I spent a little over an hour awestruck, wandering from room to room, completely immersed in aesthetic bliss. Toward the end of my time in the galleria, I became so dazed by the sensory overload that I had to go outside and sit down. The Bernini sculptures were, by themselves, overwhelming. The incredible level of detail, right down to the armpit hair of Pluto, was enough to render me speechless. The sculptures looked as if they would start moving any second. I believe that if I touched Proserpina, she would be warm under my fingers.
I must admit, I’ve never known very much about art. I’ve only heard of most of these artists, and if asked to identify their styles, or even their mediums, I’d often be at a loss. But today I learned that Bernini is my favorite sculptor, and it would be very difficult for another to surpass him in my esteem. My ignorance of art is by no means indicative of an aversion, however. I’ve always been a sucker for talent in any medium or discipline, and I doubt that will ever change.
On a side note, I went into the gallery this morning with the belief that “Borghese” was simply the Italian form of “Borgia”.
In case you haven’t heard this name before, the Borgia family was a prominent and powerful European family during the 15th-16th centuries. Among its members were three popes and a saint. The family was notorious for their political machinations, corruption, and ruthlessness. Three of its members in particular were well-known for using their status to literally get away with murder. Rodrigo Borgia, also known as Pope Alexander VI, had multiple mistresses and was known for his corruption and greed. Cesare Borgia, one of Rodrigo’s illegitimate sons, was under suspicion of killing his own brother to pave his own way up the power ladder, and was otherwise well-known for his brutality. In one account by the contemporary historian Johann Burchard, he closed off the St. Peters’ square and had prisoners, including women and children, bound and placed in the center of the square. He then mounted a war-horse and proceeded to brutally hack the prisoners to bits from atop the charger, until only he remained in the square, along with a bloody, pulpy mess. While this was happening, his father and sister, Lucrezia, watched from a balcony. Lucrezia Borgia was probably more of a tool for her father to gain power by marrying her to potential allies, but she was also reputed to have been fond of poisoning people, and was a very skilled politician in her own right.
Also, Innocent X, a member of the Pamphilj family, was the great-great-great-grandson of Rodrigo Borgia. You may remember from my previous post that the Pamphilj family was the owners of the galleria I visited yesterday. Though this means nothing, I found it an interesting coincidence.
I’ve strayed from my original point, which was that I believed the Borghese family, owners of the Galleria Borghese and the collection it houses, to be one and the same as the Borgia family. I have, upon further research, discovered this belief to be a mistake, at least as far as I can tell. Everything I’ve been able to find out about the two families has talked about them as two separate entities, though both families have members who have become popes, and both were big patrons of the arts.
I’d like to end this post with something completely unrelated. In my various internet searches, I have stumbled upon something which delights me. I hope it delights you too:
http://www.amazon.com/James-Earl-Jones-Reads-Bible/dp/1591502241
That’s right. The velvety-throated James Earl Jones. Darth Vader. Reading the King James Bible. That is all.
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