The Genius in the Design: Bernini, Borromini, and the Rivalry That Transformed Rome

By Jake Morrissey

Book Overview

The rivalry between the brilliant seventeenth-century Italian architects Gianlorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini is the stuff of legend. Possessed of enormous talent and ambition, these two artists -- one trained as a sculptor, the other as a stonecutter -- met as contemporaries in the building yards of St. Peter's in Rome and ended their lives as bitter enemies. Over the course of their careers they became the most celebrated architects of their era, designing some of the most beautiful buildings in the world and transforming the city of Rome. The Genius in the Design is an extraordinary tale of how these two men plotted, schemed, and intrigued to get the better of each other. Full of dramatic tension and great insight into personalities, acclaimed writer Jake Morrissey's engrossing and impeccably researched account also shows that this legendary rivalry defined the Baroque style that immediately succeeded the Renaissance and created the spectacular Roman cityscape of today. Almost exactly the same age -- Bernini was born at the end of 1598, Borromini nine months later -- they were as alike and as different as any two men could be, each a potent combination of passion and enterprise, energy and imperfection. Bernini was a precocious talent who as a youth caught the attention of Pope Paul V and became Rome's most celebrated artist, whose patrons included the wealthiest families in Europe. The city's greatest sculptor -- the creator of such masterpieces as Apollo and Daphne and the Ecstasy of St. Teresa -- Bernini would also have been Rome's preeminent architect had it not been for Francesco Borromini, the one man whose talent and virtuosity rivaled his own. In contrast to Bernini's easy grace, Borromini was an introvert with a fiery temper who bristled when anyone interfered with his vision; his temperament alienated him from prospective patrons and precipitated his tragic end. Like Mozart and Salieri, these two masters were inextricably linked, their dazzling work prodding the other to greater achievement while taking merciless advantage of each other's missteps. The Genius in the Design is their story, a fascinating narrative of beauty and tragedy marked at turns by personal animosity and astonishing artistic achievement.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060525339
• ISBN13: 9780060525330
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.6" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

The book was in great shape.I received it in time for the assignment

Book arrived exactly as it was decribed. I thought it would have come earlier, but that was my error in the reading of the delivery date. It arrived in time though so all is good. Thanks

When in Rome

This book is excellent. It will make you see the beauty of Rome from a more personal direction. The competition between these two figures was of great benefit to Rome.

Genius vs Genius

Here's a look at a splendid historic period in a splendid city revealed to us through the lives of two artistic geniuses, Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini. Jake Morrissey gives us a smooth ride through the rough roads of 18th Century Rome, a world dominated and manipulated by various popes and cardinals but given lasting meaning, in the end, by the artists of the period, primarily Bernini and Borromini. Morrissey knows how to spin the story without getting bogged down in architectural minutiae while giving plenty details to set the mood and the understanding of the story. I have never been able to decide which of the two I most prefer, one visit to Rome it's Bernini and on another it's Borromini and Morrissey's book didn't help me change that but certainly helped me to admire them both more than I already did. It is a book that would immeasurably enhance anyone's visit to Rome bringing another dimension to the appreciation of the extraordinary buildings left as a legacy by these two men.

One of those "one can't put the book down" nonfiction reads

One of those "one can't put the book down" nonfiction reads.

Treat Yourself

If you love art and architecture, and even if you don't, you will thoroughly enjoy this book. Jake Morrissey introduces Bernini and Boromini as if they all shared a past life together. The story he tells is so rich in detail and so fascinating in bringing the genius of these two artists to life, that I felt as though I knew them just as well. This book pulled me into the world of 16th century Italy on page one and left me wanting to book a flight to Rome to see where this riveting story unfolded. I am rarely enchanted by books of art history, but this book bears that genius. Buy this book and treat yourself to wonderful experience. Then buy Mr. Morrissey's mystery novel "A Weekend in Blenheim" and treat yourself again.