With the gilt bronze clock as my final selection, it again touches upon this idea of luxury and art combined with technology. This specific theme is incredibly important, especially so to see with the clock, as it shows throughout time, human desires haven’t necessarily changed all that much. It’s also appropriate to have yet another French piece to show their dominance in the artistic sphere. Of course, the clock itself is also simply beautiful to look at, but the top, sides, and back of the clock have religious symbolism that is essential to what makes the work so treasurable to the original purchaser. Moreover, many viewers could view this piece as something that could very easily reside in their house should they have the wealth to do so, adding a sense of relatability as the clock acts as a great centerpiece for one’s own art collection. Compared to Saint Peter Repentant, both of these artworks have religious factors at play, adding some familiarity for a small, focused exhibition, but it also differentiates itself from the canvas artworks and relates towards the microscope in being an instrument of measure. These four art pieces chosen for the small exhibition all have similarities and stark differences, yet all showcase various desires within the life of wealthy individuals from the time period, each telling a different tale while showing familiarity with how earthly desires amongst those whom appreciate art remain uniquely human.

One artist I did not know about before taking this course, yet felt important to study upon learning, is Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the Italian sculptor and architect. Architecture is something that surrounds us at Case Western so it has an impact on us that we see every day. Even walking to this course, there is architecture outside readily viewable to the public, both for artistic admiration and simple convenience. I’m of the belief that Bernini is incredibly important to study because of his representation of what it means to be a sculptor. In the many works of Bernini’s that we looked at in this course, we can see a myriad of projects that cover different subjects from portraiture to religious or mythological artwork. In some aspects, Bernini embodies what it means to be a truly phenomenal artist in being able to masterfully work with various materials and craft great works touching upon various themes and subjects. One Bernini work that we looked at was Pluto and Proserpina which really struck me. The subject at hand is mythological, but the way Bernini worked specifically with this piece is quite grand in scale, being able to see the bones and muscle of both Pluto and Proserpina down to the finest details in Pluto’s foot for example, is just impossible to not admire. Moreover, the way Pluto grips at Proserpina’s flesh, digging in down to the finest detail, shows such a strong understanding of the body that not many artists can achieve.
