The Risen Christ

In 1673, Bernini was commissioned by Pope Clement X to design gilded figures of the twelve apostles and the Risen Christ to crown the tabernacle of the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament in St. Peter's Basilica. Working from Bernini's designs, Giovanni Rinaldi made the models. Girolamo Lucenti, the bronze founder, had problems casting the Risen Christ, and the initial bronze cast had a flaw across its chest. This cast, now partially repaired and in the Walters' collection, was left in a rough state. The model was recast, gilded, and installed in St. Peter's. Christ's idealized body recalls ancient sculptures of the sun-god Apollo, praised as having a perfect physique. His striding pose is beautifully balanced while his ascent toward heaven is suggested by the deeply carved, fluttering drapery, seemingly responding to an invisible wind and creating a strong play of light and shadow. Bernini was the greatest sculptor of his age. He imbued figures of both metal and marble with an unsurpassed sense of life and motion.