The new pope Alexander VII revived a scheme, first discussed under Urban VIII, to build a monumental reliquary in the apse of St. Peter’s for the apostle’s throne. The Cathedra Petri, an immense work, perfectly proportioned to the vast dimensions of the apse and visually framed from the nave by the columns of the baldacchino, provides the climax to Bernini’s work in the basilica. High above the altar, the great bronze throne (encasing the relic) of Peter seems to hover in midair. A relief showing Christ’s charge to Peter, Feed my Sheep, decorates the chair back, while above, two putti support the papal keys and tiara. Below the throne, on a great base of black Sicilian marble and red jasper, stand colossal, gilt-bronze statues of two Greek and two Latin Doctors of the Church: St Ambrose, St Athanasius, St John Chrysostom and St Augustine. The throne is enveloped behind and below by a bank of gilded stucco clouds that have descended from the zone above. There, in the center of an oval window, painted on the glass and radiating a brilliant aureole of yellow light, is the Dove of the Holy Spirit, surrounded by gilded stucco clouds and angels amid a burst of golden rays. As in many of his projects, Bernini incorporated a light source into the work to convey the mystical nature of the event. (Source: Grove Art Online; http://www.oxfordart online.com/)
Work_Description_Sou rce
The new pope Alexander VII revived a scheme, first discussed under Urban VIII, to build a monumental reliquary in the apse of St. Peter’s for the apostle’s throne. The Cathedra Petri, an immense work, perfectly proportioned to the vast dimensions of the apse and visually framed from the nave by the columns of the baldacchino, provides the climax to Bernini’s work in the basilica. High above the altar, the great bronze throne (encasing the relic) of Peter seems to hover in midair. A relief showing Christ’s charge to Peter, Feed my Sheep, decorates the chair back, while above, two putti support the papal keys and tiara. Below the throne, on a great base of black Sicilian marble and red jasper, stand colossal, gilt-bronze statues of two Greek and two Latin Doctors of the Church: St Ambrose, St Athanasius, St John Chrysostom and St Augustine. The throne is enveloped behind and below by a bank of gilded stucco clouds that have descended from the zone above. There, in the center of an oval window, painted on the glass and radiating a brilliant aureole of yellow light, is the Dove of the Holy Spirit, surrounded by gilded stucco clouds and angels amid a burst of golden rays. As in many of his projects, Bernini incorporated a light source into the work to convey the mystical nature of the event. (Source: Grove Art Online; http://www.oxfordart online.com/)
