Palazzio Barbernini

For my second site visit for Women and Art, my class went to the Palazzio Barberni. It is a palace located near Via Del Corso(the main street in Rome leading to the piazza di popolo) and was created by three great architects: Maderno, Francesco Borromini and the man himself, Bernini. It was owned by Maffeo Barberini, of the Barberini family, who then took the papal throne as Pope Urban VIII.

The main focus for this site visit was based on Caravaggio. Caravaggio is the epitomy of Baroque art. For a little background, the church had a very important prescence during the time this painting was composed(during the 16th century). When cardinals funded a commission, they wanted something in return that was going to attract people and move them towards devotion. Caravaggio's "Judith Beheading Holofernes" was exactly what the church wanted.

This painting is based off of the Book of Judith which revolves around Judith. She was a daring and beautiful widow, who is upset with her Jewish countrymen for not trusting God to deliver them from their foreign conquerors. She goes with her loyal maid to the camp of the enemy general, Holofernes. Gaining his trust, she is allowed access to his tent one night as he lies in a drunken daze. She decapitates him, then takes his head back to her fearful countrymen. The Assyrians, having lost their leader, disperse, and Israel is saved.

We also saw Raffaelo's "La fornarina" (Portrait of a Young Woman). It was created between 1518 and 1520 depicting a woman with an oriental style hat. She is making the gesture to cover herself and is illuminated by a strong artificial light coming from the external.