[CHP. 17 THE BAROQUE STYLE IN WESTERN EUROPE] P AGE 1 Baroque The Baroque era began in Rome, and then spread to the rest of Europe It included the 17 th and most of the 18 th centuries. In general, it took all the innovations of the Renaissance and combined them with the drama of Mannerism. Having learned all the Renaissance techniques, Baroque artists could represent the human form convincingly from any angle, they could portray the most complex forms in perfect perspective, and could reproduce almost anything in the seen world realistically The main differences between the Baroque and Renaissance art are that Renaissance art is rational and static, while Baroque art is emotional and dynamic It s useful to recall and compare Michelangelo s David and Bernini s David to draw the distinction. Baroque took on a different character in each of its major geographic locations. But in general, we could say that Baroque art is characterized by strong emotion and energy; dramatic lighting, scale and balance In essence, it was a great deal more intense, and more theatrical than the art of the Renaissance. The major artists of the Italian Baroque were the Painter Caravaggio, and the sculptor Bernini The most renowned artist of the Flemish Baroque was Peter Paul Rubens. The three great masters of the Dutch Baroque were Hals, Rembrandt, and Vermeer Finally, Velasquez was the most gifted artist of the Spanish Baroque. Premise Encompasses the period between 1600 and 1750 (17th and most of the 18th centuries) Began in Rome, then spread to the rest of Europe. In general, it took all the innovations of the Renaissance and combined them with the drama of Mannerism. In its efforts to counter the Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church encouraged visual forms that appealed to the senses and excited religious feeling. Artists portrayed miracles with drama and realism. The central theme of Baroque art and literature is the conflict between reason with passion. Idealism of the High Renaissance gave way to Baroque realism and an art that is often look ornate, dynamic, with greater color saturation and more contrast between light and shadow; by comparison Renaissance styles look relatively static. The Baroque diversity in subject matter and style is most apparent in Dutch art which includes a style of art that might be characterized as Realist art, focusing on the atmospheric effects of dramatic shadow and lighting. Timeline: 1543 to 1565 Council of Trent 1605 1621 Papacy of Paul V (Borghese) 1609 Galileo invents telescope 1620 Francis Bacon writes Novum Organum 1623 1644 Papacy of Urban VIII (Barberini) 1637 Descartes writes Discourse on Method 1644 1655 Papacy of Innocent X (Pamphili) Newton (1642 1727) Overview/History Baroque encompasses the period between 1600 and 1750 (17th and most of the 18th centuries) began in Rome, then spread to the rest of Europe In general, it took all the innovations of the Renaissance and combined them with the drama of Mannerism. Having learned all the Renaissance techniques, Baroque artists could represent the human form convincingly from any angle, they could portray the most complex forms in perfect perspective, and could reproduce almost anything in the seen world realistically. The main differences between the Baroque and Renaissance art are that Renaissance art is rational and static, while Baroque art is emotional and dynamic characterized by strong emotion and energy; dramatic lighting, scale and balance. In essence, Baroque art was a great deal more intense, and more theatrical than the art of the Renaissance.
[CHP. 17 THE BAROQUE STYLE IN WESTERN EUROPE] P AGE 2 Baroque took on a different character in each of its major geographic locations. The Baroque style is often subdivided into an aristocratic and a bourgeois (middle class) style. Both styles emphasize portraiture. Other principal themes include episodes from classical mythology (aristocratic style) and stories from the Bible and genre scenes (bourgeois style). In the later Rococo style, subject matter is devoted almost exclusively to earthy parables on the vicissitudes of amatory love. Major artists of the regions: Italian Baroque: Caravaggio and Bernini Flemish Baroque: Peter Paul Rubens. Dutch Baroque: Hals, Rembrandt, and Vermeer Spanish Baroque: Velasquez Diversity in subject matter and style: era when subjects such as the everyday activities of people, the landscape, and still life became acceptable themes for artists to depict. The central theme THEME of Baroque art and literature is the conflict between reason with passion. Idealism of the High Renaissance gave way to Baroque realism and an art that is often look ornate, dynamic, with greater color saturation and more contrast between light and shadow; by comparison Renaissance styles look relatively static. The Baroque diversity in subject matter and style is most apparent in Dutch art which includes a style of art that might be characterized as Realist art, focusing on the atmospheric effects of dramatic shadow and lighting. Variety of Baroque styles, including classicism (Common traits of 17th & 18th centuries) 1. spacious and dynamic 2. brilliant and colorful 3. theatrical and passionate 4. sensual and ecstatic 5. opulent and extravagant 6. versatile and virtuoso 7. embrace viewer Caravaggio and St. Peter s Baroque Artistic Characteristics / Devices Written program (like telling a story) everything has meaning Breathtaking Movement Naturalism breaks into viewers space heightened emotionalism exaltation light, dancing, chiaroscuro (strong), symbol of God spotlight, just appears, window The real moment in action Immediacy Psychological self portrait inwardness mystery of individual Visual game Las Meninas Genre everyday objects, subject matter, people, activities (domestic) Drama Rembrandt s group portraits, Light Tensions between:... light and dark real and unreal illusion and reality concave and convex certainty and uncertainty passion and intellectual earthly and heavenly naturalism and classicism classicism and romanticism
[CHP. 17 THE BAROQUE STYLE IN WESTERN EUROPE] P AGE 3 religious and non religious sensual, passion and prof. math & fancy love and creation Christianity and empire (Charles) BAROQUE IN ITALY Sculpture and Architecture Bernini St. Peter's Colonnade, Rome, begun 1656 collonade was created for growing numbers who visit the St. Peter's Basilica Baldacchino, St. Peter's, Rome, 1624 33, gilded bronze, 95' high was created to create a more human scale in the interior of St. Peter's The Ecstacy of St. Teresa, 1645 52 created inside St. Peter's David, 1623, marble, lifesize a more dynamic and literal version compared to Michelangelo and Donatello Painting Baroque painting had many of the same attributes that Baroque sculpture and architecture had: theatrics, sexual innuendo, and violent subjects. Giovanni Pietro Bellori was an influential Baroque art critic who fervently believed that "ideal" and Classical forms were more desirable than naturalistic or "more realistic" images. Annibale Carracci(1560 1609) ideal and Classical a favorite of Bellori because of his use of "ideal" forms. The Virgin Appearing to St. Luke and St. Catherine, 1592, Oil on canvas Carravaggio (1571 1610) naturalistic and "real" Italian painter who influenced most of the painters of his time through his use of great contrasts and theatrical lighting was a murderer (condottieri) and had a violent nature in works are characteristic dark backgrounds and bright highlights called tenebroso also uses many diagonals which makes a composition more active The Calling of Saint Matthew, 1599 1600, Oil on canvas Judith Beheading Holofernes, c. 1598, Oil on canvas The Conversion of Saint Paul,1600 1601, Oil on canvas Artemisia Gentileschi (1593 1653) a master female artist from the Baroque era did Biblical and mythological subjects which portrayed violent themes Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1620, Oil on canvas Italian Baroque Caravaggio ( ) Bernini Northern Europe Baroque Flemish Baroque (Flanders) Peter Paul Rubens (1577 1640) wealthy trader, diplomat, and artist from Flanders
[CHP. 17 THE BAROQUE STYLE IN WESTERN EUROPE] P AGE 4 influential in art because he bucked trends and worked in a painterly fashion (the brush strokes were active and easily recognized in the painting. The Garden of Love, c. 1630 32, Oil on canvas Rape of the Daughters 0f Leucippus c.1635, oil on canvas, 6.5'x 8' active painting with sensual overtones mythological subject at the time of the Reformation soft, painterly look Dutch Baroque The Netherlands Rembrandt van Rijn (1606 69) conveyed character and drama through his use of dark and light Self Portraits conveyed these ideas of character in light and shadow they are also a chronicle of a person's life, because he did them each year Rembrandt was an excellent printmaker. He used a process called etching. This is a process that involves scratching into a metal plate, which has been covered with an acid resistant coating, then dipping the plate in acid until it mars the surface of the plate. The plate is then washed, ink is pushed into the grooves left by the acid, and finally it is printed on paper. The Little Children Being Brought to Jesus ("The 100 Guilder Print"), Completed 1647 49, Etching and drypoint, 1st state The company of Frans Banning Cock preparing to march out, known as the Nightwatch, 1642, Oil on canvas Abraham and Isaac, 1634, Oil on canvas Jan Vermeer (1632 75) master of light and perspective. works were technically correct to the finest detail Dutch banker and mapmaker View of Delft, c. 1660 1661, Oil on canvas The Art of Painting, c. 1666 1673, Oil on canvas Woman Holding a Water Pitcher c.1664 5, oil on canvas, 16"x 15" exceptional perspective, convincing 3 D space dramatic lighting high detail Hals Dutch Baroque Spanish Baroque Diego Velasquez ( ) court painter for Philip IV of Spain Las Meninas, 1656, Oil on canvas "Maids of Honor" (English translation) is a view into the artist's studio and the Royal family's lives. Innocent X, c. 1650 France Nicholas Poussin used Classical subject matter allegorical painter (he used a picture of mythological scenes to convey ideas about Christianity) allegories are intended to convey an idea through analogy and metaphor. saw a connection between art and music Most painters of the 17th and 18th Centuries allied themselves with either the Rubenists (bright vibrant color, painterliness, and exuberant brushwork) or the Poussinists (classical, idealist, and used a limited palette). The Rape of the Sabine Women, 1636 37, Oil on canvas
[CHP. 17 THE BAROQUE STYLE IN WESTERN EUROPE] P AGE 5 Landscape with the Funeral of Phocion, 1648, Oil on canvas Phocion was a Greek who was executed because he would not conceal the truth. It is a comment on the Stoic nature of Phocion and reflects this in its sharp detail and calm. Part 5: Unit Exam Essay Questions Define the Baroque style of art. What were its visual characteristics? Name two artists whose works exemplify Baroque art. Discuss the artistic contributions of Rembrandt. Use examples of his paintings to illustrate your answer. Using examples in your text compare Baroque and Renaissance pictorial style. Compare Bernini's David to Michelangelo's David, showing how they illustrate the Baroque and Renaissance styles respectively. Define the Baroque style of art. What were its visual characteristics? Name two artists whose works exemplify Baroque art and use their work to help describe the Baroque stylistic period. Discuss the artistic contributions of Rembrandt. Use examples of his paintings to illustrate your answer. Discuss the political developments of the 17th century in western Europe. How did they affect the arts? Using examples in your text, compare Baroque and Renaissance pictorial style. Explain the iconography of Bernini's Pluto and Proserpina. What myth is it based on, and how is it reflected in the sculpture's style? Describe the Baroque, Renaissance, and Gothic elements of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Compare Bernini's David to Michelangelo's David, analyzing how they exemplify the Baroque and Renaissance styles respectively. Compare Caravaggiois tenebrism with Leonardo's chiaroscuro, using the examples in your textbook. Discuss the role of women in the arts from Antiquity through the seventeenth century. Cite examples from your textbook. Discuss the political developments of the 17th century in Western Europe. How did they affect the arts? Using examples in your text, compare Baroque and Renaissance pictorial style. Explain the iconography of Bernini's Pluto and Proserpina. What is it based on, and how is it reflected in the style? Describe the Baroque, Renaissance and Gothic elements of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Compare Bernini's David to Michelangelo's David, showing how they illustrate the Baroque and Renaissance styles respectively. Compare Caravaggio's tenebrism with Leonardo's chiaroscuro, using the examples in your textbook. Discuss the role of women in the arts from Antiquity through the seventeenth century. Cite examples from your textbook Chapter Outline (AAT4) THE BAROQUE STYLE IN WESTERN EUROPE, 17th CENTURY Age of Absolutism: Louis XIV of France; Philip IV of Spain; Charles I of England Heliocentrism and advances in science: Kepler; Copernicus; Galileo; Newton Thirty Years' War (1618 1648) Treaty of Westphalia (1648) Dutch East India Company; the rise of capitalism Charles I of England executed (1649) Oliver Cromwell (1599 1658) Witch craze in Europe and New England Lives of the Artists: Bellori; van Mander, The Painter's Book New Saint Peter's completed Great Fire of London (1666) Wren builds Saint Paul's, the first Protestant cathedral, in London Urban VIII (papacy 1623 1644) New genres in painting: landscape; vanitas; still life Italian artists: Bernini; Borromini; Caravaggio; Gentileschi; the Carracci; Pietro da Cortona; Gaulli Flanders: Rubens; van Dyck Dutch Republic: Rembrandt; Hals; Leyster; Vermeer; Ruisdael; Oosterwyck; Etching and drypoint France: The Louvre The Court of Versailles: LeBrun; Tuby; Le Vau; Perrault; Le Nôtre, Hardouin Mansart French Academy founded (1648) Poussin: theory of artistic modes
[CHP. 17 THE BAROQUE STYLE IN WESTERN EUROPE] P AGE 6 Lorrain: pastoral landscape Spain: Cotán; Zurburán; Velázquez Define or identify the following terms: Academy (a) the gymnasium near Athens where Plato taught; (b) from the eighteenth century, the cultural and artistic establishment and the standards that they represent. aedicule asymmetrical baldacchino balustrade burr calligraphy camera obscura cantilever château chattra clerestory drypoint etching etching ground foreshortening gable (or pitched) roof impasto mausoleum, mausolea minaret miniature obelisk podium rectilinear section silhouette state stupa stylus tenebrism travertine (a) a small building used as a shrine; (b) a niche designed to hold a statue. Both types are formed by two columns or pilasters supporting a gable or pediment. characterized by asymmetry, or lack of balance, in the arrangement of parts or components. a canopy or canopylike structure above an altar or throne. a series of balusters, or upright pillars, supporting a rail (as along the edge of a balcony or bridge). in etching, the rough ridge left projecting above the surface of an engraved plate where the design has been incised. handwriting designed to be beautiful; calligraphic writing or drawing can be expressive as well as beautiful. a dark enclosure or box into which light is admitted through a small hole, enabling images to be projected onto a wall or screen placed opposite that hole; the forerunner of the photographic camera. a long, low architectural support that enables a cantilevered element such as an eave or a cornice to project horizontally without vertical support at the far end. French word for a castle or large country house. a royal parasol crowning the dome (an.d.a) of a Buddhist stupa, symbolically honoring the Buddha. the upper part of the main outer wall of a building (especially a church), located above an adjoining roof and admitting light through a row of windows. an engraving in which the image is scratched directly into the surface of a metal plate with a pointed instrument. (a) a printmaking process in which an impression is taken from a metal plate on which the image has been etched, or eaten away by acid; (b) a print produced by such a process. a resinous, acid resistant substance used to cover a copper plate before an image is etched on it. the use of perspective to represent a single object extending back in space at an angle to the picture plane. a roof formed by the intersection of two planes sloping down from a central beam. the thick application of paint, usually oil or acrylic, to a canvas or panel. an elaborate tomb (named for Mausolos, a fourth century b.c. ruler commemorated by a magnificent tomb at Halikarnassos). a tall, slender tower attached to a mosque, from which the muezzin calls the Muslim faithful to prayer. a representation executed on a much smaller scale than the original object. a tall, four sided stone, usually monolithic, that tapers toward the top and is capped by a pyramidion. (a) the masonry forming the base of a temple; (b) a raised platform or pedestal. consisting of, bounded by, or moving in, a straight line or lines. a diagrammatic representation of a building intersected by a vertical plane. the outline of an object, usually filled in with black or some other uniform color. one of the successive printed stages of a print, distinguished from other stages by the greater or lesser amount of work carried out on the image. in Buddhist architecture, a dome shaped or rounded structure made of brick, earth, or stone, containing the relic of a Buddha or other honored individual. a pointed instrument used in antiquity for writing on clay, wax, papyrus, and parchment; a pointed metal instrument used to scratch an image on the plate used to produce an etching. a style of painting used by Caravaggio and his followers in which most objects are in shadow, while a few are brightly illuminated. a hard limestone used as a building material by the Etruscans and Romans.
vanitas [CHP. 17 THE BAROQUE STYLE IN WESTERN EUROPE] P AGE 7 a category of painting, often a still life, the theme of which is the transitory nature of earthly things and the inevitability of death. France Georges de La Tour, St. Joseph the Carpenter, c.1645 Louis Le Nain, Family of Country People, c.1640, oil on canvas Jacques Callot, The Hanging Tree from Miseries of War, 1621, etching Nicholas Poussin, Abduction of the Sabine Women, c.1636 1637, oil on canvas Nicholas Poussin, Burial of Phocion, 1648, oil on canvas Claude Perrault, Louis Le Vau, and Charles Le Brun, east facade of the Louvre, Paris, 1667 16 Louis Le Vau and Jules Hardouin Mansart, Palace of Versailles, Versailles, France, b.1669 Hall of Mirrors (Galerie des Glaces), Palace of Versailles André Le Nôtre, gardens of the Palace of Versailles England Christopher Wren, new St. Paul s Cathedral, London, 1675 1710 Other topics to consider: Explain the iconography of Bernini's Pluto and Proserpina. What is it based on, and how is it reflected in the style? Describe the Baroque, Renaissance and Gothic elements of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Summary Baroque art is not single style, nor is it the contribution of any single center. It is: o truly international variety of expressions o differences in Baroque styles were no longer regional on a provincial basis. o artists of many different personalities and persuasions. The achievements of the Renaissance had brought about the ability of artists to depict the visual world as they chose. In many instances, Baroque artists chose to crete art that was the theatrical or dramatic moment. Styles of the past were also beginning to be seen as historically significant. the experience of the senses was also to be exploited. Artists frequently worked for long periods in lands far from their homes. Graphic arts, easily transported, brought replicas of the great works of leading masters to opposite ends of the world. The ravages of political and religious wars still continued. Baroque artists and their patrons began to use art as a form of social consciousness raising