Final answer:
Gian Lorenzo Bernini was an Italian sculptor and architect considered the greatest sculptor of the Baroque period due to his innovative approach to portraying emotion and movement in stone.
Step-by-step explanation:
Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) was an Italian sculptor and architect who is considered to be one of the most remarkable and influential artists of the Baroque period. Recognized as a prodigy at a young age, Bernini received patronage from high-ranking church officials and worked on numerous commissions throughout his career. His work is renowned for its dynamic emotion and ability to bring stone to life, representing a pinnacle in Baroque artistic expression.
Bernini is heralded as the preeminent sculptor of the Baroque era because of his unique ability to infuse his sculptures with emotion and movement, effectively telling stories through stone. His work on the Baldacchino and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is especially celebrated. The dramatic and interactive nature of his sculptures, such as the dynamic David and the emotionally charged Pluto and Proserpina, solidified his reputation as an artistic genius capable of making marble seem like living tissue.
Bernini was also influential in Baroque architecture, with designs like the expansive St. Peter's Square showcasing his architectural prowess. Following his approach, Baroque art functioned as a powerful tool of the Catholic Church during the Counter-Reformation, aimed at eliciting strong emotional reactions from viewers and reinforcing religious messages with a new intensity.