Two early masterpieces by Baroque artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini, ‘souls’, are now on display at the Vatican Museums. The sculptures, Damned Soul and Blessed Soul, have moved from their previous location at the Spanish embassy, which was difficult for the public to access, to the Holy See.
The works will be exhibited until 31 January 2025 as part of the Jubilee Holy Year celebrations. Created in 1619 when Bernini was just 21, the sculptures depict contrasting spiritual states. Blessed Soul shows a woman gazing upward with an expression of ecstasy, representing a soul reaching eternal salvation. Meanwhile, Damned Soul portrays a man grimacing in anguish and looking downward, symbolising a soul condemned to eternal damnation.
Helena Pérez Gallardo, curator of the exhibition, explained that legend suggests Bernini used himself as the model for Damned Soul. To achieve the anguished expression, he allegedly stood before a mirror and let his hand be burned by a candle to capture the pain and tension in his sketch. Whether fact or myth, the two sculptures, displayed opposite one another, serve as a striking memento mori.
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The works were commissioned by Pedro de Foix Montoya, a cleric of the Archconfraternity of the Most Holy Resurrection of Christ the Redeemer, based at the Church of San Giacomo degli Spagnoli. Montoya likely intended for the busts to remain with the confraternity after his death. For its members, meditating on the themes of heaven and hell formed a key part of their devotion.
Exhibition catalogue proceeds to help Valencia flood victims
“Bernini was the great director of the Baroque,” said Barbara Jatta, director of the Vatican Museums, at the exhibition’s launch. She said the Vatican holds some of Bernini’s most significant creations, making it an ideal venue for the display. Jatta, who co-curated the exhibition, noted the museum’s enthusiasm in accepting the proposal by Spain’s ambassador to the Holy See, Isabel Celaà Diéguez, to showcase these early works. The sculptures, Jatta added, demonstrate Bernini’s “extraordinary technical and artistic talent” even in his youth.
The exhibition also carries a charitable aim. Proceeds from the sale of the exhibition catalogue will be donated to victims of the recent floods in Valencia. “This enormous tragedy, caused by climate change, has resulted in a devastating loss of life and property,” said Ambassador Celaà Diéguez.
