Bernini at St. Peter’s may be a unique case in history: a single artist in change of a grandiose monument in a continuous state of creativity under constantly changing patrons and a variety of projects, for nearly six decades. This book argues that a continuous thread of thought may be discerned underlying and connecting the vicissitudes of this spectacular display. From first to last, Bernini conceived of St. Peter’s as a pilgrimage church, a kind of pilgrimage of human life, his own and of the believers who visited the basilica to worship and give testimony. The book is in large format and richly illustrated with 272 colour illustrations. It represents a fitting tribute to the artist and his monument, St. Peter's Basilica.

As early as the 1950s, Professor Irving Lavin was -recognized as a major voice in American art history. His sustained production of seminal scholarly contributions has left its mark on an astonishingly wide range of subjects and fields. Bringing these far-reaching publications together will not only provide a valuable resource to scholars and students, but will also underscore fundamental themes in the history of art - historicism, the art of commemoration, the relationship between style and meaning, the -intelligence of artists - themes that define the role of the visual arts in human communication. Irving Lavin is best known for his array of fundamental publications on the Baroque artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680). These include new discoveries and studies on the master's prodigious childhood, his architecture and portraiture, his invention of caricature, his depictions of religious faith and political leadership, his work in the theatre, his attitude toward death and the role of the artist in the creation of a modern sense of social responsibility. All of Professor Lavin's papers on Bernini are here brought together in three volumes. The studies have been reset and in many cases updated, and there is a comprehensive index. Volume 1 Contents: Preface. Review of Rudolf Wittkower, Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The Sculptor of the Roman Baroque Bernini and the Theater Bozzetti and Modelli. Notes on Sculptural Procedure from the Early Renaissance through Bernini Bernini and the Crossing of Saint Peter's Five Youthful Sculptures by Gianlorenzo Bernini and a Revised Chronology of his Early Works Bernini's Death; Afterthoughts on "Bernini's Death" Letter to the Editor on a review by Howard Hibbard of Bernini and the Crossing of St. Peter's Calculated Spontaneity. Bernini and the Terracotta Sketch On the Pedestal of Bernini's Bust of the Savior High and Low Before their Time: Bernini and the Art of Social Satire Bernini's Memorial Plaque for Carlo Barberini Bernini's Baldachin: Considering a Reconsideration Bernini's Bust of Cardinal Montalto; Bernini's Cosmic Eagle Bernini's Image of the Sun King. Introduction.