Baroque Period

Baroque was the artistic period dating from 1600 to 1750 in European history. Derived from the Portuguese word barocco, Baroque literally means an ‘uneven pearl. ’ Often compared to Hellenistic art, Baroque artists discovered emotions and used strong contrasts of light and shade showcasing continued motion in their works. Cunningham L. S. & Reich J. J. (2006) state that: It is not surprising that the term baroque, originally used to describe the extravagant European art of the seventeenth century C. E. , is often applied to the art of the Hellenistic period.

The artists responsible for these innovations created their works for a new kind of patron. (p. 77) Baroque was born in Italy. From the Renaissance period of symmetry, monumentality, balance and odd forms, the Baroque period was characterised by bold, curves and asymmetrical themes in paintings and buildings. Heinrich Wolfflin, in Principles of Art History: the problem of the development of style in later art (1932; translated 1950, Page 14), explained the differences between the art of the 16th and 17th centuries stating that “baroque (or, let us say, modern art) is neither a rise nor a decline from classic, but a totally different art.

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” It also reflected the growth of monarchies as such a style suited the aristocracy who thought of integrated structures. Intense spirituality, realism of daily life, and psychological exploitation depicted in works of art and sculptures are highlights of Baroque art. Cunningham L. S. & Reich J. J. (2006) explain that: During the Baroque period, artists were attracted by extremes of feeling – sometimes these strong emotions were personal.

Painters and poets alike tried to look into their own souls and reveal by color or words the depths of their own psychic and spiritual experience. The desire to express the inexpressible required the invention of new techniques. As a result, baroque art placed great emphasis on virtuosity. Sculptors and painters achieved astonishing realm in the way in which they handled their media. Stone was carved in a way such as to give the effect of thin, flowing drapery, while seventeenth-century painters found ways to reproduce complex effects of light and shade.

(p. 359) Some of the main representatives of baroque art are Michelangelo Merisi-Caravaggio (Portrait of a Courtesan-1597), Annibale Carracci (River Landscape-1595), Agostino Carracci (Lamentation of Christ-1606), Rembrandt (The Jewish Bride-1666), Nicholas Poussin (The Plague at Ashdod-1630), Georges De La Tour (The Fortune Teller-1620-1621) Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez (Prince Balthasar Carlos-1635), Peter Paul Rubens (Mercury and Argus-1638), and Jan Vermeer (The Artist in his Atelier-1670).

Like art, Baroque architecture too progressed from renaissance in Italy. Curving facades, oval shape, triangular areas between rooftops, tips scrolls and gilded and double curves with luxurious materials and ornate decorations were emphasized upon instead of symmetry. The most famous work is the Palace of Versailles, France (built by Louis XIV) which was a symbol of wealth and power. Baroque architects used marble, gilt and bronze in their works.

Ceilings used illusionism where paintings were done and looked like engravings for expressing emotions. The main representatives of Baroque architecture were Gianlorenzo Bernini (Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, 1645-1652) and Francesco Borromini (Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, 1640-1650). The late Baroque era was known as Rococo (1700-1780). In this era, the sculptors obtained unified spaces, created decorative schemes and emphasized on structural elements (Church of the Carmine, Turin, Italy, 1732, by Filippo Juvarra).

Baroque style moved out of Rome and split in two different forms – The Roman Catholic countries (Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria and South Germany) and Protestant regions (England, Netherlands and rest of northern Europe). The Catholic countries were inclined towards freer and active surfaces thereby appealing through the senses, whereas the Protestant countries were more restrained and developed a quiet monumentality. As it migrated, Baroque style underwent changes in different countries according to the traditions, preferences and outlooks. In France, the architecture was geometrical, formal and precise merging with the Rococo style.

Dutch painting was sober and detailed; and Dutch architecture was affected by political and commercial events, thereby emphasizing on beauty and nature of the middle class. Germany continued with its alpine wood crafting tradition in sculptures. The Baroque style moved towards extravagance in Spain and Latin America. In the latter half of the 18th century, baroque transitioned to romanticism which was ‘the age of enlightenment. ’ References: Cunningham L. S. & Reich J. J. (2006). Culture and Values: A survey of the Humanities. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

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