Bernini, Giovanni Lorenzo 1598-1680. Italian
sculptor, architect, and painter, a leading
figure in the development of the Baroque
style. His work in Rome includes the
colonnaded piazza in front of St Peter's
Basilica (1656), fountains (as in the Piazza
Navona), and papal monuments. His sculpture
includes The Ecstasy of St Theresa 1645-52
(Sta Maria della Vittoria, Rome) and numerous
portrait busts. Bernini's sculptural style is
full of movement and drama, as captured in
billowing drapery and facial expressions. His
subjects are religious and mythological. A
fine example is the marble Apollo and Daphne
for the Cardinal Borghese, 1622-25 (Borghese
Palace, Rome), with the figures shown in full
flight. Inside St Peter's, he created several
marble monuments and the elaborate canopy
over the high altar. He also produced many
fine portrait busts, one of Louis XIV of
France.