The Genius in the Design : Bernini, Borromini, and the Rivalry That Transformed Rome
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Recommended By
Mari.
Book Details
Written by Jake Morrissey.
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($24.95)
Editorial Review (from Amazon.com)
The rivalry between the brilliant seventeenth-century Italian architects Gianlorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini is the stuff of legend. Enormously talented and ambitious artists, they met as contemporaries in the building yards of St. Peter's in Rome, became the greatest architects of their era by designing some of the most beautiful buildings in the world, and ended their lives as bitter enemies. Engrossing and impeccably researched, full of dramatic tension and breathtaking insight, The Genius in the Design is the remarkable tale of how two extraordinary visionaries schemed and maneuvered to get the better of each other and, in the process, created the spectacular Roman cityscape of today.
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Mari thinks this book is Excellent.
The Genius in the Design is not only for those who know a great deal about 17th century architecture. Although an appreciatation for the art of the great buildings of Rome will make this book more enjoyable for the reader, the subject matter is presented in such a way that even a novice can understand and appreciate.
The book focuses on the works of Gianlorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini and their rising and falling fortunes--and infamous rivalry.
The writing is clear and pleasant to read, with quite a number of illustrations. The only flaw I found was that the names of Bernini and Borromini were so similar that it made it difficult to remember who was who, although that was hardly the fault of the author.
I heartily recommend this book.