On June 1st, I went on an excursion to the Church
of the Gesu with Steven and Elyssa. The
three of us sprinted to catch the 30 bus, and hopped off near the Monument to
Victorio Emanuel. We were a little
confused as to where the entrance to the church was and ended up walking in a
circle, but our phone apps prevented us from being lost for too long.
The first
thing I noticed about the Church was how ornately decorated it was. Having done quite a bit of research on
Bernini for my presentation on the Piazza Navona, I immediately recognized that
the church takes on a distinct Baroque style.
The purpose of Baroque art is to create a sense of grandeur and
exuberance, and this church is no exception.
The black and gold color scheme, chandeliers, and dramatic paintings and
sculptures are clearly intended to awe and impress all who enter. I would probably find the décor of the Church
to be somewhat gaudy and over-the-top if I had seen it in a photograph. In person however, I cannot help but marvel
at it.
The ceiling
of the church is utterly striking. Painted
to look three-dimensional, the figures almost appear to emerge directly from
the framework. There is a clear sense of
movement to the art; the outstretched arms and dramatic positions of the
figures make them appear to be in motion.
Looking at it made me feel as though I had just encountered a
freeze-frame of an action-packed movie.
The sculptures that adorn the church create a similar feeling of
movement. As I stared at the ceiling, I often
found myself unsure of whether I was looking at something that had been painted
or sculpted. There is also a mirror
located towards the back of the church that is angled in a way that allows
viewers to take in all the glorious details of the paintings without having to
strain their necks.
The altar
of the church also fascinated me.
Instead of a crucifix, there is a painting of Christ as a newborn
child. A cross that bares the name “Jesus”
is in the background surrounded by angels.
The fact that Jesus is portrayed as a newborn in this scene, rather than
hanging from the cross on which he died, is clearly a reference to the miracle
of his resurrection. It alludes to the
notion that Jesus was reborn when he gave up his life for the sins of
mankind. I also noticed that there is a
separate alcove to the left of the church that features a very life-like
sculpture of Jesus on the cross. The
fact that Jesus’ crucifixion is portrayed in a darker, more secluded section of
the church almost makes it seem as though those who designed the church did not
want to remember Jesus in this way. Perhaps
they wanted to remember him as he is depicted in the painting above the altar,
as one who lives forever.
No comments:
Post a Comment