Baroque and Flemish Art

Pastorals

: a literary genre that flourished in Venice in the sixteenth century in works by painters such as Giorgione and Titian

Baroque

Exuberant, Expressive, Contorted, Grand, Turbulent, Dynamic, Overwhelming, Grandeur, Sensual Richness, emotional exuberance, tension, movement, unification of various artists, expansive, expressive quality; persuasive, unlimited powers, Absolutism, dramatic lighting, sweeping gestures, introduction of still life, genre scene, landscape. Cosmology brought scientific understanding to sensory perception. Optical effects. Reevaluation of of humanity and its relationship to the universe

One difference between Rococo and Baroque (both still belong to the Renaissance world)

FANTASY * baroque presents theatre on a grand scale * the rococo stage is smaller and more intimate: its artifice evokes an enchanted realm that presents a diversion from real life----favors stylized motifs drawn from nature and a more domestic art-----private rather than public---home decorating with an interest in the poetic genre of the pastoral, with subjects of love and loss, romantic trysts, and poetic musing took on growing importance: the notion of the "simple man" existing in an idealized nature * fete galante: a type of painting introduce by Jean-Antoine Wattaeu that celebrated the tradition of love and eroticism in art, and broadened the range of human emotion depicted

1630

before: baroque classism after: high baroque

Poussinist

conservatives who defended Poussin's view that line, which appealed to the mind, was superior to color, which appealed to the senses

Late 17th century

genre paintings with more narratives and sense of intimacy

Classism

late 17th century to early 18th France and England Through its use of a Classical vocabulary---from columns, capitals, and pediments in architecture to styles of dress in painting---it draws on the example of the ancient world to suggest authority, order, and enduring tradition by evoking the imperial grandeur of Rome.

Genre Scene

scenes from everyday life: domestic situations, eating, drinking, smoking, games, music: often moralizing,

Rembrandt

the intimacy and poignancy of his images which convey personal relationships and emotions-an aspect seldom explored before--as well as for producing large group portraits and history pieces

Campagna

the surrounding towns of Rome

Jean-Antoine Watteau Signpost of Gersaint 1721

*: combination of lines and color *: the colors enliven and add a spontaneity *: natural elegancy *: sensitive work of sophistication and tender beauty

Hyacinthe Rigaud Portrait of King Louis 1701

*: power, drama and splendor of the absolute ruler *: the use of insignias of rulership and the symbols of the opulence of the monarch's reign.

Guercino Aurora Ceiling Casino Ludovisi Rome 1621-23

*: quadro riportato

Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin Back from the Market 1739

*: quiet household scene *: everyday beauty and spatial order *: brushwork is soft at the edges and suggests objects rather than defines them *: he summarizes still lives' forms and subtly alters their appearance and texture

Frans Hals Portrait of a Married Couple in a Garden 1622

*: relaxed informal atmosphere of genre painting with the individual likenesses and formal attire of portraiture *: spontaneity: off-center position *: There is a great deal of symbolism in this image regarding marriage in Dutch culture in the 17th century. The couple is not depicted indoors in formal poses but rather they are shown intimately and relaxed. The couple seems completely at ease with each other and Beatrix reinforces their new union in marriage by resting her arm upon her husband's shoulder displaying her wedding ring. Isaac holds his wife's right hand over his heart - a sign of love and loyalty. *: Smiling faces were uncommon at this time and Hals was one of only a few portrait painters to picture smiling people. The couple's clothes also demonstrate their wealth. *: The couple sits beneath a thistle tree, which symbolizes fidelity. In addition, the extending ivy tendrils curling around a branch between the couple represents committment, faithfulness and fertility. *: Great attention to detail has been given to the subjects' faces. Unlike conventional panel work Hals completed for wealthy patrons, the couple are not in stiff, upright positions or with blank expressions. The couple's content gazes allow for a bigger narrative and provide insight into the couple's rapport. *: Hals made Beatrix the focus of this piece and rightly so as she was a new bride. Isaac's body is turned towards his wife, leading the viewer's eye to her. His folded arm on the right also encourages this, as does the middle branch. Beatrix's arm upon her lap returns this gaze by forming a circular composition which leads us back to her husband. The sparse building to the far right creates a three-dimensional aspect to the image. The abundance of foliage also lets Hals' play with various lighting tones and techniques that produce a soft and hazy dream-like atmosphere. *: For Isaac, bright orange and light brown pastels have been used to define his skin. For Beatrix the artist uses strong white tonal values with a clear sheen that stand out from the darkened image. Overall, Hals uses clean strokes in this work. He is very expressive in the sitter's clothing and makes deep impressions in the numerous folds as they sit in the shade of the tree. These lines are stark and create depth and movement as he accentuates the finer detail of the fabrics. Hals adds fine detail to the cuffs and lace necklines and he paints the lace with very light touches, adding texture to the fine fabric. This technique allows the light to play between the fabrics as well. The trees and surrounding foliage all contain various harsh and bold daubing showing Hal's freedom od expression with is brush. The bark of the tree and ground all have darker yellow ochres mixed with browns and he used multilayering to convey detailed texture.

Rembrandt van Rijn Portrait of Saskia 1633

*: silverpoint drawing *: unforgiving drawing tool *: requires precision and a sure hand

Bernini David 1623

*: Hellenistic union of body and spirit, of motion and emotion *: fierceness of expressions, movement, and dynamism of Laocoon, *: the implied presence of Goliath *: charged with energy *: new and active relationship with the surrounding space: dramatic illusion *: heightened vitality and energy

El Graeco 1586

*: into two parts: heaven above and the moral burial scene below. Above in the heavens swirl unearthly clouds of ice and elongated phantomlike saints and angels in El Greco's typical Mannerist style. Below terrestrial scene is painted in normal proportions. Because the painting lacks ground, horizon, and perspective, it achieves supernatural space and creates a strange species of harmony. *: The composition is brought together through rich gold and red colors, which produce a royal and ceremonial character, making the image more cohesive. The figures' varied participation in both the earthly and heavenly events and the torches and cross stretching upward from the terrestrial scene help create harmony in the image. Several areas of this painting shimmer and dance with an unmatchable glow. El Greco put so much care into the detail of this work, that even the brilliant garments of his figures are masterpieces in their own right. *: malleable and elongated figures are lit from sources that can't readily be discerned *: Byzantine icon painter. *: This act is reminiscent of paintings showing the entombment of Christ, such as versions by Raphael or Titian (below), where Christ's body is lowered into its grave. Perhaps El Greco adapted this subject for his painting to emphasize the solemn moment and the miraculous nature of the burial itsel *: El Greco emphasized the naturalistic textures of the clothing, the reflective shine highlighting the metal armor, and even the faces and skin of the individuals in the earthly realm *: naturalistic elements of this lower scene, it still seems mysterious. *: the dark atmosphere heightens the sense of mourning and drama of the painting *: In the upper heavenly realm, the artist used looser brushwork to give the figures a more ethereal and dynamic quality. He also chose cooler colors, including silvers and lilacs, that appear to shimmer and reflect light. The lower half of the canvas has a darker, more earth-tone palette (except saints Stephen and Augustine), giving it a more naturalistic appearance. *: These figures are often described as dematerialized—less material or solid. We certainly get this impression from some of the wispy, insubstantial figures among the clouds *: We get the sense of a solid group surrounding the burial of Orgaz. The figures are arranged as a frieze that moves across the bottom half of the painting with the heads forming a straight horizontal line, giving the impression of stability. *: These clouds and the way that El Greco uses them to define clusters of figures at differing heights helps to remove the heavenly realm from reality and to provide a sense of motion that contrasts with the more static scene below. *: Even though the celestial and earthly realms are divided, El Greco links them to create a unified painting. Staffs and torches held by men on earth rise upwards, crossing the pictorial threshold between heaven and earth. Figures gaze upwards to heaven, encouraging us to lift our eyes as well. Certain figures also echo one another across the threshold of the two sphere

Annibale Carracci Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne Farnese ceiling, Palazzo Farnese, Rome 1597-1601

*: As the 16th century drew to a close, a certain weariness of the forms of late Mannerism, which dominated the entire European art scene by the second half of the century, was becoming evident. In this respect, the early Baroque in Italy may also be regarded as a conscious and critically motivated phase of reform in every field of art. The school of the Bolognese artists Lodovico, Agostino and Annibale Carracci formulated this approach clearly by founding an academy. A masterpiece of this reform movement was the huge cycle of paintings commissioned to decorate the Galleria Farnese in Rome, created under the auspices of Annibale Carracci, who was responsible for its planning and execution. The grand mythological programme representing the power of love by way of example of the Olympian gods went hand in hand with an aesthetic concept that was to be of fundamental importance for all subsequent Baroque fresco painting. The underlying motivation of the academy is clearly evident in this major work; it is aimed at a revival of the natural ideal once embodied by the art of the High Renaissance. Bernini, master of Roman Baroque, expressed this aim in his assessment of Annibale, who, he claimed, had "combined all that is good, fusing the grace and drawing of Raphael, the knowledge and anatomy of Michelangelo, the nobility and manner of Correggio, the colour of Titian and the invention of Giulio Romano and Mantegna". The result of this approach based on synthesis was not a work of stale eclecticism, but a visual world of enormous vitality in which it was possible to develop a single programme based on Ovid's Metamorphoses - over a vast area while at the same time jettisoning the more esoteric elements of Mannerism in order to convey the heady eroticism and physicality of the myths with greater immediacy. In the bridal procession of Bacchus and Ariadne, which fills the central area of the ceiling, these qualities merge to the most highly condensed composition of the Farnese Gallery.

Annibale Carracci Diana and Endymion Farnese ceiling, Palazzo Farnese, Rome 1597-1601

*: illusionistic

Jan Vermeer Woman holding a Balance 1664

*: single figures, usually women, engaged in in everyday tasks at private moments *: an eternal, yet momentary, glance into a private world *: the painting is intensely private, quiet, yet also highly sensual, created with optical effects that make the surface shimmer *: the vanishing point and so on sets the balance of all elements of the painting *: Vermeer's mastery of light's expressive qualities raises his interest in the reality of appearances to the level of poetry. He is concerned with all of light's visual and symbolic possibilities *: magical, hypnotic, truly original nature of the painting. *: exact yet personal way of seeing and depicting *: Unquestionably among the greatest genre paintings ever produced *: The absence of gold and pearls in the scales was established by an analysis of colour pigments: there was no lead-tin yellow highlight on the pans - the colour Vermeer normally used to depict gold - and the single layer of highlight on the pan is quite different from the normal 'double layer' of paint (grey plus white highlight) which he used to represent pearls. Nor are there any loose pearls on the table waiting to be weighed. Nonetheless, the small, delicate balance is the central feature and focus of the picture, which is all about the weighing of transitory material concerns against spiritual ones. It is a more explicitly allegorical work than usual, but some elements remain obscure. The work exemplifies Vermeer's style of Dutch Realist genre painting with its blend of painterly technique, moral narrative and, above all, intimacy - a style unequalled by any of the other Dutch Realist artists from Leiden, Haarlem, Utrecht, Dordrecht or Delft. *: Vermeer's genre pictures included a wealth of symbolism which imparted a serious message to an otherwise mundane subject. The woman is depicted standing quietly, almost Madonna-like, in front of a mirror. On the wall behind her hangs a black-framed picture of the Last Judgment, which represents the spiritual concerns and judgment of Christ; in front of her is a table strewn with pearls, a gold chain and other items of jewellery, which represent Man's material possessions. The empty scale, held lightly between her slim fingers, shows that she is weighing spiritual rather than material considerations. There is a complete lack of tension or conflict in her portrayal: on the contrary, she is utterly serene in the self-knowledge (represented by her reflection in the mirror) that the righteous approach is to lead a life of moderation, in the expectation of God's final judgment. (For a work extolling chastity, see Girl with a Pearl Earring (1664-6, Mauritshuis, The Hague). *: Meanwhile, the artistic balance of this masterpiece is maintained by Vermeer's customary and exquisite painting technique. The composition is structured around the woman's fingertips, which is exactly where the picture's vanishing point is. This spot, which is marked by the intersection of the woman's hand and the downward line of the Last Judgment painting, is also the centre of the whole picture. There is also a dynamic relationship between a number of vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines, throughout the work. Thus the diagonal lines of the woman's skirt and left arm, as well as the shadow on the wall, contrast with the right-angles of the painting and the table. *: As usual, a wealth of detail allows Vermeer to demonstrate his handling of colour and texture. His trademark palette of blue, grey and yellow lends the scene its cool tonality and harmony, while his virtuoso brushwork - including, for instance, the fine reflections in the balance, the highlights of the pearls, and the contrast between the fine blue fabric in the left foreground and the coarser texture of the woman's yellow wool gown - and subtle handling of light seeping in through a gap in the curtains, makes the whole work a masterclass in fine art painting.

Jacob Jordaens The King Drinks 1638

* non idealized figures of softness, roundness, and plainness

Jan Vermeer Officer and Laughing Woman 1657

*: INTIMACY *: room infused with glowing light *: Vermeer's use of light usually comes from a window and creates flecks of light on fabric and reflections , marks his work * CAMERA OBSCURA: an experimental optical device that created an image by means of a hole for light on the inside of a dark box. Usually have a sparking quality *: the sparking parts are often called "discs of confusion", *: a one-point perspective with a vanishing point *: wall of subtle and varying tones of gray, yellow and blue on a seemingly white surface *: unparalleled quality of light and texture *: a dazzling study of light-filled space. The dark foil of the officer's silhouette dramatizes both the illusion of depth and the brilliant play of light over the woman and the furnishings of the chamber.

Artemisia Gentileschi Judith with the Head of Holofernes 1625

*: A comparison between the two reveals not only her debt to the older artist, but also a series of pointed modifications that heighten the intensity of the physical struggle, the quantity of blood spilled, and the physical and psychological strength of Judith and her maidservant, Abra. In Artemisia's painting (below, right) the bloody sheets are in the immediate foreground, close to the viewer's space. Holofernes's muscular body projects dynamically into the depicted space as bold areas of light and dark draw attention to his powerful limbs. *: dynamic composition centered on the thrust and counter thrust of extended limbs *: sumptuous fabrics, and her thoughtful consideration of the expressive potential of each detail

Andrea Pozzo Apotheosis of St. Ignatius Loyola S. Ignazio, Rome 1691-94

*: Andrea Pozzo, was one of the finest exponents of illusionist mural painting of the Baroque era. Specializing in quadratura and di sotto in su (viewed from below) techniques, used to create the illusion of three-dimensional space on a flat ceiling above the viewer, his acknowledged masterpiece of Christian art is the ceiling fresco painting Triumph and Apotheosis of St Ignatius (c.1685-94) in the Church of S.Ignazio in Rome, a work which combined architecture and painting to an almost unbelievable degree, and became a texbook example of 17th century Catholic Counter-Reformation Art.

Gianlorenzo Bernini David 1623

*: Baroque art wants us to be able to relate to the image in our bodies, not just in our minds. Bernini's David uses the space around it—reaching out into the space of the viewer (our space!). Bernini's David is not content—the way Michelangelo's David is—to remain separate from us. When looking at Bernini's David, we immediately start to feel what David is feeling. This sympathy is very important to Baroque art. *: In the High Renaissance we saw the composition in the form of a pyramid—a very stable shape. But in the Baroque era we see compositions in the shape of diagonal lines, as in Bernini's David.The diagonal line immediately suggests movement and energy and drama—very different from the immobility of the pyramid shape.

Diego Velazquez Water Carrier of Seville 1619

*: Diego is especially interested in drawing scenes of people eating and drinking rather than religious themes: BODEGONES *: individual character and dignity: solemn spirit of a ritual *: Velazquez's use of focused light and the revelation of shapes, textures, surfaces-from the glass of water to the sweat of water on the pottery jug--is extraordinary *: compacted composition *: the monumental profile figure of the Waterseller, aged from the hot sun and donned in a humble brown cloak. *: they are physically connected to one another as they both hold the glass, the boy and old man do not make eye contact but instead stare past one another. *: he light coming from the left not only illuminates the face of the young boy, but also draws attention to the beads of water trickling down the slightly misshapen curve of the water vessel. This painting is a tour de force of naturalism; the textures of the clothes, jugs, glass, and even the waterseller's face are meticulously rendered using a combination of thick and tiny dabs of paint. The naturalism is as much the subject of the work as the Waterseller himself. *: A particularly fine example of this approach is Velázquez' first real masterpiece, the Waterseller. An old man whose poor clothing and sharply lit profile are ennobled by the light falling on him is handing a boy a glass of water. The forceful way in which the two jugs, shining in the light, make their presence felt in the foreground, the brilliance of the sparkling drops of water on the curve of the larger pitcher, and the beautiful transparency of the glass match the physical and mental qualities suggested by the three human figures.

Rembrandt van Rijn Bathsheba with King David's letter 1654

*: Dutch Realism *: fleshiness and palpability of flesh *: female nudes, and he chooses to depict Bathsheba after receiving her summons, as she prepares for her meeting with King David *: each fold of flesh is lovingly detailed, its sensual nature emphasized by the transparent drapery and delicately worked jewellery. *: carefully nuanced: its broad brushwork and strong highlights lend a tactile resonance to the body, making its presence almost palpable. *: This overt sensuality (a reflection of Basheba's imminent sin) contrasts with the subject's air of profound sadness. The warmth of the painting, created by tones of copper and gold, has echoes of the colour schemes of the great Venetian masters like as Titian (1480-1576) and Paolo Veronese (1528-88), while the mellow chiaroscuro, designed to highlight the body of Bathsheba, also produces a dramatic effect. *: The gold cloth in the background and the pure white of the linen provide a luminous setting for her nudity.

Claude Lorrain Pastoral Landscape 1648

*: Idyllic *: outdoor painting *: power of observation *: often historical or pastoral themed *: does not aim for topographic accuracy in his painting but instead evokes the poetic essence of a countryside filled with echoes of antiquity *: visual narratives drawn from ancient texts *: compositions with hazy, luminous atmosphere of early morning or late afternoon: INTO THE LIGHT *: his sunlight is at the center and at the horizon line of the painting so that the architecture and other elements in the foreground or middleground appear as almost silhouettes *: luminous surface of copper paintings *: the space expands serenely rather than receding step by step as in works by Poussin *: an air of nostalgia, of past experience enhanced by memory, imbues the scene *: embellishes seascapes and landscapes with hostorical, biblical, and mythological subjects, thereby raising the status of the genre

Caravaggio Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist Oratory of St. John , Valetta, Malta 1608

*: It is characterized by a magical balance of all the parts. It is no accident that the artist brings back into the painting a precise reference to the setting, placing behind the figures, as a backdrop, the severe, sixteenth century architecture of the prison building, at the window of which, in a stroke of genius, two figures silently witness the scene (the commentators are thus drawn into the painting, and no longer projected, as in the Martyrdom of St Matthew, toward the outside). *: This is a final compendium of Caravaggio's art. Well-known figures return (the old woman, the youth, the nude ruffian, the bearded nobleman), as do Lombard elements. The technical means adhere to the deliberate, programmatic limitation to which Caravaggio adapts them; but amid these soft tones, these dark colours, is an impressive sense of drawing that the artist does not give up, and that is visible even through the synoptic glints of light of his late works. This eminently classical balance, which projects the event beyond contingency, unleashes a harsh drama that is even more effective to the extent that, having given up the "aesthetic of exclamation" forever, Caravaggio limits every external, excessive sign of emotional emphasis. The painter signed in the Baptist's blood: "f (perhaps to understood as fecit rather than frater) michela...". This is the seal he placed on what may well be his greatest masterpiece. *: The group on the left forms an arch, with Salome and the executioner bending to the floor. This is the only painting Caravaggio signed - in the blood of the Baptist.

Jean-Antoine Watteau Pilgrimage to Cythera 1717

*: Rubenist *: idyllic images of aristocratic life, with elegant figures luxuriously dressed in shimmering pastel colors and set in dreamlike outdoor settings. Seamlessly interweaves theater and real life in his works, incorporating well-known characters from the commedia dell'arte and creating stagelike settings that serve as backdrops for his actors *: evocation of love and includes elements of classical mythology *: delightful yet slightly melancholic scene *: continuous narrative *: the subtle gradations of tone showed Watteau's debt to Rubens and helped establish the supremacy of the Rubenistes *: altered the scale and added a touch of poignancy reminiscent of Giorgione and Titian. *: figures are slim, graceful, and small in scale *: the landscape does not overwhelm the scene but echoes it idyllic and somewhat elegiac mood *: Watteau produces a sense of nostalgia, with its implications of longing and unrealized passion *: This is not only achieved through the figures and their gentle touching and hesitancy, but also through the sympathetic parallel found in his landscape and the sculptures in it.

Peter Paul Rubens Marie de'Medici arriving in Marseilles 1622-1625

*: Rubens brings together an array of ancient and mythical Roman figures in these works as symbols to characterize the scene and Marie herself. *: In a rich velvet blue cloak, is France represented as soldier who bears the fleur-de-lys, the national symbol. He opens his arms to welcome Marie. *: classical literature and artistic traditions and used allegorical representations to elevate the mundane aspects and carefully convey the less favorable moments in Marie's life. *: a slanted perspective like so many of Rubens' works. The drama of the scene creates a harmony as it flows into one big narrative. *: a rich color palette in exuberance to accentuate this grand scene. He boldly uses his signature reds and a great deal of gold to emphasize the subject's royal status. *: He uses a multitude of lighting techniques on the fabrics to recreate it as realistically as possible and to accentuate its rich texture and color.

Peter Paul Rubens Garden of Love 1638

*: Rubens uses motives from Renaissance sculptures, but sets the scene in the mannerist portico of his own house in Antwerp, which led to the idea that it was a self-portrait with friends. In the early inventories it was called Rubens' Family, but in any case, it is an allegory and exaltation of conjugal love and happiness.

Frans Hals Jolly Toper 1628-1630

*: Rubens's robustness with a focus on the "dramatic moment" of Caravaggesque quality *: dashing brushstrokes *: open, split-second technique: the immediacy of a sketch *: the rendering of instantaneous emotion and movement. *: The realism and illusionism of Caravaggio and his followers look forced compared to Hals, and Rubens and van Dyck do not convey a comparable intensity in the suggestion of a fleeting instant packed with vitality. Hals's vigorous concentration on this was more than an ordinary rendering of reality. He selected moments when human nature reveals all its vital energy. Most frequently he shows the instant when the joy of life is at its highest.

Nicolas Poussin Death of Germanicus 1627-1628

*: The figures are arranged in a frieze-like composition which was almost certainly derived from the arrangement of figures on classical sarcophagi. Already, too, there is a preoccupation with classical antiquity and its intensely moral approach to life. In his pictures Poussin was to become obsessed by morality, and with man facing the supreme trial: how to face death with equanimity. *: Many powerful human themes figure here: death, suffering, injustice, grief, loyalty, and revenge.Poussin drew on Roman antiquity for the form as well as the subject of this painting. The composition, with its shallow spatial arrangement, is based on a Roman sarcophagus relief. Poussin spent most of his life in Rome, where he created a classical style that strongly influenced both French and Italian art. *: his own unique style of classicism.

Artemisia Gentileschi self-portrait 1638-39

*: The style of Caravaggio with its emphasis on rich colouring and strong contrasts of light and shadow was deeply influential, but to this must be added knowledge of the work of Northern European artists active in Italy, and of regional differences in Italian art *: the theoretical and practical concepts of painting while at the same time drawing attention to her paradoxical status as a female artist in seventeenth-century society. The portrait demonstrates that intellectual allusion alone does not in itself make a painter, but that it must be combined with application.

Anthony van Dyck Rinaldo and Armida 1629

*: This scene involving Rinaldo and Armida is about hate turned into love. The subjects here are Rinaldo, a captain of the army of Goffredo and the sorceress Armida who sides with the King. To dissuade the armies Armida woos the men with her charms and turns them against each other, thus weakening the troop. Those who followed her were all turned into animals. *: S-shaped composition which allowed van Dyck to add as much detail as possible to his signature large figures. Armida is the central subject here, as van Dyck emphasizes the mystery and passion of the sorceress as she put the unsuspecting knight under her spell. *: In Rinaldo and Armida the plane is once again on a slanted position from right to left. As the slant rises to the left, the right hand side gives the illusion of being in the distance and largely depicts the landscape. This technique helped create space and correct positioning so that the subject matter would be in exact proportion. *: The color palette used in this work was full of very soft tones. Yellow and gold dominate the canvas and portray the idyllic, hazy atmosphere of passion and love between the sorceress and sleeping knight. The most striking feature is Armida's billowing red cape against the setting sun. Red is also used to depict the flying cherubs above Armida, who also serve to represent passion. Red is also used for the flesh tints and to define shadow upon the skin. Rinaldo, the sleeping knight, is painted with soft, golden hues. He is under the spell of the sorceress and therefore his state of mind is rather hazy. His trousers are evidence of van Dyck's ability to create reflective textures and this technique also shows the shadows and folds within the waning light conditions. The same technique is used for the knights' armour plate. Van Dyck uses blue excessively for the partially clear sky and for the mountain in the background. He cleverly uses the blue so that it shows to be intensified in the sunlight as it sets to the right half of the scene.

Gianlorenzo Bernini Pluto and Proserpina 1621

*: This stunning sculpture exemplifies the best of the baroque and demonstrates Bernini's ability to handle marble and produce credible figures. Like his other works, the Rape of Persephone is fraught with emotion and tension, achieving a hitherto unseen level of life-like action. Bernini's pieces can always be recognized by the minute attention to detail, grandiose theatricality, and ornate design. *: Bernini chooses to depict the most dramatic, "pregnant" moment in the story; the scene is filled with heart-rending emotion. Bernini is famous for portraying the most poignant moment in a story and for communicating that event in the most dramatic way possible, by means of exuberant movement, emotive facial expressions, and feats of technical mastery. In The Rape of Persephone the figures twist and strain in opposing directions, testifying to a Mannerist influence; their tense struggle is imbued with an explosive dynamism. *: Although his figures are always somewhat idealized, like a perfected version of reality, Bernini manages to bestow them with individualized features and imbue them with human emotion, and never neglects the careful details that help to bring his sculptures to life.

Jean-Antoine Watteau Drawing: Seated Young Woman 1716

*: Trois Crayons: drawing with red or black chalk heightened with white *: red body lines of vivacious quality contrasted against the black and white of her clothing

Diego Velazquez Surrender at Breda 1634-35

*: a dramatic and lush painting with color as rich as Titian's. *: Velazquez's The Surrender of Breda revolutionized the genre of military painting precisely by emphasizing that to win with elegance and magnanimity is what defines a great leader, and not merely the ferocious capacity to triumph in combat. *: the complex crowds and accessories. In order to organize and balance the painting, Velázquez employs a device he commonly uses throughout his oeuvre: he divides the action into two planes. The reality of the war and the siege is compressed into the background, reminding the viewer of the history surrounding the main event. *: This main event, the actual act of the surrender, is pushed into the foreground, with its two protagonists clearly defined in the dead center: Nessau on the left, offering the keys and Spínola on the right, consoling his fellow man-in-arms. Critics have noted that there is something very theatrical about the treatment of space, with the supporting figures tidily grouped to the left and right of the composition. As always, realism is one of the most striking features of Velázquez's paintings. Having personally known Spínola, Velázquez would have been able to paint a veritable portrait, but the artist does not neglect to individualize the supporting cast of characters. *: a surprisingly light, bright painting for Velázquez, compared to the rest of his oeuvre. For once, even pastel colors are present, in the uniformed soldiers in the background and the sweeping flags to the right of the canvas. Many critics have attributed this lightness as well as the dominant brown, blue and yellow to the influence of the Venetians, especially Tintoretto. *: The Surrender of Breda evidences another example of the free, loose brushstrokes that characterize Velázquez's style, and which had such an impact on the art of Manet and the Impressionists. Here, Velázquez varies his brushstroke: in the foreground, it is tighter and more controlled, while it grows increasingly loose and abstract receding into the background, helping the artist to create a sense of atmospheric perspective.

Anthony van Dyck Portrait of King Charles hunting 1635

*: a natural air about the sitter, using the method of iconography. *: The right half of this image is dominated by dark shadow created by the tree. The shadow is set to the back of the image so that the picture sits on a horizontal plane from left to right. This technique creates depth and three-dimensionality in the image as Charles I becomes the focus in full light. All the foliage and objects on the second plane are in the shadow and are undefined as this technique allows the artist to create the idea of the King standing on higher ground. This is emphasized by the sprawling lands lying below. Charles' overall posture also points to the sprawling lands of England and beyond the river Thames. *: The overall color palette for this painting is dark and the artist only uses dashes of bold and bright colour to lighten certain areas of the canvas, namely those surrounding the King. The flesh tones in this piece vary but van Dyck uses a strong amount of reds for the flushed faces of the stable boys in the background. This was done only to accentuate the King's presence, as Charles' skin tone is light and has softly blended red hues to express his good health. The most striking colour in this canvas is van Dyck's bold use of red for the King's trousers which take on a velvety texture. Van Dyck paints the red thickly and lavishly to accentuate the fabric. He uses pure black to define the folds and shadows for the heavy material and also uses a yellow ochre to show the softness and the richness of the material. Red is used less lightly for the King's cloak being held in the hands of the stable boy. The cloak takes on a lighter red with yellow tones to define its folds and satin texture. Van Dyck uses many browns; soft brown pastels are used for the King's riding boots, sash and gloves and the same mix is used for the horse's mane. His signature van Dyck brown is used for the stable hand looking after the horse and standing in the shadow. The artist uses soft greys for the King's satin shirt and for the English grey skies in the background. The defining grey lines on the shirt are more prominent as it has stark white as its undercoating. The greys used for the sky do not have the smooth and fluid brush strokes that the shirt has. Blues and browns are also used in the skies to define movement and create an atmosphere of the brisk, English countryside.

Pietro da Cortona Barberini ceiling Allegory of Divine Providence Glorification of Pope Urban Palazzo Barnerini, Rome 1633-1639

*: exaggerated triumphal style *: overwhelming illusionism *: all illusionistic systems: quadratura in the painted architectural framework,, quadriportati in the scenes in the sides, and si sotto in su in setting our point of view *: The ceiling vault depicts the Triumph of Divina Providentia - Apotheosis of the House of Barberini and the Papacy of Urban VIII. To study the four compartments of the vault with their teeming figures it is necessary, after beginning with the centre, to change one's position four times. The best view of the centre of the ceiling is from the oval vestibule that served as an entryway. From there the triumphant personification of Divina Providentia appears to crown a pyramidal structure. The four frieze-like panels of the side walls present a compositional unity for the pictorial program.

Peter Paul Rubens Three Graces 1636-1638

*: extraordinary handling of incarnate or human flesh tones. Rubens builds them up using the three primary colours yellow, red and blue. An unusually high proportion of blue is evident here. In this way, the human figure bears the same primary colours that make up the appearance of the world and the entire cosmos, and all that is gathered here in the landscape and flowers, the sky and the trees.

Rembrandt van Rijn Nightwatch 1642

*: a virtuoso performance filled with movement and lighting, which captures the excitement of the moment and provides a unique sense of drama *: a group portrait of a militia company *: The painting depicts the company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq and his lieutenant, Willem van Ruytenburgh, surrounded by sixteen of their men. A shield above the gate bears the names of the eighteen people in the portrait, who paid for the work. The other people who appear in the painting were added by Rembrandt with an eye to enhancing the composition *: audacious composition. The men are in action, busy forming up. The way that Rembrandt has arranged the figures creates immense vitality. This is reinforced by the striking use of light and shade. The men appear to be emerging from a dark gateway into the light. The girl to the captain's left is in full light. She symbolizes the Kloveniers. The claws of the chicken hanging from her belt refer to the name 'clauweniers'. She clasps the Kloveniers' ceremonial drinking horn. *: Technically it is a masterly piece of work. The captain's hand, for instance, seems to be coming out of the painting towards the viewer. *: He pointed out that the composition and unity were more important to Rembrandt than the individual portraits. He described the work as strikingly 'picturesque in conception' and 'elegantly' and 'powerfully' done. This is what sets this painting apart from the other militia pieces that were made at the same time. *:its subdued lighting was caused by the premature darkening of its multi-layered varnish *: traditionally portrayed members lined up in neat rows or sitting at a banquet, Rembrandt's painting shows the company fully equipped, ready for action, and about to march. *: mastery of sunlight and shade

Peter Paul Rubens Raising of the Cross 1610-11

*: a vitality that enabled him to unite the natural and supernatural and to attain a Baroque theatricality and drama seen in Bernini's work. *: Baroque dynamism *: Hellenistic masculinity *: rich color and luminosity: Titian influence *: Flemish realism: foliage, hair, armor *: baroque energy: diagonal and pyramid composition *: continuous landscape background *: Rubens's epic canvas define the scope and style of High Baroque painting. They possess a seemingly boundless energy and inventiveness, which, like his heroic nudes, express life at its fullest. *: The triptych marked Rubens' sensational introduction of the Baroque style into Northern art. The diagonal composition is full of dynamism and animated colour. *: The centre panel is filled with drama and power. The strong, tainted figures lug the ropes in order to raise the cross, carrying the pale body of Jesus. The influence of Michelangelo and Tintoretto on Rubens is obvious in the muscular bodies. *: diagonal composition

Guido Reni Aurora Ceiling Casino Rospigliosi Rome 1613

*: architectural illusionistic framework, pictorial illusionism, intense light and color, *: relief-like design, glowing colors, dramatic light *: baroque classism *: The fresco represents Aurora (left), goddess of the dawn, bringing forth a new day as she leads the way for Apollo (below), god of light (among many other things), who follows behind in his golden quadriga (a four-horse chariot). That Aurora is bringing the dawn is evident through the change in the sky we see between the two gods: a darkish silvery gray before Aurora that turns into a bright, golden light filled sky before Apollo. *: Below the edges of the clouds is a distant landscape slowly being illuminated by the dawn, with small sailboats barely visible out on the sea beyond. Aurora's gauzy drapery flutters around her figure as she seems to be preparing to drop the sprays of flowers she carries in her hands onto the landscape below. *: Apollo, clothed only in a light purple wrap, is enveloped in a warm, golden halo of light. Hovering between Aurora and Apollo is a torch bearing putto (a winged child similar in appearance to Cupid, but not Cupid), identified as Phosphorus, an ancient personification of the Morning Star (detail, below). Elegant female figures, known as Hours, dance alongside the chariot, representing the passage of time, with their diaphanous draperies blown gently by the wind. *: The figures are represented in an ideal manner as their physiognomies and physiques are flawless and perfect in their beauty. They are timeless and ageless, never to be marred by old age and decrepitude. Moreover, Reni's soft pastel color palette lends an idyllic, mythic quality to the scene. *: The fresco is a singular scene, isolated in the center of the ceiling, surrounded by a physical (not simply painted) frame of molded stucco that is decorated with gold leaf (a process known as gilding). Reni's use of a frame around his fresco is a pictorial device known as quadro riportato, or "painting taken elsewhere." The idea was to the trick the viewer into thinking that an easel painting, a framed painting we would normally expect to find hanging on a wall, had actually been placed on the ceiling (keep in mind that Aurora is a fresco, painted right on the ceiling

Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin Still-life with Brioche 1763

*: defined, sparking edges: the blurring of the edges *:

Gianlorenzo Bernini Ecstasy of St. Theresa Cornaro Chapel, Rome 1645-52

*: dematerialization *: different levels of reality *: central to the sculpture is the role of gesture and expression in arousing emotion *: expressive impact *: The Ecstasy of St. Theresa is not just a sculpture, but a total environment: Bernini designed the entire chapel, creating a veritable stage set complete with sculpted audience members. *: the principles of the Baroque (drama, emotion, theatricality) to unknown heights. Note the emphasis on the dramatic qualities of light, as well as the virtuoso and utterly fantastic mass of fluttering draperies *: spiritual aspects of the Catholic faith. *: It is theatrically illuminated by beams of natural light from a hidden window overhead. This natural light mingles with and reflects off a sheaf of vertical gilt bronze shafts behind the sculpture, sculpted to resemble the rays of the sun. *: To represent the true intensity of Teresa's experience, Bernini shows her swooning in near-erotic rapture, with eyes closed and mouth open, and both her visible limbs hanging limp. The ruffled, heavy drapery of her clothing adds to the movement and drama of the scene, and the texture of the fabric contrasts with the purity of her face. The childlike angel looks lovingly at Teresa as he prepares to pierce her heart with his spear of divine love, completing her mystical union with God. To formalize and "authenticate" the scene as a genuine spiritual experience approved by the Catholic Church, Bernini added two groups of "witnesses" carved in life-size relief sculpture to either side of Tereasa. The first group, composed of four male members of the Cornaro family, is located to the left of the altar as if in a box at the theatre. A second group, consisting of male representatives of church and state are located to the right. *: Its spatial construction, use of light, trompe l'oeil mural painting, along with the marble, gilded wood and gilt bronze materials used, is a perfect vehicle for such an expression of piety.

Georges de la Tour Joseph and Jesus 1642

*: devotional spirit *: the candle light unifies the picture with tenderness and intimacy *: Caravaggio like but the simplified forms, warm palette, and arrested movement are characteristic of La Tour's restrained and focused vision *: La Tour tells the Bible story in the simplest of terms. Only items essential for identifying the subject, in this case the paraphernalia of the carpenter's shop, are included. The picture can exist on the level of a genre scene without religious overtones, and its realism makes it one of the greatest genre paintings of the seventeenth century, rivaling Velázquez's Water Seller of Seville and Rembrandt's Jewish Bride (the latter has also been interpreted as a religious or mythological subject).

Caravaggio Musicians 1595

*: focus on the sensual and erotic nature of both music and young men, who were depicted as seducing and soliciting *: androgynous, seminude youths *: half-height yet life-size *: erotic undertone: sensuality and passion *: realistic paintings of half-length figures *: llegory of music. Cupid is shown at left. The costumes have a vaguely classical look and Caravaggio included his self-portrait in the second boy from the right. *: quasi-Classical costume *: This scene, however, is clearly secular rather than religious. *: In the painting there is a harmony of colors. All the colors in this work of art seem to blend flawlessly with one another. The whites and manilas blend in with the shade of peach of the boy's faces. The brown color of the lyre and the violin capture each other's beauty and bring a sort of harmonization to the painting. Also the one red sash around one of the musicians is the focal point of the entire painting and pulls the whole work of art together. Working with a limited light source, he shed the restraints of the typical views of art at the time. His models came off the streets - beggars, vagabonds, musicians, women. Caravaggio's style was also the expression of a sincere and humble faith. Depicting martyrs and saints in a bold, naturalistic fashion.

Diego Velazquez The Maids of Honor 1656

*: group portrait+ genre scene *: Velazquez's fascination with light as fundamental to vision *: although the side lighting and strong contrasts of light and dark still suggest the influence of Caravaggio, Velazquez's technique is far subtler. The glowing colors have a Venetian richness, but the brushwork is even freer and sketchier than Titian's. *: Velazquez explores the optical qualities of light more carefully than any other painter of his time. *: a painting about art, illusion, reality, and the creative act itself, as well as a claim for the nobility of artists and the fine arts in general. *: extraordinary and innovative complexity of the composition *: a grid system, of quarters horizontally, and sevenths vertically. Furthermore, the canvas is divided into seven layers of depth, as well. Las Meninas has the deepest, most carefully defined space of any Velázquez painting, and is the only painting where the ceiling of the room is visible. *: utilizing a system of curved and diagonal lines. He ordered the figures in the foreground along an X shape with the infant Margarita in the center, thus emphasizing her importance and making the five-year-old child the focal point of the composition. *: Velázquez masterfully uses light and dark to further order the composition. With light and shadow, he creates a system of double arcs that further centralizes the Infanta, one above that starts with Velázquez, descends to the Infanta, and rises to Nieto in the background, and one below, created by the arc of light in the foreground. *: intense, Caravaggesque chiaroscuro, a limited and somber palette, a photo-like realism, and remarkably loose, free, unrestrained brushstrokes.

Nicolas Poussin Landscape with St. John on Patmos 1640

*: ideal, serene, and balanced *: generalized beautiful place *: austere beauty, sombre calm *: brilliantly lit, ancient beauty , architectural ruins, *: the composition suggests the physical, rational arrangement of a spiritual, eternal, ideal world-----a concept will suited to and best explored by Baroque Classicism *: Poussin's mythological landscapes show a similar blend of the physical, rational, and mythic.

Giovanni Battista Gaulli Triumph of the Name of Jesus Gesu, Rome 1672-1679

*: illusionistic painting *: Gaulli's ceiling is a masterpiece of quadratura (architectural illusionism) combining stuccoed and painted figures and architecture.

Francois Boucher Portrait of Madame de Pompadour 1756

*: luxurious surrounding

Jusepe Ribera Club-footed Boy 1642

*: monumental looking: the boy stands against the broad sky with a low horizon line, like a musketeer *: moral purpose *: Ribera's use of naturalism is a hallmark of Spanish and Neapolitan painting and etching, and it extends Caravaggio's impact *: Ribera shows his subject close-up, from a low perspective, thus giving the figure an unusual monumentality, as if he were painting a nobleman or prince. The boy stands in a proud, confident posture, with his crutch slung over one shoulder like a musket and beams directly at the viewer: the boy could not be more pleased to be having his portrait painted. Ribera may have been fascinated by "low-life," unusual subjects, but he always represented them with the utmost of human dignity and sympathy. *: A truthful, life-like naturalism is characteristic of Ribera's style and in The Clubfoot, Ribera's painting is close to life that contemporary doctors were able to diagnose the subject's illness. *: The Clubfoot dates from Ribera's mature period: unlike the heavy, dramatic chiaroscuro characteristic of Ribera's style pre-1632, this painting is bathed in a bright, illuminating light and the palette is far brighter and bolder as well.

Conversation of St. Paul Cerasi Chapel Rome 1601

*: muted tone and nearly black background *: he uses neither color nor line to better indicate the narrative *: he uses light to focus the viewer *: Selective highlights endow the life-size figures with a startling presence and theatricality typical of Baroque *: Caravaggio is close to the Bible. The horse is there and, to hold him, a groom, but the drama is internalized within the mind of Saul. He lies on the ground stunned, his eyes closed as if dazzled by the brightness of God's light that streams down the white part of the skewbald horse, but that the light is heavenly is clear only to the believer, for Saul has no halo. In the spirit of Luke, who was at the time considered the author of Acts, Caravaggio makes religious experience look natural. Technically the picture has defects. The horse, based on Dürer, looks hemmed in, there is too much happening at the composition's base, too many feet cramped together, let alone Saul's splayed hands and discarded sword. Bellori's view that the scene is 'entirely without action' misses the point. Like a composer who values silence, Caravaggio respects stillness.

Caravaggio Calling of St. Matthew Contarelli Chapel, Rome 1599-1602

*: new and radical naturalism: conveying profoundly spiritual content *: tenebrism: strong beam of light against the dark background: intense and vivid *: Momentary quality *: natural yet charged with meaning *: direct expression *: spoke powerfully to both Catholics and Protestants *: secular media *: The subject traditionally was represented either indoors or out; sometimes Saint Matthew is shown inside a building, with Christ outside (following the Biblical text) summoning him through a window. Both before and after Caravaggio the subject was often used as a pretext for anecdotal genre paintings. Caravaggio may well have been familiar with earlier Netherlandish paintings of money lenders or of gamblers seated around a table like Saint Matthew and his associates *: Caravaggio represented the event as a nearly silent, dramatic narrative. The sequence of actions before and after this moment can be easily and convincingly re-created. The tax-gatherer Levi (Saint Matthew's name before he became the apostle) was seated at a table with his four assistants, counting the day's proceeds, the group lighted from a source at the upper right of the painting. Christ, His eyes veiled, with His halo the only hint of divinity, enters with Saint Peter. A gesture of His right hand, all the more powerful and compelling because of its languor, summons Levi. Surprised by the intrusion and perhaps dazzled by the sudden light from the just-opened door, Levi draws back and gestures toward himself with his left hand as if to say, "Who, me?", his right hand remaining on the coin he had been counting before Christ's entrance. The two figures on the left, derived from a 1545 Hans Holbein print representing gamblers unaware of the appearance of Death, are so concerned with counting the money that they do not even notice Christ's arrival; symbolically their inattention to Christ deprives them of the opportunity He offers for eternal life, and condemns them to death. The two boys in the center do respond, the younger one drawing back against Levi as if seeking his protection, the swaggering older one, who is armed, leaning forward a little menacingly. Saint Peter gestures firmly with his hand to calm his potential resistance. The dramatic point of the picture is that for this moment, no one does anything. Christ's appearance is so unexpected and His gesture so commanding as to suspend action for a shocked instant, before reaction can take place. In another second, Levi will rise up and follow Christ_in fact, Christ's feet are already turned as if to leave the room. The particular power of the picture is in this cessation of action. It utilizes the fundamentally static medium of painting to convey characteristic human indecision after a challenge or command and before reaction. The picture is divided into two parts. The standing figures on the right form a vertical rectangle; those gathered around the table on the left a horizontal block. The costumes reinforce the contrast. Levi and his subordinates, who are involved in affairs of this world, are dressed in a contemporary mode, while the barefoot Christ and Saint Peter, who summon Levi to another life and world, appear in timeless cloaks. The two groups are also separated by a void, bridged literally and symbolically by Christ's hand. This hand, like Adam's in Michelangelo's Creation, unifies the two parts formally and psychologically. Underlying the shallow stage-like space of the picture is a grid pattern of verticals and horizontals, which knit it together structurally. The light has been no less carefully manipulated: the visible window covered with oilskin, very likely to provide diffused light in the painter's studio; the upper light, to illuminate Saint Matthew's face and the seated group; and the light behind Christ and Saint Peter, introduced only with them. It may be that this third source of light is intended as miraculous. Otherwise, why does Saint Peter cast no shadow on the defensive youth facing him ? *: In this painting, Caravaggio depicts the very moment when Matthew first realizes he is being called. *: The artist's use of light and shadow adds drama to this image as well as giving the figures a quality of immediacy. Many other artists later followed Caravaggio's example and copied this technique. The figures are engulfed by shadow and it is only the beaming light that shines across the wall and highlights the fact of St Matthew and the seated group that brightens the canvas. *: Caravaggio brings this canvas to life with vivid colors; bold contrasts of reds, golds and greens and various textures of velvets and soft fur. He also contrasts gestures and expressions.

Rembrandt van Rijn Christ preaching Etching 1929

*: new depth of feeling leant by the intimacy of the print medium *: filled with pathos, revealing a humble world of bare feet and ragged clothes

Rembrandt Self-Portrait 1658

*: northern european candor *: bold pose and penetrating pose *: use of impasto: textured and atmospherical effects *: nobility and authority

Jean-Antoine Watteau Mezzetin 1718

*: nostalgic *: almost magical *:

Annibale Carracci Landscape with the Flight into Egypt 1603

*: one of the works that set the ground rules for seventeenth-century painting *: The restful setting, the gently undulating planes that extend to the distant horizon, and even the boat - a symbol of life - floating on a peaceful river in the foreground create a most unusual atmosphere, based on the effect of repetition. This motif of the "already seen" and known, a constant feature of Italian landscape painting, from Carracci to Domenichino, from Viola to Grimaldi, and from Dughet to van Bloemen, always gives rise to a pleasing sense of familiarity.

Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin Blowing Bubbles 1733

*: outgrowth of Dutch genre painting *: bubble: vista: brevity of life *:

Jacob van Ruisdael View of Haarlem across the bleaching fields 1670

*: panoramic landscape with outlying countryside and picturesque sand dunes *: Its sky, as the skies in most of them, takes up more than two thirds of the canvas, but the impression of height is increased here by the vertical format, and still more by the dominant part the towering, strongly modelled clouds play in the awe-inspiring aerial zone. The prospect of the plain is shown from an exceptionally distant and elevated point of view. As a result there is a reduction in both in scale and in overlappings of the watery dunes, woods, and tracts of land. The firm cohesion of the great cloudy sky gains in mass and significance from its relations to the diminutive forms. The eye can explore here - more than in most other 'Haarlempjes' - the vast expanse of the land richly differentiated by the gradations of alternating bands of light and shadow into the distance toward a horizon stretched taut as sinew. *: he created paintings that evoked emotion and thought. Van Ruisdael also used his imagination to create dramatic scenes and some of the most astounding landscape art works ever produced. *: The artist took landscape painting to a new level by creating nature as a metaphor of human psychology, specifically its darker aspects. Through the work of Jacob van Ruisdael landscape painting was no longer simply a record of how nature was perceived but rather it came to symbolize a deeper aspect that reflected the very soul of humankind. Derived from the Classical style, van Ruisdael paved the way for the Romantic style that came about in the late 18th century. His romantic mood is evident in his depiction of nature as he creates beautiful and tumultuous interpretations of the weather. Van Ruisdael recreated images, objects and structures amidst the vast horizons that created a sense of escapism in their dreamlike portrayal.

Francisco de Zurbaran St. Serapion 1628

*: quiet intensity *: ascetic piety that is uniquely Spanish *: The contrast between the white habit and the dark background gives the figure a heightened visual and expressive presence, so that a viewer contemplates the slain monk with a mixture of compassion and awe., Here, pictorial purity and spiritual purity become one, and the stillness creates a reverential mood that complements the stark realism of the image. As a result, we identify with the strength of St. Serapion's faith rather than with his physical suffering. The absence of rhetorical pathos is what makes this image deeply moving. *: The three-quarter-length figure of Serapion takes up most of the composition; his lifeless body robed in his beige habit emerges from a dark background. The tenebrism (the intense contrast between light and dark) provides a dramatic illumination of the saint's body and is characteristic of Baroque art in the style of Caravaggio. One can imagine that in a dimly lit room the intensely realistic figure would appear to be emerging from the darkness into the viewer's space. The only reminder that this is indeed a painting is the small piece of paper where Zurbarán identified Serapion and signed and dated the work. *: Zurbarán's realism and austere, spiritual aesthetic made for a style that was well-suited for the quiet and contemplative monastic environment. This particular painting was displayed in a room where deceased monks were laid out before their burial—so in this sense it was a funerary image. Monks reflecting on death would be confronted by this image of martyrdom and all its spiritual connotations *: Zurbarán depicted Serapion with his arms stretched up and tied to a faintly visible tree. His pose is reminiscent of Christ on the cross, and the fact that Serapion willingly risked his life (as did many Mercedarians) echoes Christ's own sacrifice. Zurbarán favored a largely monochrome color scheme that adds to the subdued tone of the work. The muted browns and cream colors are pierced only by the small yet prominent red and yellow Mercedarian badge on the saint's torso.

Nicolas Poussin Garden of Flora 1631

*: rational classism *: history painting of heroic historical subject: Grand Manner *: Unlike the vibrant vivacity of Rubens, the gut-wrenching drama of Caravaggio, or the stunning realism of Velázquez, Poussin's style is cool, cerebral, intellectual and detached. Perhaps more than any other artist of the Baroque, Poussin obsessively theorized about his art, painstakingly planning every detail of his composition in order to create maximum impact. The result may seem stiff and dry to the contemporary viewer, but the fact remains that Poussin's style was enormously influential for the future of Western art. *: Warm, sensual color, Baroque dynamism, Strong contours, Mature Style, Rhetorical gestures, Cooler colors, Frieze-like composition,

Hotels particuliers

*: salons developed by aristocrats during the Regency, into social centers, for intellectual gatherings. The rooms were decorated with paintings, porcelain, and small sculptures that created a lavish, light-hearted mood.

Diego Velazquez Juan de Pareja 1650

*: sculptural visage: stunningly life-like *: Exceptional powers of observation and an unprecedentedly vibrant technique make Velázquez the greatest Spanish painter of his century. *: In the portrait of Juan de Pareja, a wide white collar with a jagged border contrasts effectively with the black of the model's hair and beard and his copper-coloured complexion. The dark eyes glow with great expressive force. *: According to an eye-witness, this half-length portrait of Pareja was displayed in the Pantheon in Rome during the celebrations of the Feast of St Joseph on 19 March 1650, and met with unreserved admiration from artists of many different nationalities. one connoisseur remarked that while all the rest was art, this alone was truth. It won admission to the Roman Academy for the Spanish court painter, serving Velázquez as a kind of entree, and he could expect its success to bring him commissions to paint some very distinguished people. Sure enough, the Pope himself was soon sitting for him, and so were members of the papal household.

Jacob van Ruisdael Jewish Cemetery 1655-70

*: sense of drama *: Natural forces dominate the wild imagery scene *: nonrealistic elements *: passage of time and on mortality *: *: a fine example of Jacob van Ruisdael's ability to evoke emotions and prompt thought by way of nature-inspired images. It also shows his skill in combining imagination and observation. *: This canvas is filled with symbolic intent; the image portrayed is one of death and destruction contrasted with a rainbow and new foliage, symbolizing nature's capacity for growth and regeneration *: A number of themes dominate this work, such as the dying nature which can be seen browning, the ruined buildings, rushing water and tumultuous sky which help create an overall dramatic effect. In The Jewish Cemetery there is a romantic aspect and van Ruisdael surpasses his contemporaries in showing beauty in the darkest forms of life. The artist uses a lot of decaying motifs to convey the fragility of human existence on earth. The tombs naturally symbolize death and the running stream represents the flow of life and how it leads you in different directions. The decaying nature symbolizes the effects of weather and change just as people experience change and life-altering events. The strong elements of nature and the rainbow show that even after the rough storm the human spirit can triumph and be renewed. *: The composition of The Jewish Cemetery is created on a tilted axis in order to add depth to the piece. The forefrontal plane lies to the right, making the dying beech tree the first object we see. The ruins lie upon a third plane and are painted on higher ground to elevate their presence. *: Deep brown ochres and dull reds are used in the sky and stark streaks of blues can be seen emerging through the browns. Darks greys and black dominate the sky which forms deep shadows. A free and sporadic use of yellow tones can be seen by the tree trunk in the middle of the composition as well as the planks around the gravestones, creating a sense of depth. *: Van Ruisdael paints the light source coming from behind the viewer, as can be seen by the stark shadows on the tombs and the dying beech tree. He uses both dark and light green tones for the foliage in light and shadow. The eye is drawn to the three tombs in the middle distance, where the light is centralized. *: Light brush strokes define the foliage and make them appear wispy and delicate. The tombs appear to have a smooth texture with neat and clear strokes portraying their sturdiness. Harsh daubing and layering is used for the ground for definition and depth to imitate its true texture. This technique also creates a sense of movement under the prevailing weather conditions.

Nicolas Poussin Abduction of the Sabine Women 1633-34

*: severe discipline *: intellectual style *: noble and serious human actions *: abundantly displayed emotions *: dramatic poses and expressions *: lack of spontaneity that makes it less touching than Baroque style *: analogy between art and literature *: detachment and lack of sympathy: heroic *: broad historic view instead of individual mind *: Poussin suppresses color and instead stresses form and composition *: visual rhetorical

Rembrandt van Rijn Blinding of Samson 1636

*: small, sharply lit and intensely realistic *: realism and emotional attitude *: the theatrical light pouring into the dark tent heightens the drama to the same pitch as the Raising of The Cross *: Here again the chiaroscuro adds an element of mystery and pictorial, as well as spiritual, excitement. The whole scale of light, from the deepest shadows to the intense bright light pouring into the tent, has gained in power and gradations over the works of the Leiden period. The scene could not have been represented with more dreadful accents, and Rembrandt may have finished it with the triumphant feeling of having surpassed Rubens's dramatic effects, for this picture was also inspired by a work of the Flemish master: The Capture of Samson (now in Munich).

Caravaggio

*: style of painting, new subjects, use of lighting, concept of capitalism *: painted directly on the canvas *: none idealized figures *: raw, immediate, palpable,

Hean-Honore Fragonard The Swing 1767

*: transforming fantasy into reality *: painted sculptures *: dense and overgrown landscape *: sexuality and fertility *: haze that enhances the sensuality *: virtuous use of color *:

Gianlorenzo Bernini Baldachin St. Peter's, Rome 1624-33

*: twisted columns, fusion of sculpture and architecture *: honors not just the power and majesty of God, but that of his emissary on earth, the Pope *: the first Baroque monument of world significance *: a visual representation of the triumphant strength of Roman Catholicism. *: aesthetic needs to create a monument that melded perfectly and effectively with its surrounding space. *: Bernini created a beautiful and dramatic contrast of the dark bronze twisted columns to the straight fluted pilasters and other white marble structures in St. Peter's Basilica.

Clodion Nymph and Satyr Carousing 1780

*: viewed at a close range *: open and airy composition *: intimate and sensual effect *: Terra Cotta

Baroque Sculpture

*: vital, energized, dynamic, suggesting, evocative action and deep emotions *: deeply cut, facial expressions and clothing caught the light and cast shadows to create not just depth but also drama

Frans Hals Banquet of the Officers of the St. George Civic Guard 1616

*: wet-in-wet: while initial paint is still wet, with strokes of varied width and length *: new form of modeling that generated vibrancy *: Banquet of the officers of the St George Civic Guard was Frans Hal's first main group portrait and it was also the first epic civic guard canvas in a new period of Dutch painting *: It's thought that Hals did not sketch his subjects first but instead painted everything directly onto the canvas. The various subjects would come to his studio and he painted them, adding in their heads and faces last. Hals made few alterations to the final product. *: There is bold use of bright oranges and dull reds in the image in the flags, clothes and furniture as well as flesh tints in the subject's faces. Light browns are used to define the volume and textures in the curtain in the background and also create shadows in certain areas of the canvas. *: The compositional qualities of this piece are its most striking aspect and it is noted for the harmonious flow between the subjects. To reinforce status in Banquet of the officers of the St George Civic Guard, the more important officers were placed to the front and middle but this technique not only fitted in with the demands of Hals' commissioners but also made the image more aesthetically pleasing.

Contarelli Chapel, Rome

In the french church of of St. Luigi dei Francesi. All three paintings here attribute to Saint. Matthew: inspiration from an angel, chosen by Christ and his Martyrdom

Rubenist

who favored color, rather than drawing, as being true to nature