Baroque Art:
Baroque definition and origins:
        The Baroque period is the era in the history of Western arts that roughly coincides with the 17th century.  Primarily, it designates the style of European art between Mannerism and Rococo (Pioch 1).  Secondly, the term Baroque is used as a general label for the period when this style flourished, notably the 17th century and in certain areas much of the 18th century.  This is where phrases like 'the age of Baroque' and 'Baroque science' came from.  Thirdly, Baroque is often applied to art of any time or place that contains the qualities associated with the Baroque art of the past, such as its sense of movement and emotional intensity.
        In the 17th century, Rome was the artistic capital of Europe, so the baroque style soon spread outwards from there, undergoing modifications in every country to which it migrated.  The different tastes and outlooks of each area caused it to be more extravagant in areas like Spain, while toned down in very religious, conservative parts of Europe.
        The anticlassical Mannerist style, predominant through the 16th century, brought a number of artists to desire more clarity and simplification in their art.  The emphasis on distortion and asymmetry was soon replaced by more solidity and weightiness.  The Baroque style, according to Pioch, did inherit movement and fervent emotion from the Mannerists, while also combining the solidity and grandeur of the Renaissance (1).
Baroque Characteristics:
        The suggestion of movement, contrasts of light and dark, and communication of feeling through gesture and facial expression were typical during this period (Walkup pr5).  Works tended to be highly naturalistic, although they often contained symbolic or moralizing meanings.  The lighting in many Baroque paintings appears to come from spotlights shining on the action taking place, allowing other areas to disappear into the unlit shadows.  These contrasts of light and dark gave the painting incredible realism, a lot of dramatic effect, as well as a mode of expressing ideas of good and evil, life and death.
        The artists of the period were highly skilled at drawing and painting, allowing them to display figures in every possible angle, with highly detailed features and expressions.  The painters of this era, unlike the past, sought a grander sense of space and a truer depiction of perspective in their works.  They almost wanted to intermingle the space of the viewer with that of the painting.  This strong sense of realism was an integral part of the Baroque style.  The individuals of the baroque paintings each had distinct personalities, as if the artists "attempted to portray the passions of the soul on the faces they painted" ("Microsoft" pr7).
        The intensity and emotional exuberance of Baroque art, as well as its strong emphasis on individualism and detail, make it one of the most compelling and sensuous periods of Western art.  This is why Matthias Stom employed the baroquian techniques to perfection in his paintings.  Mastering the stylistic methods used during this era gave rise to wonderful compositions across the globe, much like Stom's Christ before Caiaphas.

Works Cited

"MicrosoftCorporation."  Encarta Encyclopedia.  1998 ed.

Pioch, Nicolas.  "Baroque."  WebMuseum, Paris.  1996.  http://www.oir.ucf.edu/wm/paint/glo/baroque/  (28 Apr. 1999)

Walkup, Nancy.  "The Cardsharps."  NIEVA.  1997.  http://www.art.unt.edu/ntieva/artcurr/alsp/caravagg.htm (26 Apr. 1999)
 
 

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