From May 15th to July 15th at the Palace /Knyaz Alexander I square/, the Bulgarian audience has the opportunity to enjoy works from the Chigi Palace in Ariccia.

The Italian Cultural Institute in Sofia and the National Gallery present 58 masterpieces of the Roman Baroque related to the oeuvre of prominent figures, from Bernini to Cavaliere d’Arpino and Mattia Preti. The exhibition, organised under the patronage of Sofia Municipality, transports us to the Italy of the 17th century in order to acquaint ourselves with the luscious and fascinating manner of expression typical of that period.

For the first time in Bulgaria, a collection of such a wealth of genres and themes favoured by those commissioning art at that time is on display: from portraits and self-portraits, landscapes and allegories of exquisite classical taste, to what we define as "Triumphal Baroque" with its religious images positioned between contemplative intimism and the power of Christ’s drama.

Through the exhibits, we also become acquainted with the genius of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, considered the greatest representative of the art of his time. An extremely talented artist, sculptor, designer of stage sets, playwright and architect, he had explored many new areas in search of his own manner of expression, which later became the universal language of Baroque. The exhibition presents an aspect of Bernini less known to the broad public, focusing on his image as an artist and designer. Next to his artworks stand the masterpieces of many of the artists gathered in Rome, attracted by the creative magnetism of Bernini, a stimulator of various energies and ingenious ideas. Thanks to the collection preserved in the Chigi Palace in Ariccia, we can admire the works of Momper, Baciccio, Cavaliere d’Arpino, Giacinto Gimignani, Borgognone, and many others.

Dedicated to the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the exhibition makes us think about the significance of communication during the epoch of the Baroque art, which, owing to entirely new connotations of that time, revolutionised the aesthetics and dissemination of art.

The exhibition is accompanied by a series of events and meetings with experts who, in turn, urge us to make parallels between the society in the 17th century and society today.

View the embedded image gallery online at:
https://www.diplomaticspectrum.com/en/cultural-institutes/foreign-institutes-in-bulgaria/1165-bernini-and-the-roman-baroque-the-modern-way-of-expression.html#sigFreeId471537ce60

The material was provided by the National Gallery.

In the picture above: Bernini, Self-portrait, XVII c.