BAROQUE ART Irregular Pear or Stone 16 th century Throughout Europe = religious tension - Protestants broke away from Roman Catholic Church. response to the Protestant Reformation, Catholic Church initiated the Counter Reformation Program. used art on a grand scale in attempt to reach the largest possible audience. Art was seen as a means to endorse the authority of the church by making the scriptures a reality to the people through emotional realism.
The court Painter to the Monarchs Artists were employed by the Kings and Queens of Europe Painted portraits, commemorative events means of impressing visitors and showing power (palaces, courts etc) A Tribute to a Great King : Versailles (France
The Artist on the Open Market - Holland Neither Catholic nor ruled by a monarch thus these two patrons of the arts did not apply. Artists painted for ordinary people, ordinary subjects, and sold works through dealers and on the open market. Subject matter: portraits, still life, genre painting Woman Holding a Water Pitcher, Dutch Baroque oil on canvas, 1664-5 by Vermeer
Baroque is not clearly defined, not all art during this time considered Baroque Classified as an artistic style rather than a period in art. The term Baroque first used disapprovingly
Characteristics Dramatic composition diagonal lines, circular to add movement, energy and tension Repoussoir figure pointing Spirituality present in the work (Europe), realistic approach Observable reality (Dutch) Infinite space no longer contained Use of Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro chiaro = light scuro = dark A painting technique developed in Italy by Leonardo da Vinci, which is used to produce dramatic effects by modeling forms with strong contrast in dark and light. The Death of the Virgin, 1608, 370x244cm
Subject Matter Dramatic and grand visions religious ecstasies and conversions death Landscape and still-life s. A sense of spectacle Opulent displays of exuberance A great theme was that of rape The Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus
Composition Adherence to linear perspective that typified the Renaissance was no longer so stringently followed, allowing asymmetry On the walls & ceilings of churches & palaces they painted vast, busy scenes which tend to produce upon the spectator the impression that the walls no longer exist, or that they open out in an exciting way. Narcissus
Michelangelo Merisi - da Caravaggio Rejection of lengthy traditional ideals of mannerism focuses on nature works in oils directly Chiaroscuro tension Lines are clean Solids making a form seem more rounded and three- dimensional Often featured in his own works David and Goliath
The Entombment of Christ Spotlight effect Gestures bring figures closer to spectator
Judith Beheading Holofernes
Johannes Vermeer (1632 75) little Dutch master Pioneer for the taking on Baroque style in Holland Composed neat, quietly opulent interiors of Dutch middle class merchants men, women and children engaged in household tasks actions totally common - reflective of the values Composed mainly single figure
Girl with the Pearl Earring Universally recognized as one of Vermeer's absolute masterworks Not only one of the most beautiful in Holland, but the most satisfying and exquisite product of brush and color During the time this work was being painted the world was plagued with evolutions and tragedies. The young girl in the painting shows no such stress from the world - painted with such ease and concealment of effort. Though the paint evoked life rather than counterfeited it. The line of the right cheek is has been said to be the sweetest line ever suggested.
Massacre of the Innocents
Comprehension Question: Baroque How did the Italian Baroque differ form the Dutch Baroque. Refer to the subject matter in your answer. What does the word chiaroscuro mean and how does it apply to the Baroque style?