieces. He said of his sculpting that even “from youth [he] devoured marble and never struck a false blow.” Furthermore, when Bernini was walking through the Villa Borghese with Cardinal Antonio Barberini, forty years after completing the statues, he remarked, “Oh how little progress I have made in art when as a youth I handled marble in this way.” Indeed, these sculptures served to jumpstart Bernini’s career and launch him into large-scale papal commissions.
Although these statues are now displayed in the center of rooms at the Borghese gallery, originally the statues would have been placed next to walls. There were two lines of thought on how to view the sculptures: either they have a single dominant perspective, or they should be seen in the round from every perspective. However, recently a new theory of multiple viewing angles has been proposed. This possibility has gained ground for three reasons: 1) experts cannot agree on which view would be dominant, 2) the round would be uncommon in baroque, and 3) the original floor plans of the sculptures were discovered. These floor plans revealed that the viewer would not enter from a dominant perspective but from an inferior one, sometimes even the backside of the sculpture.

Original Layout of the Borghese Gallery

By initially putting the viewer at a non-dominant viewing angle, the movement of the sculpture can dictate the movement of the viewer, who would be forced to walk around the statue as it gradually unfolded. Consequently, the movement reveals the full mythology and story behind the statues.

Aeneas, Anchises, and Ascanius (1618-9)

Bernini’s first commission was the sculpture of Aeneas, Anchises and Ascanius or The Flight from Troy. Bernini was only nineteen when he started the sculpture in 1618 and completed it the next year. The sculpture takes its story from Ovid’s Metamorphoses and Virgil’s Aeneid, where Aeneas, the mythical founder of Rome, is forced to flee Troy after it is invaded by the Greeks using the Trojan Horse. Aeneas carries his father Anchises on his back and leaves with his son Ascanius on his side:

“Quick, then, dear Father,’ I said, ‘climb onto my back, and I will

Carry you on my shoulders—that’s a burden that will not be burdensome.

However things turn out, at lest we shall share one danger,

One way of safety, both of us. Let little Ascanius walk

Beside me, and Creusa followed my steps at a distance…
Do you, my father, carry the sacred relics and home-gods

Sinful for me to touch them, when I have just withdraw

From battle, with blood on my hands, until in running water I am purified.”(The Aeneid)

This sculpture is most similar to father’s style and separated from his three later commissions chronologically by three years due to Bernini’s work on Neptune and Triton. In crafting the poses of the forms, Bernini borrowed heavily from Raphael’s fresco The Fire in the Borgo and modeled Aeneas after Michelangelo’s The Risen Christ. The sculpture also invokes some mannerist style, such as the stylized poses of the figures and the single spiraling column.
Although it is carved in the round, the sculpture is not interesting from behind and was first abutted against a wall directly opposite the space for Apollo and Daphne. The right side of the group with Ascanius would have visible upon entering. This is the only view where Ascanius is fully visible, although his oil lamp carrying the sacred flame of Vesta is always visible. Bernini used both Ascanius and a broken column of Troy as supports, allowing Aeneas’s legs to look free and letting Anchises’s legs suspend from the center. Even in this early piece, there is a wealth of detail. The slackness of skin over the muscles and bones of Anchises contrasts with the strong muscles of Aeneas and the childlike innocence of Ascanius. The gnarled and wizened feet of Anchises show both skin folds and veins while his large lower jaw indicates that teeth may be missing. At Anchises’s left knee, the skin is beautifully gathered taut, revealing the muscles beneath his aged skin. Bernini also plays with light on the sculpture. He polishes all the marble corresponding to the skin but leaves a matte finish on inanimate objects, letting the figures come to life. There would have been light from behind and from either side but not from directly in front or above, leading to a backlit sculpture, possibly representing the flames burning behind the figures.
The piece is also rich with symbolism. The sacred flame of Vesta represents the spirit of Rome and connects the Borghese to their new Roman heritage. The flamelike curls in Anchises’s beard echo the burning of Troy. The statue also hearkens to classical antiquity by displaying the “Three Ages of Man.” This could correspond to the Borghese family’s goals of noble ancestry, current power, and future success, or to Bernini, who had surpassed his father and is now carrying him on his shoulders. Lastly, the theme could echo the nepotism of Pope Paul V. Although the topicality of the sculpture is pagan in nature, passages from Virgil were believed to prophesy the Virgin Birth of Jesus and the eternal rule of the Church, so the piece also served to tie Scipione to the Church.

Pluto Abducting Persephone (1621-2)

Scipione then commissioned Bernini to sculpt Pluto Abducting Persephone, based on Ovid’s Metamorphoses, in 1621. The sculpture is modeled after The Rape of the Sabine and depicts the moment of Pluto dragging Persephone to the underworld. However, this moment is revealed gradually for the viewer. Originally, the viewer would see Pluto’s backside while entering, and his aggressive forward stance would lead the viewer to the center of the room where Persephone is revealed. Pluto and Persephone form an X-shape, a classical symbol of conflict. As the viewer moves further, some key features lead to a final denouement for the viewer: 1) Persephone’s anguished face, 2) the violent fingers of Pluto deep into Persephone’s thigh and 3) Cerberus, completing the story that Pluto is taking her to the underworld. This sculpture, depicting a traditional battle of the sexes, showcases Bernini’s skill at capturing the human form. The beautiful detail of Pluto’s hand gripping Persephone’s thigh is so realistic that the skin looks soft to the touch. The support created by Cerberus and Persephone’s drapery allow Persephone to appear pushing against Pluto, her free hand reaching towards the land of the living. The square base emphasizes forward movement by matching Pluto’s stride.

Although originally commissioned for the Borghese gallery, Scipione used the piece politically. During the sculpting process, Pope Paul V had died and Scipione, no longer the cardinal-nephew, had lost almost all of his power to the new cardinal-nephew Ludo Ludovici. Ludovici and Borghese were in opposition, so Scipione, realizing that Ludovici had more power, offered him the piece in order to gain favor. However, this gift was two-sided as originally there would have been a cautionary inscription on the base of the sculpture: “Oh you who, bending, pick the flowers of the earth, heed the one who was carried to the dwelling of wild Pluto.” The morale was clearly a message to Ludovici that his power would soon decay.
There is also significance to the Borghese family. Cerberus sits on a truncated laurel tree and can be seen as a symbol of fertility in addition to a symbol of the underworld. Because Marcantonio I Borghese had just married, some historians believe that the piece also was willing an heir for the new marriage.

Apollo and Daphne (1622-5)

In order to fill the space left by Pluto and Persephone, Scipione commissioned Apollo and Daphne, which told another story from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Although commissioned before David, Apollo and Daphne was the last sculpture to be completed, taking three years to complete and being interrupted by the David for seven months. It depicts the moment that Apollo overtakes Daphne as she changes into a laurel tree. Like Pluto and Persephone, the tale is revealed gradually to the viewer. Upon entering the room, the first glimpse of sculpture would be Apollo’s back with twigs. The dynamic diagonal thrust of Apollo’s body gives a guide to the viewer to move into the center of the room, where the figure of Daphne appears attached to the leaves. When Daphne’s transformation is finally realized, the viewer then sees the face of Apollo and the poignant sense of loss registered on his face.
Both figures are exquisite in their detail, movement, and realistic emotion. Daphne is commonly considered a standard of excellence in baroque sculpture. The fine detail work of her toes turning into roots and her fingers turning into leaves captivate the reader when contrasted with the soft feel of the flesh. Again, the flesh is polished and the inanimate objects such as the tree bark hold a matte finish. The sharply incised grooves in the hair of Daphne reflect light, giving the appearance of blond hair. The figure of Apollo is modeled off of the Apollo Belvedere in both posture and face.

Apollo Belvedere

Bernini puts him in motion on a forward tilt to capture motion and show uneasiness. The outstretched hand now wraps around Daphne and the lower hand stabilizes Apollo as he gropes for Daphne. The tree trunk supports the statue, allowing Apollo’s left leg to be suspended. Notably, the erotic satisfaction of Apollo is confounded rather than satisfied as his hand touches not flesh but bark.
The statue is full of contradictions both in moral and significance. While the goal of the art is to make the scene lifelike, the story narration is of a woman becoming inanimate, or un-lifelike. It could be seen as supporting the sense-based pleasures of art but also warning of the evils of sensual poetry, as eroticism for a hedonistic patron or the sublimation of sensual lust into art for discerning cardinal. The statue might also hold significance for the sexual appetite of Scipione Borghese, who, at the time, was widely ridiculed for his attraction to other men. While Scipione attempted to thwart his ridiculers by instituting a symbol of heterosexual sensualism, other cardinals might have exploited the fact that Daphne becomes undesirable and sexually inaccessible. Due to these controversies, the statue was endowed with a Christian moral by Maffeo Barberini, which translates to “the lover who will fleeting beauty follow plucks bitter berries; leaves fill his hand’s hollow.” The moral also helped better justify the pagan topic of the statue, as Scipione may have been criticized for not incorporating more Biblical topics into his collection.

David (1623)

David was completed in a mere seven months. Detailing the story of David and Goliath, Bernini chose the moment of David in battle immediately slaying the giant. Again, the story is told gradually. The first look would have been of the statue’s right side. The view shows unintelligible action and encourages the spectator to move around towards the front of statue. As viewer moves from right to left, David’s facial expression becomes more strict and fierce, his body more compact. Gradually the sling is revealed, and at the last the sling is revealed to be taut and ready for release. The gradual reveal gives the viewer momentum as the tremendous physical energy and spiritual will of David is shown. At the end, the viewer is physically aligned with David, seeing Goliath through the mind’s eye in front of them. Thus, the viewer is engaged as the statue comes to life and crosses the boundaries of reality. David’s toes extend over the platform, again showing a stepping out of the statue realm into the viewer’s world.
Curiously, David is the only statue in the collection with one figure. It is also the only Biblical figure, although the ferocious action, virtual nudity, and realistic expression of the figure make it hard to classify as religious. David is a symbol of power with his knitted brow and tight jaw poised for action. There are apocryphal stories of Bernini using both his face and body as models for the statue. In one story, Maffeo Barberini held the mirror for Bernini for him to view his face. In another, sources say that Bernini had his aides sketch him as he hurled chunks of marble across his studio.
David has significance for both the Borghese family and for Bernini. The first view of the statue would resemble The Borghese Gladiator, a sculpture from antiquity that was a pride of the Borghese Gallery.

The Borghese Gladiator

Also, below David is a lyre with an eagle’s head, a symbol of the Borghese family. The Biblical overtones of the topic yield an implicit comparison of both Scipione and Bernini to David and the lineage of Jesus. For Bernini, the David was a key topic for Renaissance masters. Donatello, Verrocchio, and Michelangelo all completed the David, so by doing the same topic, he implicitly compares himself and tries to outdo these masters.
By comparing David to Michelangelo’s David, the contrast between the Renaissance and the Baroque can be clearly seen. Where Michelangelo depicts David before battle in a fierce yet meditative pose, Bernini shows him in the heat of the battle, tense and grimacing. Movement is clearly implied in Bernini’s version and the sculpture interacts with its surroundings. In Michelangelo’s version, no movement is implied and the sculpture does not interact with its surroundings. Also, whereas Michelangelo made his David disproportionate and intended it to be viewed from a single viewpoint, Bernini displayed David proportionally and introduced the concept of multiple viewing angles.
After these commissions, Bernini’s friend Maffeo Barberini was elected Pope Urban VIII. Urban VIII wasted no time commissioning Bernini for much greater projects, such as St. Peter’s Piazza, the Fountain of the Four Winds and Ecstasy of St. Teresa. The Borghese family, although no longer in command of Bernini, continued to stay powerful and today is one of the wealthiest and most successful families in Rome.

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