CHAPTER 22: BAROQUE ARTAP Art History

Magister Ricard

What is Baroque?

Art produced from the end of the 16th to early 18th centuries

Stresses emotional, rather than intellectual responses; likes drama Grew out of the tug-of-war between Protestant

Reformation (Northern Europe) and Counter Reformation (Italy)

Artists tried to persuade to the faithful through dramatic works

Used by “absolute” rulers (popes and kings) to overwhelm and awe

Culture of Baroque Era

Wealthy middle class continues to pursue strong patronage of arts

Buildings, painting, sculpture continue to be adapted Still lifes and genre paintings (everyday life) emerge

Science begins to challenge religion, Earth is not center of the universe

Workshops begin to churn out copies of popular themes

Value on the original work is a modern notion

Baroque Art

Italy

Bernini

A child prodigy who the pope demanded an audience of

Deemed the “Michelangelo” of his generation

His David is hailed as the first Baroque sculpture – it depicts a dramatic moment and involves the audience (many ducked when seeing the statue for the first time)

Bernini and St. Peter’s

The façade was completed in 1626 by Carlo Maderno Used both Renaissance (Michelangelo’s dome) and

Baroque (Maderno’s façade) styles Bernini is named architect of St. Peter’s

Oversees many projects for next 51 years Baldachino was the first project – directly under

Michelangelo’s dome and the tomb of St. Peter Rumored to have been heavily worked by

Borromini Four bronze spiral columns recall Temple of

Solomon, are 95’ high – bronze stripped from the Pantheon

Bernini and St. Peters

Bernini also was responsible for the courtyard extending in front of the basilica

From Bramante’s original central plan design to the extensions made by Maderno, Bernini unified these artistic styles

Two curved porticoes extended like the “motherly arms of the Church”

Borromini

A rival of Bernini’s, regarded himself as an architect (and not Bernini)

Regarded buildings as exercises of geometry Unlike Brunelleschi and Alberti, who built flat

symmetrical walls, used undulating walls to create motion

Façade used a mixture of concave and convex bays

Creates dramatic use of light and shadow Oval-shaped dome uses different coffers which

decrease as they reach the apex

Caravaggio

Recast biblical scenes or themes in new light

Used naturalism but instead did not idealize the narratives

Accentuates the “sinner” or the lower classes in his works

Strong use of light with deep pockets of shadow - tenebrism

Strong personality, thrived in Roman underground scene – nec spe nec metu

Baroque Art

The Habsburg Lands

The Habsburgs

Charles V abdicates Holy Roman Empire throne in 1556 The Western portion (Spain, American colonies,

Netherlands, Burgundy, Milan, Naples and Sicily) go to his son Phillip II

The Eastern portion (Germany and Austria) go to his brother Ferdinand

Even as Spain’s gold imports lessen from New World, and eventual bankruptcy in 1692, this is known as Golden Age of Spain

The artwork tends to support heavily the Catholic Church and the Habsburgs liked the use of strong dramatic effect and lighting

Baroque Art

Flanders and the Netherlands

Peter Paul Rubens

(1577-1640) Born in Germany, trained in Antwerp and studied in Rome

Influenced by Michelangelo and Caravaggio Became synonymous with Flemish Baroque Combined portraiture and historical narrative for

a cycle of 21 paintings dedicated to Marie de’Medici

Unified the styles of northern and southern Europe

Upon his return to Antwerp, built a house with a large studio that allowed his workshop to crank out works

The Golden Age of Dutch Art The Dutch Republic was based on

commerce and trade; merchant class held power, wealth

No royal court and officials and lacking Catholic church commissions, artists turned to merchant class for work

Portraiture rose in popularity as did works showing their possessions and land Still lifes, landscapes, genre scenes and

portraits

Rembrandt

Based in Amsterdam (1606-1669), the financial center of Europe

Became cities most-renowned portrait artist

Was well-established in creating group portraiture (“The Night Watch)

Held a range of interests, also was a master of etching and used drypoint technique later

Jan Vermeer

Not much is known about his life, but he is considered one of the Dutch masters

Typical paintings have light coming from source on left side, uses yellows and blues, subjects tended to be women

Believed to have used the camera obscura, an instrument that created an image through a hole set inside a dark box

Baroque Art

France

The Rise of France

France really shifted the center of European art and culture away from Italy Italy began to dominate art in the 1300’s with

the return to the classics When Louis XIV took over in France in

1661, everything changed He reigned for 54 years, established

France as the leading superpower From 1661-1789 French art took

prominence

The “Sun King”

Louis XIV (1661-1715) defined his era All life “revolved” around him, he

envisioned himself as Apollo Oversaw the construction of Versailles –

palace and gardens were unfortified Style emphasized glory; lavish and

luxurious At 63, most famous portrait not just for

the opulence of his position, but also the vanity of his legs!

Baroque Art

England