The collection of sculptures by Gian Lorenzo Bernini is stunningly beautiful. Those are the most refined and most beautiful marble sculptures I have ever seen. Simply spellbinding.
I tried to capture in photos the extreme refinement of three pieces,
Apollo and Daphne,
The Rape of Proserpina, and
David.
Apollo and Daphne represents the ancient god, excited by Cupid's arrow, trying to seduce the nymph Daphne who has vowed to remain chaste. In a last effort at resisting the advances of the god, she prays her father, a river god, to destroy her beauty and transform her into a laurel tree.
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| Apollo and Daphne |
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| View from another angle |
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| Detail |
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| Detail |
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| Daphne's toes are starting to take root |
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| Her hands are sprouting branches and leaves |
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| Apollo's cloth is translucent |
The Rape of Proserpina shows the god Pluto capturing a resisting Proserpina to drag her in the underworld. The strength of her resistance and the expression of terror in her face is remarkable.
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| The Rape of Proserpina |
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| Detail of Pluto's hands digging into Proserpina's flesh |
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| Trying to fight back the powerful god |
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| Even her toes are trying to push into the air, next to Cerberus, the two-headed dog of Hades |
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| Tears of despair |
And finally,
David depicts the moment when the boy is reading his sling to strike the giant Goliath.
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| David getting ready to throw |
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| Strength and determination |
Mario
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