BERNINI

Scribner provides a highly literate and aesthetically sensitive introduction to the life and works of the much-admired and influential Bernini. The sculpture and architecture of this artist, who grew from a child prodigy to the darling of Italian popes, embodies the Baroque era that followed the mannerism of the late Renaissance. This well-made book, containing a wealth of photographed color plates, captures the depth and breadth of the Roman masterpieces. Illustrations of the major works include the Ecstasy of St. Teresa , an aerial view of St. Peter's Colonnade with its rooftop figure arsenal, the cathedral's interior Baldacchino canopy, guilded reliquaries, and a brilliant assortment of figures and busts carved in marble. The book, which is included in the publisher's "Masters of Art" series, is as sure to please the specialist as the lay reader. Recommended for all art book collections.