Lateran, where the figures stand out against the sky, or on the
bridge of St. Angelo, is not by any means to be despised; only we cannot
call a sculptor a great artist when he can do nothing finer than this.

Some of Bernini's works in which he shows intense suffering have more
genuine feeling, and are finer in artistic qualities. One of these is
Pieta, in the chapel of St. Andreas Corsini in the Lateran. But he
frequently goes beyond the bounds of good taste, as, for example, on the
monument to Pope Urban VIII., in St. Peter's, where he represents Death
with his bony hand writing the inscription on the panel; this is truly
terrible, and not less so is another Death upon the monument of
Alexander VII., raising the marble curtain before the entrance to the
vault, as if he were inviting one to walk in. Many objections can be
made to his draperies. He exaggerated the small curtains seen on some
ancient tombs until they were huge objects of ugliness; the drapery upon
his figures is so prominently treated that instead of being a minor
object it sometimes seems like the principal one; it no longer serves to
conceal forms, and at the same time show their grace and motion, but it
is inflated, fluttering, grotesque in form and quite absurd when
compared with statues in which it answers its true purpose.

Charles I. of England heard so much of Bernini that he desired to have a
statue of himself executed by this sculptor; three of Vandyck's
portraits of the king were sent to him, and the likeness of the statue
was so satisfactory to the monarch that he sent the artist six thousand
crowns and a ring worth as much more.

Bernini executed a colossal equestrian statue of Constantine for the
portico of St. Peter's; he made another of Louis XIV., which was changed
into a Marcus Curtius, and sent to Versailles. He also executed the
fountain in the Piazza Navona, at Rome, which is one of his exaggerated
works.

FRANCOIS DUQUESNOY (1594-1646) was born at Brussels, and was known in
Rome as Il Fiammingo. The Archduke Albert sent him to Rome to study, and
he was a contemporary of Bernini. When his patron died Duquesnoy was
left without means, and was forced to carve small figures in ivory for
his support. His figures of children, which were full of life and
child-like expression, became quite famous. An important work of his in
this way is the fountain of the Manneken-Pis, at Brussels.

His masterpiece is a colossal statue of St. Andrew i