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

Jake Morrissey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2005

The rivalry between the brilliant seventeenth-century Italian architects Gianlorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini is the stuff of legend. Enormously talented and ambitious artists, they met as contemporaries in the building yards of St. Peter's in Rome, became the greatest architects of their era by designing some of the most beautiful buildings in the world, and ended their lives as bitter enemies. Engrossing and impeccably researched, full of dramatic tension and breathtaking insight, The Genius in the Design is the remarkable tale of how two extraordinary visionaries schemed and maneuvered to get the better of each other and, in the process, created the spectacular Roman cityscape of today.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sometimes plodding but often entertaining, this dual biography of two Italian Baroque artists popularizes a tale familiar to art historians. Raised in a wealthy family with connections to politicians and cultural players, Bernini (1598–1680) was 12 when he was commissioned to do his first major piece—and he soon learned how to win the hearts and pocketbooks of rich patrons on his own. Borromini (1599–1667) lacked such connections, but climbed the guild's ladder, eventually becoming chief assistant to Carlo Maderno, the chief architect of St. Peter's. When Maderno died in 1629, Borromini was shocked that Bernini was named chief. Morrissey (A Weekend at Blenheim) finely renders the intense rivalry between these two artists, giving a reasonable if fact-heavy look at 17th-century Roman life in the process. Borromini elected to work for Bernini, but tensions soon led to a break; Bernini went on to complete the Scala Regia and the Cathedra Petri; Borromini found fewer and fewer commissions and eventually killed himself. The book doesn't do justice to the varying levels of ambition, engagement and achievement Morrissey finds in these figures, but it does an adequate job sketching their contours. (Mar.)
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From Booklist

Among Rome's many splendid churches, two of them only 300 yards apart--Sant'Andrea and San Carlos--have dazzled visitors with their beautiful but sharply contrasting types of architectural brilliance. Morrissey here tells the remarkable story of the two seventeenth-century geniuses behind these two churches--collaborators and rivals, united by a deep love for the Eternal City, divided by diverging personalities and imaginative visions. As Morrissey recounts the intertwined lives of Gianlorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini, readers see how two very different minds worked together to create a new artistic style (the baroque) but then turned against each other in the fierce competition for commissions and acclaim. By skillfully gauging and then exceeding others' expectations, Bernini adroitly curried favor with the patrons and clerics who employed him. By truculently resisting the slightest intrusions upon his artistic prerogatives, Borromini alienated even many admirers of his greatest achievements--and consequently ended his frustrated life as a suicide. A highly successful double biography. Bryce Christensen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1St Edition edition (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060525339
• ISBN-13: 978-0060525330
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #257,606 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Writing about great architecture in an BLAND way, April 11, 2005

By 

David L. Rhodes "arm chair scholar" (St. Louis, Missouri USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Genius in the Design: Bernini, Borromini, and the Rivalry That Transformed Rome (Hardcover)

Having read alot of books on art and architecture history..specifically holding a degree in art history and being an architect myself...I can say with some certainty that this book doesn't quite cut it for me.

Essentially this book is a simple biography of both Borromini and Bernini. The Borromini vs. Bernini saga is a great one, and although the author does an adequate job of covering all the basics, I felt the story telling was lacking, dull, and frankly boring. I got the impression the author spent alot more effort creating the Bernini passages than the Borromini ones.

Futhermore the book doesn't even touch on Baroque architecture, what is it? What defines the style? Why did Bernini and Borromini design buildings to look like they did? Perhaps the author assumes all readers are born with an inate knowledge of the evolution of architecture from the high renaissance into the Baroque. Without a basic understanding of Baroque architecture its tough for a novice to appreciate why Bernini/Borromini buildings were/are so special.

Yet I managed to read the text in a few days. With all that said, it just doesn't compare to the better writing of an author like Ross King. (who writes books of a comparable nature).

I'm always torn with these sorts of books because they speak, in great detail, about works of art and architecture yet lack pictures. This book does include some photographs, but these types of books need more than a photograph or two.

The real problem here though is the author's choice of words doesn't do justice to the subject matter.

Its an average book, at a average price, bottom line, a great story told in an average way.

2 1/2 stars really but I'll give it 3 for trying.

If you want to read a good biography of Borromini read Anthony Blunt's version. And by all means check out the architecture when in Roma.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Treat Yourself, March 12, 2005

By 

Gloria Sosnoski (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Genius in the Design: Bernini, Borromini, and the Rivalry That Transformed Rome (Hardcover)

If you love art and architecture, and even if you don't, you will thoroughly enjoy this book. Jake Morrissey introduces Bernini and Boromini as if they all shared a past life together. The story he tells is so rich in detail and so fascinating in bringing the genius of these two artists to life, that I felt as though I knew them just as well. This book pulled me into the world of 16th century Italy on page one and left me wanting to book a flight to Rome to see where this riveting story unfolded. I am rarely enchanted by books of art history, but this book bears that genius. Buy this book and treat yourself to wonderful experience. Then buy Mr. Morrissey's mystery novel "A Weekend in Blenheim" and treat yourself again.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars So-so: dry, missed opportunities, harmless, February 10, 2008

By 

Douglas Hileman (Van Nuys, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Genius in the Design : Bernini, Borromini, and the Rivalry That Transformed Rome (Hardcover)

This book sounded fascinating: Rome, architechture, golden age, personalities, drama; what else could a reader want? As it turns out, plenty.
I don't know architecture, so found some of the book a slow go. The author painstakingly describes churches, fountains, etc., in detail - but a few photos would have saved (or enlightened) a few thousand words.
This was a rather dry bio of these two folks, with disappointingly little about how they and their crafts fared in the context of life in the day. For example, I found the fluidity between their "careers" in sculpture, painting, and architecture to be remarkable. Almost as though architecture had not yet evolved into a credible career. I was surprised at the extent to which the Popes were intimiately involved in architecture - not just of St. Peters, but throughout the city.

There is but passing reference to how Rome had to eye the impressive power of France and Spain warily; this must have colored some aspects of life in the day - including how these two gentlement found there way. Even so, Bernini's trip to France late in life is a dry narrative.

Dava Sobel's LONGITUDE is a much better example of treatment of historical concepts that includes description of everyday events and brings the era to life. This wasn't such a long book, so no harm no foul. But now I have to Google all these places to see what Mr. Morrisseey was talking about.