Pluto and Proserpina, (1621-22)

Apollo and Daphne, (1625)

Bernini was a dominant force in sculpture during the Baroque period. Bernini's works range from religious to mythological subject matter.

His rendition of the biblical hero "David", taken from the theme of Early Renaissance sculptor Donnatello, and the famous High Renaissance sculptor Michelangelo, was done for cardinal Scopine Borghese, and it helped to establish his reputation as a fine sculptor.

He created an entire series of life size sculptures based on mythological themes, among them: "Aeneas and Anchises" (1618- 19), "Pluto and Proserpina" (1621-22) and "Apollo and Daphne" (1625). All of these works were completed in the artist's early twenties and show his interest in the dramatic which was the hallmark of the Baroque movement. All the works, especially "Apollo and Daphne" and "Pluto and Proserpina" exhibit a stop action technique that Bernini was famous for. The artist was an expert at picking out a critical moment in his theme, freezing it, then rendering it realistically in marble.
These sculptures were all intended to be placed against a wall, so for this reason Bernini concentrated on creating them with one chief point of view.

Bernini was also the great fountain builder of the time as seen in his "Neptune and Triton"(1620) and various other fountains placed throughout Rome.

In 1629 Bernini was named chief architect of St. Peters in Rome, taking on the position that the great Renaissance master Raphael had filled a century before.

Bernini was also a brilliant writer of comedies, a caricaturist, and, for his own private pleasure, a painter, though few of his pictures have survived.