Something Higher

Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the Italian artist and architect credited with developing the Baroque style of sculpture was the real deal.  His dynamic, highly expressive figures revolutionized seventeenth century sculpture and continue to grace the streets and churches of Italy centuries later.

A friend and I made a day trip this week to view a collection of terracotta sculptures by Bernini and his apprentices.  These small works are like "sketches" in clay, used to work out the design of some of the most spectacular sculptures in Rome.  They were exquisite.

What an incredible opportunity to study these pieces up close.  I was particularly interested to learn how historians identify which pieces were actually sculpted by the master and which ones were made by his assistants.  Bernini's works bear identifiable fingerprints and stylized elements specific to his way of handling the clay...marks that tell the story of how the artist's ideas began to come to life so many centuries ago.

What an honor it is for us to follow the creative path.  The skill and dedication of the masters can inspire even the most novice among us to develop our own gifts...to reach for something higher, something greater.  It's what we were born to do.

Linking up today with:

Paint Party Friday

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