The Genius in the Design: Bernini,Borromini,and the Rivalry That Transformed Rome

The Genius in the Design: Bernini,Borromini,and the Rivalry That Transformed Rome

by JakeMorrissey (Author)

Synopsis

The Genius in the Design is the true story of the great rivalry between two extraordinary men, the seventeenth-century architects Gianlorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini, and how their antagonism changed the city of Rome and created the Baroque. Talented, driven, and ambitious, each man spent his career trying to outdo the other to become the greatest architect of his time. Each, in his turn, succeeded, only to be brought down by the machinations of the other. In the end, one became the most lionized artist of his time and died a rich, happy family man. The other, consumed by internal demons, committed suicide. This book is the story of their hostility. Part history, part biography, part adventure story, The Genius in the Design is narrative non-fiction that reads like a novel and brings to vivid life the struggle between two giants of architecture, so different in outlook, so similar in purpose.

$32.98

Quantity

Temporarily out of stock

More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 288
Edition: First Edition
Publisher: Gerald Duckworth & Co Ltd
Published: 30 Jun 2005

ISBN 10: 071563383X
ISBN 13: 9780715633830

Media Reviews
'Jake Morrissey's account of the rivalry between Bernini and Borromini is not only a fascinating account of two of the greatest architects in western history, it is also a scintillating introduction to the Baroque, the dazzlingly creative period when much of Rome as we now know it was built. It is a splendid read.' -- Iain Pears, author of AN INSTANCE OF THE FINGERPOST 'With thorough scholarship and a novelist's eye for vivid storytelling, Jake Morrissey expertly recreates a personal rivalry that sparked some of the world's greatest architectural creations. In addition to immersing us in the sweeping cultural events of their era, this unique dual chronicle of Italian masters Bernini and Borromini involves us in the struggles, heartaches, backroom dealings, betrayals, assaults, suicide attempts, murders and love affairs surrounding them. Morrissey has built an entertaining and engrossing monument to the tensions between genius and ambition. You'll never look at an important building the same way again.' -- Matthew Pearl, author of THE DANTE CLUB
Author Bio
Jake Morrissey has studied and written about architecture for 20 years. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle, and dozens of other publications and books.