Il Gesù, including Triumph of the Name of Jesus ceiling fresco. Rome, Italy. Giacomo da Vignola, plan (architect); Giacomo della Porta, facade (architect); Giovanni Battista Gaulli, ceiling fresco (artist). Church: 16th century C.E.; facade: 1568–1584 C.E.; fresco and stucco figures: 1676–1679 C.E. Brick, marble, fresco, and stucco. (3 images)
The interior accentuates the two great functions of a Jesuit church: its large central nave with the laterally placed pulpit serves as a great auditorium for preaching, and the highly visible and prominent altar serves as a theatrical stage for the celebration of the Real Presence in the Eucharist. the fresco blends seamlessly into the architecture of the ceiling. It almost looks like there really is an opening in the ceiling.
Form:
A Gesú, which is simply Italian for the name for the mother church
Church was designed by Giacomo da Vignola and Giacomo Della Porta in 1575
Triumph of the Name of Jesus is a fresco painted in the traditional style
Ceiling fresco done in 1678-1679 by Giovanni Battista Gaulli
Function:
Serves as the main and original church for the Jesuits
Important place for previous and current Jesuits, as it is the mother church
Also served as a model for the future Jesuit churches in terms of architecture and style
Ceiling fresco serves to illustrate the beliefs of the Jesuits
Called the people to their faith and scared them into not believing
A strong emphasis to choose this path and not leave or refuse it
Content:
Single aisled church, removing others as a space for traffic to clear it up
Church has a cruciform floor plan, although the transept is not overly long on either side so it does not bear exactly like a cross in terms of proportions
The church has a dome over the intersection of the large nave and transept
Very dark interior, and it is thus chiefly dependent on natural lighting from outside
An interesting mix of the rational and Baroque styles
Focus on the altar in the center
Renaissance style columns
Corinthian, ornate, and made of rich materials
Some of them reuse ancient pieces
The reusing of ancient materials is called “spolia”
Context:
Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the newfound Jesuit religion, needed a church to serve as the religion’s center
The Jesuit religion was a very dramatic response to the recent reformation
They were very against the reformation and focused their teachings on charitable works, education, and missionaries
Very tense moment in terms of religion, as the reformation was almost 100 years prior and there were many religious wars going on
It was then funded by Cardinal Farnese, who was the Pope’s grandson
Church is in the center of old Rome
Very close to the Pantheon and Roman Forum
Themes:
Religion, spirituality, beliefs and values
War and social conflict
Power and authority
Social concerns/issues
God/religion
Cross-Cultural Connections:
Comparable to Bernini’s Apse at Saint Peter’s Basilica
Similar in terms of interior size, shape, and style
Comparable to Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel
The Sistine Chapel features an incredible ceiling fresco, which serves to illustrate famous religious stories and timelines in vivid detail and color
Similarly to the Sistine Chapel, the Triumph of the Name of Jesus ceiling fresco is a fresco painted on the ceiling of a church with the purpose of propagating the faith and captivating the followers
Work cited
http://artmuseum.princeton.edu/collections/objects/45004
http://www.understandingrome.com/2012/02/11/the-vault-of-the-gesu/
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/rome-il-gesu
