ABSTRACT
This chapter is dedicated to the variable relationship between resemblance and idealization, negotiated in ever-new ways in portraits of historical figures, whether in colour or stone. Gian Lorenzo Bernini found his own balance between these two elements, as can be seen in his bust of the French king, Louis XIV, which was created while the artist was staying in France ( Journal de voyage du cavalier Bernin en France , 1665). Bernini based his bust on an idealized conception of the king, distilled from many life impressions, but during the production process he emphasized the inequalities observed in the king's face, also drawing on models taken from antique sculpture. This asymmetry was intended to heighten the impression of liveliness. In other aspects of the king's appearance, such as his hairstyle, Bernini followed his own aesthetic principles, giving it traces of his artistic signature.
