Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini, Franz Xaver Messerschmidt, and Nicolas Coustou are three well-known baroque sculptors. Bernini is known for his detailed depictions of figures in marble, many of which are mythological characters. During his lifetime, he created a large number of sculpture commissions for popes and kings. Messerschmidt did not work under the same royal or papal patronage, and he became famous for sculpting busts of whimsical and expressive character faces that occasionally offended onlookers. Coustou became known as one of the most famous baroque sculptors for his works that were commissioned to adorn some of the most ornate churches of the time.
Bernini’s talent was recognized early on, as his early sculpture drew the attention of the Vatican and secured him his first patron by the age of 22. A decorative piece called Blessed Soul, as well as a bust of Pope Paul V, were two of his most famous works for the Catholic church. Bernini began his artistic career with subjects that reflected the importance of religious faith among many of his time’s baroque sculptors. He went on to create secular sculptures with the impression of movement and a captured moment in the story of a given character.
Messerschmidt was a one-of-a-kind baroque sculptor because he aimed to capture the quirks and expressions of the human face. Other baroque sculptors depicted mythical figures with idealized poses and heroic stoicism, but his work stood out. The sculpted busts of this artist were carved with a great deal of detail, including realistic features like forehead wrinkles and skin textures. His characters’ expressions could range from laughter to grimacing to mocking the audience. Some viewers of the baroque era found Messerschmidt’s work offensive because it contrasted with the reserved demeanor prevalent at the time.
Coustou was the son of a French woodcarver who drew inspiration from the works of artists such as Michelangelo. One of his most famous works is the Descent from the Cross, a depiction of Jesus’ resurrection that can still be seen in Paris’s famous Notre Dame cathedral. Unfortunately, during the French Revolution, some of Coustou’s work was destroyed, but his surviving sculptures are widely regarded as some of the best examples of the baroque style.