A Marine God with a Dolphin
1652-1653
Bernini’s energetic sketch captures a muscular marine god locked in a dramatic tussle with a dolphin, serving as a raw blueprint for his famous Fountain of the Moor in Rome. Even in simple chalk, you can feel the Baroque obsession with movement and tension—the figure’s body twists violently, with a swirling form above his head that looks like a dolphin's tail whipping through the air. It’s fascinating to see the messy brainstorming of a master sculptor who usually worked in solid marble; here, the ideas are flying fast and loose, showing how he wrestled with composition before chiseling the final stone.
- Technique
- Black chalk
- Material
- Paper
Views: 6