Focus on Bust of Costanza Bonarelli and analyze the Subject.
The subject of the work is Costanza Bonarelli, with whom he fell in love when her husband was working as Bernini's assistant in 1636. During his encounters with Bonarelli, Bernini decided to spend some of his free time stalking Bonarelli. Later, Bernini discovered his brother, Luigi, had also been having an affair with Costanza. With the frustration that Luigi has shown against Bonarelli during the feud, it created tension and led to Bernini assaulting his brother. Bernini then decided to barge into the home of his brother and attempt to assault and murder him; the assault involved one of his servants attacking Luigi with a knife and a blunt object. Bernini was also known to hold a sword during the attack where he willingly used it to strike his brother down.Later on, Bernini was punished and was fined three-thousand scudi for homicide against his brother during the affair; Pope Urban VIII eventually released him from his fines due to his reputation with the church and the relationship with the pope. Years after the affair, and after a conversation with the pope, Bernini decided to move on from Costanza Bonarelli and marry another woman named Caterina Tezio instead; he made sure he would commit to his work, as well as his family and faith for the remainder of his years as an artist.
Costanza Bonarelli Pope Urban VIII