Baroque

Chapter 17

The Baroque Period

The desire of 17century painters to achieve naturalism in their works marks a shift away from Classical ideals. Patrons are willing to be portrayed, "warts and all”- a huge change. Caravaggio takes this notion to an extreme, and was famously persecuted because of it.

The Baroque Period

New patronsThere is an emergence of a middle-class art-buying public in Holland.

The Baroque Periodmiddle-class art-buyers are interested in

genre scenes, landscapes, and still life

These styles of art gained new status in the 17th century

BaroqueThe 17th century is a time of Religious conflict

Political strugglesGreat scientific advances

New scientific knowledge conflicts with teachings of the Church

BaroqueThis upheaval contributed to the Period’s relatively unrestrained,

overly emotional, and more energetic style

BaroqueThe name was given to this

period later on as a bit of an insult

Later styles came to re embrace the Classical ideals of the

Renaissance and felt that the Baroque period was the total

opposite…

HarmonyBalance

ProportionVS

DynamicDramaPassion

ITALIAN

FRENCH

SPANISH

FLEMISH

DUTCH

Bernini, Borromini, Caravaggio,

Poussin, Lorrain

Velazquez

Rubens, Van Dyck,

Hals, Rembrandt, Vermeer

Italian BaroqueGoals during the

COUNTER-REFORMATION:

deliberately evoke intense emotional response from the viewer

To create dramatically lit, often theatrical compositions

Italian Baroque BERNINI

The colonnade of St. Peter’s Piazza

The baldacchino on the St. Peter’s altar

sculpture of David

Ecstasy of St. Theresa sculpture

A baldacchino is a canopy made of cloth or stone erected over an altar, shrine, or throne in a Christian church.

.

Italian Baroque

Gianlorenzo Bernini, 1633. baldacchino,

Saint Peter’s, Vatican City, Rome Italy

Bernini’s bronze baldacchino is above the altar under the dome. It marks the tomb of Saint Peter. It is almost 100 feet high.

).

Italian Baroque

Gianlorenzo Bernini, “David”,Galleria Borghese, Rome, 1623

Italian BaroqueBernini’s David is dramatic.It catches a split second in time.It has violent, pivoting motionIt demands space all around it.

Donatello

(Early Italian Renaissance)

Michelangelo

(High Italian Renaissance)

Bernini(Italian Baroque)

Bernini“Ecstasy of Saint Theresa”,

, Rome Italy, 1650

Italian BaroqueSaint Theresa was a nun- her conversion occurred when she fell into a series of trances, saw visions, and heard voices. Feeling a persistent pain, she

attributed to “the fire tipped arrow of Divine love” that an angel had thrust repeatedly into her heart.

Bernini depicted the saint in ecstasy, mingling spiritual and physical passion, swooning back on a cloud while the smiling angel aims his arrow.

Bernini

Italian Baroque

Pluto and Proserpina, 1622. Marble. Rome

View of the Square from St. Peter’s Dome

Borromini, facade of “San Carlo alle Quattro

Fontane”, Rome, Italy, 1675

Italian Baroque

BorrominiItalian Baroque

Annibale Carracci, Loves of the Gods, 1600

Italian BaroqueLoves of the Gods shows a variety of earthly and divine love in classical mythology

Annibale Carracci

Giovanni Battista Gaulli “Triumph in the Name of Jesus”,

Church of Il Gesu, Rome, 1680

Gaulli’s composition focuses on the joyful rise of spirits to Christ’s aura.His work celebrates the glory of Christ and His Church.

Italian Baroque

Giovanni Battista Gaulli, “Triumph in the Name of Jesus”, Church of Il Gesu, Rome, Italy, 1676-1679 ITALIAN BAROQUE

VersaillesFRENCH Baroque

VersaillesFRENCH Baroque

Hall of Mirrors, Versailles, c1680.

VersaillesFRENCH Baroque

Hall of Battles, Versailles, c1680.

Michelangelo Merisi (Caravaggio)Conversion of Saint Paul , 1601.Italian

BaroqueDramatic lighting gives the work a sense of mystery

Caravaggio

CaravaggioConversion of

Saint Paul, 1601

Caravaggio “Calling of Saint Matthew”Rome 1600Italian

Baroque

Caravaggio,

Crucifixion of St. Peter, 1600

Caravaggio. Flagellation of Christ. c.1606-1607. Oil on canvas.

Caravaggio, The Taking of Christ, 1602.

Caravaggio“Supper at Emmaus”

National Gallery, London 1601Italian Baroque

Caravaggio“The Incredulity of St. Thomas”, 1602

Italian

Baroque

Caravaggio, “Entombment”

1603

Caravaggio pulls the viewer right into the picture.

He uses common citizens as his models

He has no use for classical idealism

Italian Baroque

Artemisia Gentileschi“Judith Slaying Holofernes”

ca. 1614-1620

Gentileschi used what might be called the “dark” subject matter Caravaggio

that favored. Significantly, Gentileschi chose a narrative involving a heroic female, and favorite theme of hers.

The story, from the work of the Old Testament, the Book of Judith, relates

the delivery of Israel from its enemy, Holofernes. Having succumbed to

Judith’s charms, the Assyrian general Holofernes invited her to his tent for the

night. When he fell asleep, Judith cut off his head. In this version of the

scene, Judith and her maidservant are beheading Holofernes.

Italian BaroqueYOU GO GIRL!

Judith Beheads Holofernes In Other Works, Too!

Artemisia Gentileschi“Judith and Maidservant With

Head of Holofernes”ca. 1612-1613

Judith Beheads Holofernes In Other Works, Too!

Artemisia Gentileschi“Judith and Maidservant Beheading Holofernes”ca. 1625.