Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Naples 1598 - Rome 1680) is the leading figure of seventeenth-century European Baroque figurative culture. In his artistic career he distinguished himself among Roman artists, earning a prestigious reputation with the popes and leading figures of his time. As a great interpreter of the culture of the period, Bernini was able to create works that marked the history of art and were able to excite and amaze viewers.

Endowed with innate charm and brilliant eloquence, he embodied a sociable and aristocratic spirit that made him an admired and respected figure. Pope Urban VIII called him “Huomo raro, ingegno sublime, e nato per disposizione divina, e per gloria di Roma a portar luce al secolo,” acknowledging his extraordinary talent and immense contribution to the art and culture of his age.