Of all the treasures housed in the Galleria Borghese, Bernini’s Rape of Proserpina especially made an impact on me. The subject of this baroque style sculpture is the classical myth of the Roman god Pluto kidnapping the goddess Prosperina to bring her back to the Underworld to be his bride. Interestingly, Bernini chose to depict this tale at the height of its physical intensity by sculpting the very moment of the actual abduction. The result is a dynamic interplay between force by the part of Pluto and resistance by Prosperina. Perhaps most impressive though is the verisimilitude of the figures, namely the impressions of Proserpina’s flesh as Pluto’s fingers dig into her waist and thigh. The sculpting is so amazing that one can actually see the pressure of skin on skin and the how the folds of the flesh react. With such careful attention to detail, Bernini has managed to breath life into the marble. Such warmth stands in sharp contrast with the cold, often distant style of classical sculpture.
