Maria della vittora in rome, 1652 photo co columbia university in berninis most famous piece, the ecstasy of st. With his bust of louis xiv bernini supplied a model for all europe in the baroque period. Buy the bernini bust by iain pears online at alibris. Moresby museums agent, james langton, popped up out of the blue to buy the titian whose sale jonathan was hoping to broker. And while he awaits his friends, argyll himself may be the next victim. Bernini did not travel to london to undertake the work. When stone came to life art and design the guardian. For one thing, women were not usually sculpted in marble unless they were nobility or the statues were for their tombs. The bust of louis xiv was created by gian lorenzo bernini, who was an italian artist. Gian lorenzo bernini italian, 15981680 and his contemporaries in rome transformed the portrait bust into a groundbreaking art form. In a complete change of pace from his previous intricately plotted and lengthy literary thrillers an instance of the fingerpost and the dream of scipio, iain pears here writes a novellalength study of an artist painting a threepart portrait of the most famous art critic in england in the years of 1910 19, a man with whom he has had a significant history over many years.
However, i found jennifer aldersons book to be mostly annoying. Fortunately, reports about the smuggled bernini, together with an attempt on jonathans life, bring flavia di. In the bernini bust by iain pears book 3 of the series, jonathan argyll is l. The popes nephew was scipione borghese, seen in this picture to the right in a portrait bust by bernini. Berninis bust of louis xiv catholic education resource.
Teresa, nearly every baroque element is highlighted in the ultimate display of spiritual enlightenment in the sculpture and the surrounding cornaro chapel. Arcadia, the new novel by iain pears, was created for an app. Giottos hand by iain pears, 9780425188545, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. The bernini bust art history mystery iain pears on. The bust of charles i was a sculptural bust produced by the italian artist gianlorenzo bernini which according to one historian, set the visual conventions for centuries establishing itself as the official portrait of secular absolutism. Buy the bernini bust by iain pears from waterstones today. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was, also and even more prominently, the leading sculptor of his age, credited with creating the baroque style. Borghese gallery gathers a full house of bernini masterpieces. I enjoyed it a lot and was frustrated when, halfway through, i dropped it.
Clever and witty art historymystery featuring jonathon argyll, scholar and sleuth, from the bestselling author of an instance of the fingerpost. The mystery is a bit too pat and easy to solve, and the novel has none of the magic and power of pears an instance of the fingerpost. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the bernini bust. This unassuming paperback had been sitting on my bookshelf for years before i. Flavia di stefano deputy and general bottando head of the squad. Charles i, king of england was created in 1636 by gian lorenzo bernini in baroque style. Scipione pronounced shipeeeown was a cardinal in the church and a great patron of the arts. The bernini bust is a wellwritten art fraud caper, filled with likeable though at times cliched characters and a plot that clips along at a breezy pace. Feckless british art expert jonathan argyll the titian committee, 1993 should have known it was all too easy when the arthur m. Not had for an art dealer who thinks selling paintings is the most unpleasant part of his job. Bernini s bust of costanza is a work with few precedents.
Mail on sunday delightfully pursued and narrated puzzle. Books by iain pears author of an instance of the fingerpost. Berninis bust of louis xiv is not, perhaps, his greatest work. The largest ever exhibition of bernini works, it includes 28 bronze or marble busts, bernini portrait drawings, a sample of sculpture. Bernini completed several more sculptures of much greater magnitude than the first two commissioned for the family, for display in scipione borgheses grand villa. He was educated at warwick school, an allboys public school in warwick. When bernini died in 1680 at the age of eightytwo, he was buried with great pomp in rome and mourned by all of europe.
Iain pears was even a reuters correspondent in france, italy, united states and united kingdom between the year 1982 and the year 1990. Jun 17, 2015 the sculpture was the first official portrait bust of a pope by the young bernini, already an exceptionally talented portraitist at the age of 23. In his work, as in his private life, raw passion was his driving force, writes simon schama. Frances fyfield, mail on sunday iain pears writes delightfully witty, elegant, wellinformed crime novels. And never mind that the moresby museum is known more. Jonathan argyll, pearss the titian committee endearingly incompetent british art historian and art dealer in rome, falls into a large sale of a lesser. Charles i, king of england, 1636 gian lorenzo bernini. Bust of pope urban viii, 1632 1633 gian lorenzo bernini. For the first time hes blended the two in the portrait, a monologue by an artist in exile from the london art scene who invites his friend and wellknown critic. The piece was made in 1665 when the artist visited paris for a diplomatic exchange. Educated at wadham college, oxford, he has worked as a journalist, an art historian, and a television consultant in england.
Bust of pope urban viii was created in 1633 by gian lorenzo bernini in baroque style. The artist heroine is a furniture makersculptor, rather than a painter, which is an interesting twist it also means. Bernini and baroque portraiture getty center exhibitions. Berninis bust of louis xiv catholic education resource center. Berninis artistic technique is backed, first and foremost. Though created months after paul vs death, bernini created a remarkably vivid likeness of the pope, whom he had met and who was described as a tall man with a handsome presence, pleasant and. The times you dont have to know much about art to enjoy iain pearss italian mysteries. Art history mysteries are one of my favorite subgenres of the mystery world. Bibiana was removed from its church so that it could be restored directly at the museum. Iain george pears born 8 august 1955 is an english art historian, novelist and journalist. Like a good teacher, he shares his passion unobtrusively and flavours his lessons with. Sunday times iain pears get better and betterfrothy, fun and nicely plotted.
Jonathan argyll and the italian national art theft squad series by novelist iain pears. I had reached the limit of my storytelling in book form, pears explained in an. The immaculate deception by iain pears paperback harpercollins. Pears was born on 8 august 1955 in coventry, england. And for the place of the bust in berninis life and career i recommend charles averys bernini. He was to create new pieces of art for the louvre palace, but louis xiv wanted him to also make a portrait bust. A rediscovered bernini joins the museums collection the. Find more prominent pieces of sculpture at best visual art database. A guide to cozy mystery and other favorite books, movies, and tv.
He built the family estate and the borghese gardens, and set about commissioning great works of art to fill it. Despite not meeting charles i facetoface, bernini s bust was considered a success at the time, and the english. Iain pears jonathan argyll mysteries like the bernini bust are. Only at the age of sixtysix did bernini leave his beloved city of rome when summoned by louis xiv to france for six months. Iain pearss most popular book is an instance of the fingerpost. Throughout this trip the famous artist was treated royally, more as a hero or prince than a craftsman.
Four carlo scarpa walnut and black leather chairs mod. I had reached the limit of my storytelling in book form, pears explained in an article in the guardian, and needed some. Jan 31, 2016 arcadia, the new novel by iain pears, was created for an app. In the year 1987, as pears was at the yale university, he was able to become a getty fellow in the humanities and arts. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. With dazzling virtuosity, these artists were able to coax the living presence and personality of their sitterscreating a speaking likenessfrom the intractable medium of stone. Sep 23, 2008 the largest ever exhibition of bernini works, it includes 28 bronze or marble busts, bernini portrait drawings, a sample of sculpture by berninis contemporaries, such as giuliano finelli. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. His works are fraught with emotion and tension, achieving a hitherto unseen level of lifelike action. The titian committee by iain pears paperback harpercollins.
The 17thcentury sculptor gianlorenzo bernini did nothing by half. The mystery is a bit too pat and easy to solve, and the novel has none of the magic and power of. Iain pears writes two completely different types of novels, a series of entertaining art mysteries, and the serious, erudite instance of the fingerpost and dream of scipio. Pears is a delightful writer, with a light, ironic touch. The sculpture had previously been moved during the bombing of rome in world war ii. The bernini bust art history mystery by iain pears isbn. Sep 15, 2006 the 17thcentury sculptor gianlorenzo bernini did nothing by half.
Jonathan argyll has finally done something righthes sold an overpriced. Following soon after, he sculpted a bust of the pope which seemed to secure scipione borgheses opinion of him and resulted in six years of patronage from the cardinal. Giottos hand provides a wry and illuminating portrait of the often devious world of fine art. It wasnt very long and didnt have nearly enough about bernini himself, but the mystery is solid, the prose is witty and moves you briskly along, and the main characters argyll and flavia are both good protagonists. To ask other readers questions about the bernini bust, please sign up.
An elegant and amusing book, perfect for those who love a clever puzzle. Iain pears jonathan argyll mysteries like the bernini bust are wonderful. Jonathan argyll series 7 primary works 7 total works also known as art history mysteries, this series describes the adventures of art historian jonathan argyll and two members of the fictitious art squad of the italian police. Gian lorenzo bernini bernini, perhaps more than any other artist of the time period, was responsible for defining the baroque style of sculpture. The heroic note is set by the bust, no longer a truncated halfbust with funerary allusions, but. Iain pears has 19 books on goodreads with 98024 ratings.
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