Renaissance - Baroque : The Chair of St. Peter

 Background Information:

The Baroque period refers to an area from around the 1600s and ended around the 1750s. The term Baroque, stemmed from the Portuguese language 'barocco' meaning 'irregular pearl or stone' it refers to a cultural and art movement that characterized Europe from the early seventeenth to the mid-eighteenth century. When we think of the Baroque period, after the protestant reformation, when the church has become more powerful and announced its power through art. The Chair of Saint Peter, also known as the Throne of Saint Peter, also represents that power; it is a relic that is conserved in the St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the sovereign enclave of the Pope inside Rome, Italy. The relic is a wooden throne that tradition claims belonged to the Apostle Saint Peter, the leader of the Early Christians in Rome and first Pope, and which he used as Bishop of Rome. The relic is enclosed in a sculpted gilt bronze casing designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and was constructed between 1647 and 1653. 

St Peter's Basilica

The St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome was initially a Circus of  Nero and a cemetery. St Peter, was believed to have been one of the 12 apostles, and the first pope was burned at the stake under the reign of Emperor Nero in approximately 64 AD. Around 306 AD, Emperor Constantine became the first Christian emperor of Rome.  He decided to erect a basilica on Vatican Hill at the supposed location of St. Peter’s tomb.

The construction started in 319 AD and was completed around 349 AD. The basilica stood for over 1,000 years, however it had started to deteriorate and due to serious concerns that it may collapse, Pope Julius II concluded that it was beyond repair and that it would have to be demolished and rebuilt. 

Artistic Analysis: 

One of the many the most prominent elements of this relic is the way that it is blended. The chair is painted with gilded bronze and stucco. Also the head piece of this relic  has colored glass that is used as a light source that signifies the dove as a significance of spirituality and religion. The relic also uses these golden ray’s surrounding the glass as a way to signify weightlessness and gives off that illusion of the chair floating. Whereas the black stone is signifying the foundation of this floating chair ascending towards the heavens. 

 Gian Lorenzo Bernini does a good job of using elements of light and color to draw the audience into this piece and show the significance of power and avoidably of the catholic church. 

Appreciation: 

This relic has a very powerful message to tell. When I first looked through the khan academy site this was the first image that showed up and I could not stop staring at it. The glass used as a light source and the shading as well as the gilded ores tell a story of a powerful group of people ( Catholic Church), and really engrains into your mind of the things they were capable of making with their power which is shown beautiful throughout this art piece. 

Sources:

Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker, et al. “Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Cathedra Petri (Chair of St. Peter).” Smarthistory, 6 Oct. 2022, https://smarthistory.org/bernini-cathedra-petri-chair-of-st-peter/. 

Lowell, Lauren M. “The Northern Renaissance.” Lauren m Lowell Costume Designer, https://lowelldesigns.com/the-northern-renaissance/#:~:text=BASIC%20GARMENTS%3A%20Chemise%2C%20ruff%2C,%2C%20gabled%20headdress%2Ffrench%20bonnet. 

Obstat, Nihil. “Chair of Peter.” CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Chair of Peter, https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03551e.htm.