The Baroque Era CHAPTER 18

The Baroque Era

1600-1750 The Baroque era was born in Rome, in reaction to the spread of Protestantism resulting from the Reformation. Evokes an intense emotional response from the viewer A new type of Classicism - more emotional and dramatic version of Renaissance ideals

Jan Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance

A single source of light bathing the elements in the composition sense of mystery surrounding the moment depicted Image of the Last Judgment behind her She holds a balance, but it is empty Spiritual principle - need to lead a balanced life Jewels on table (gold and pearls) and the mirror (in front of her) refer to vanity (vanitas tradition - vanity of earthly things) Spiritual reflection of the fleeting nature of beauty, youth, and riches Jan Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance

Gentileschi, Susannah and the Elders, 1610

A wife bathes in her garden; 2 lusty elders secretly watch When she makes her way home, they approach her, threatening to claim that she was meeting a man in the garden unless she agrees to have sex with them. She refuses to be blackmailed, and is arrested. She would to be put to death for promiscuity. But after being separated, the two men are questioned about details of what they saw and disagree. There have been many paintings of this story. Some focus on the nude female, and some focus on the drama.

John Singleton Copley, Portrait of Paul Revere, ca. 1768-70

An American artist. The portrait conveys a sense of directness and faithfulness to visual fact that marked the taste for honesty and plainness that was common in American in the 18th and 19th centuries. When this was painted, Revere was not yet the hero of the American Revolution. Here, he is working at his profession of silversmithing. Copley gave special prominence to Revere's eyes by reflecting intense reddish light onto the darkened side of his face and hands. The informality and sense of the moment link this painting to contemporary English and European portraits. But the spare style and emphasis on the sitter's down-to-earth character differentiate this American work from European contemporaries.

Jean-Honoré Fragonard, The Swing, 1766

An older man swings the young lady higher and higher, while her lover (and the painting's patron), in the lower left corner, stretches out to admire her from a strategic position on the ground. The young lady flirtatiously kicks off her shoe toward the little statue of Cupid. The glowing pastel colors and soft light add to the theme's sensuality.

Baciccio, Triumph of the Name of Jesus, 1676-79

Architecture, sculpture, and painting combine to create the illusion of clouds and angels floating down into the church Gilded architecture opens up in the center of the ceiling to offer the faithful a stunning glimpse of Heaven. Jesus is barely visible in a blinding radiant light, floating toward heaven. The Last Judgment is shown, with some rising toward God and the damned plummeting through the ceiling toward the floor of the church. Sinners experience a violent descent back to Earth. To enhance the illusionistic quality, he painted many of the sinners on three-dimensional stucco extensions that projected outside the painting's frame. The extension of the work into the nave, the powerful appeal to the viewer's emotions, and the unity of the various media are all hallmarks of the Italian Baroque and were never surpassed.

Baroque

Barocco - irregularly shaped pearl (something beautiful, fascinating, & strange) The Baroque period was irregular with various styles Baroque art encompasses several different post-Renaissance styles that don't have much in common. A continuation of the Classicism and naturalism of the Renaissance Genre painting A far more colorful, ornate, painterly, and dynamic style

Baroque

Baroque sculpture and architecture projected figures into the viewer's space. Baroque painters learned how to create a similar effect by lighting their figures dramatically and pushing the background into shadow. Caravaggio and Artemisia Gentileschi used this technique Tenebrism

Aerial view of St. Peter's. Nave and facade by Carlo Maderno, 1607-15, colonnade by Gianlorenzo Bernini, 1657

Bernini was commissioned to construct a monumental colonnade-framed piazza in front of Saint Peter's. The colonnades extend a dramatic gesture of embrace to all who enter the piazza, symbolizing the welcome the Roman Catholic Church gave its members during the Counter-Reformation. The colonnades were welcoming arms of the church. The completed Saint Peter's fulfilled the desire of the Counter-Reformation Catholic Church to present an awe-inspiring, authoritative vision of itself.

Gianlorenzo Bernini's David

Bernini's sculpture of David illustrates the characteristics of the Baroque period. Implied motion & time; David during the fight A different way of using space - the viewer is forced to complete the action that David has begun; the viewer can anticipate what is about to take place. Also, the figure isn't in the static contrapposto stance. Instead, David extends into space, with a sense of movement. The movement forces the viewer to move around the sculpture to completely understand the composition. His David is much different from Donatello's, Verrocchio's, and Michelangelo's Davids. Donatello and Verrocchio both depicted David after his triumph over Goliath, and Michelangelo portrayed David before his encounter. The twisting figure in motion incorporates the surrounding space, implying the presence of the enemy behind the viewer, who becomes part of the action rather than a displaced observer.

Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Slaying Holofernes, ca. 1614-20

Blood spurts everywhere as the two women use all of their strength to wield the heavy sword. The controlled highlights on the action in the foreground recall Caravaggio's work. Gentileschi's women look quite a bit more capable than Caravaggio's. Much more emotion here.

Baroque Era vs. Renaissance

Dynamic and theatrical Full of emotion, energy, and movement. Colors are more vivid, with greater contrast. Dramatic lighting Asymmetrical compositions with diagonal movement Architecture favored ornamentation, as rich and complex as possible vs. Stressed the calm of reason Unified & stable Even and clear lighting Balance & symmetry Architecture sought a classic simplicity,

Rococo

Fanciful architectural decoration Pastel colors Delicate, curving forms Mood of playfulness; lighthearted

Baroque architecture

Francesco Borromini was one of the great architects of the 17th century. He incorporated the Baroque elements of motion, space, and light in buildings. His building, San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane in Rome shows how architecture changed from static Renaissance style to an organic Baroque style. The façade of this building undulates, giving a sense of movement. Light plays across the façade, giving a nice effect of light and shadow.

Jules Hardouin-Mansart (architecture) and Charles Le Brun (painting), Palais de Versailles, 1668-85. Hall of Mirrors begun 1678

Hall of Mirrors: 240 feet long hall with 17 large arched windows Venetian glass mirrors the same size and shape of the windows reflect the natural light and give the illusion of an even large space Charles Le Brun from the Royal Academy painted the vaulted ceiling with images glorifying the reign of Louis XIV

Nicolas Poussin, Landscape with Saint John on Patmos, 1640. 39 ½" x 53 ¾"

He organized nature, buildings, and figures into carefully ordered compositions instead of painting the landscape as he saw it He created balance and order in the natural world Carefully alternated light and shade; placed Classical architectural elements throughout; & reclining Saint John

Gianlorenzo Bernini, Baldacchino, 1624-1633

His first commission was to create an enormous bronze baldacchino under the great dome. This canopy-like structure is 100 feet high, about the same as an 8-story building. The baldacchino serves both functional and symbolic purposes. It marks the high altar and the tomb of Saint Peter. It visually bridges the human scale to the lofty vaults and dome above. Its columns also create a visual frame for the elaborate sculpture representing the throne of Saint Peter at the far end of Saint Peter's. Symbolically, the baldacchino's decorative elements speak to the power of the Catholic Church and of Pope Urban VIII. The four spiral columns recall those of the ancient baldacchino over the same spot in Old Saint Peter's, invoking the past to reinforce the primacy of the Roman Catholic Church in the 17th century.

Caravaggio, Calling of Saint Matthew, ca. 1597-1601

Jesus chooses the tax collector Levi to become an apostle. Levi sits at a table counting or collecting money. Jesus is barely visible behind Saint Peter. A commonplace setting, a tavern with unadorned walls, is typical of Caravaggio. Jesus is almost unseen in the shadows. The subtle halo helps to identify him. He summons Levi, the Roman tax collector, to a higher calling. Levi is shocked, pointing to himself in disbelief. The conversion of Levi, who became Matthew, brought his salvation. A piercing ray of light illuminating a world of darkness and bearing a spiritual message is also a central feature in this painting as well.

Caravaggio, Judith and Holofernes, c. 1598

Jewish widow Judith saved her people from the Assyrian army by entering the enemy camp and enticing the general Holofernes to eat and drink; seducing him. When he fell into a drunken stupor, she cut off his head and escaped with it as a trophy as evidence of her heroic act. This is the first time Caravaggio chose such a highly dramatic subject. The original bare breasts of Judith were later covered by the semi-transparent blouse. The rough details and the realistic precision (correct down to the tiniest details of anatomy and physiology) have caused some to think that the painting was inspired by highly publicized Roman executions of the time.

Nicolas Poussin

Leading proponent of classicism He was ultimately responsible for establishing classical painting as an important ingredient of 17th c. French art. His classical style greatly contrasts the Baroque style of his Italian counterparts in Rome.

Neoclassicism

Looks back to ancient Greek & Roman art Heroic nudity in sculpture Classical orders in architecture Emphasized drawing over painterly effects (brushstrokes are tightly controlled, compositions ordered & balanced, figures idealized, emotions at a minimum) Emphasis on noble and serious Subjects highlighting courage, patriotism

Rembrandt van Rijn

Most important painter in the Netherlands in 17th c. Master of light and shadow Paintings & etchings: portraits, religious subjects, mythological subjects, & landscapes His use of light is one of the hallmarks of his style. His pictorial method involved refining light and shade into finer and finer nuances until they blended with one another (much different than the dramatic contrast of Caravaggio). Rembrandt's technique is closer to reality because the eyes perceive light and dark as always subtly changing

Artemisia Gentileschi

Most renowned woman painter in Europe during the 1st half of the 17th c. Was very influenced by Caravaggio She used Baroque naturalism and tenebrism with dramatic lighting He put her in an apprenticeship with a man who ended up raping her. Her personal struggle from the wake of her rape and trial had an impact on her work.

Peter Paul Rubens, The Raising of the Cross, 1610-1611. center panel 15' 1 7/8" x 11' 1 1/2", each wing 15' 1 7/8" x 4' 11 7/8"

On the left, followers of Jesus mourn. Indifferent soldiers supervise on the right. Heavily muscled men labor to lift the cross. Rubens combined the drama and intense emotion of Caravaggio; transforming them into a distinct personal style. The heroic nude figures, dramatic lighting, dynamic diagonal composition, and intense emotions show Italian influence. The rich colors and surface textures show his native Flemish tradition. He used the subject as an opportunity to show foreshortened anatomy and the contortions of violent action (like the twisted figures that Michelangelo sculpted & painted).

Gianlorenzo Bernini, The Ecstasy of St. Theresa, 1645-52This piece shows the theatrical drama of the Baroque period

Saint Teresa is one of the great mystical saints of the Spanish Counter-Reformation. Her conversion happened after the death of her father. She fell into a series of trances, saw visions, and heard voices. She felt persistent pain, which she attributed to the fire-tipped arrow of divine love that an angel had thrust repeatedly into her heart, making her swoon in delightful anguish. Catholics encouraged "spiritual exercises" where Christians were to use all of their senses to transport themselves emotionally (to imagine the fires of hell or bliss of heaven). The passionate drama of this piece correlates with the ideas of Ignatius Loyola, who argued that the re-creation of spiritual experience would do much to increase devotion and piety. So, the theatricality and sensory impact were useful vehicles for achieving Counter-Reformation goals.

Jan Vermeer, The Letter, 1666

Shows the room of a wealthy Dutch house The drawn curtain and open doorway through which viewers must peer reinforce their status as outsiders getting a glimpse of a private scene. One woman wears elegant attire, suggesting that she is a woman of considerable means. A maid interrupts her lute playing to deliver a letter. The 17th c. Dutch audience would immediately recognize that is a love letter. The lute was a traditional symbol of the music of love, and the painting of a ship on a calm sea on the back wall was a symbol of love returned. Vermeer was a master of pictorial light. He could render space so convincingly through his depiction of light, so that the picture surface functions as an invisible glass pane through which the viewer looks into the constructed illusion.

The Baroque Era

The 5 most important characteristics of the Baroque era: Motion Time Space Light (dramatic use of light) Theatricality

France

The French court became the cultural center of Europe Royal Academy of Painting & Sculpture maintained national control over the arts. This authority lasted in France until the late 19th century. Classicism was favored in the academy Ancient Classical art was the standard against which contemporary art was judged

Jan Vermeer, Young Woman with a Water Jug

The essential subject of this serene picture is an ideal woman in an ideal home. Her head and elegant costume are covered by linen scarves, which with the silver-gilt basin and pitcher and the open window suggest ablutions at the beginning of the day. A string of pearls emerges from the jewelry box. Balanced shapes and colors (mainly the primaries) enhance the harmonious mood.

Caravaggio, Conversion of Saint Paul, ca. 1601

The painting records the moment when Saul, on his way to Damascus to annihilate the Christian community there, is struck blind by a brilliant light and hears the voice of Christ saying, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?... And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid, but they heard not the voice..." Elsewhere Paul claims to have seen Christ during the vision, and it is on this basis that he grounds his claim be recognized as an Apostle: "Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?" He used perspective and chiaroscuro to bring viewers as close a possible to the scene's space and action (almost making it seem as the viewer was present at Saint Paul's conversion of Christianity). The low horizon line augments the sense of inclusion. The sharply lit figures emerge from the dark background as if lit by the light from the chapel's windows. The dramatic spotlight shining down on the fallen Paul is the light of divine revelation converting him to Christianity.

Rembrandt van Rijn, Captain Frans Banning Cocq Mustering his Company (The Night Watch), 1642. 11' 11" x 14' 4"

The paintings has become known as the Night Watch (even though this does not take place at night) because by the 19th c. a layer of dirt and old varnish obscured the colors In the 1970s a cleaning/restoration revealed the golden light and rich colors Rembrandt captured the excitement and activity of the men preparing for the parade. The figures scurry about, organizing themselves, which animated the image. Individualized likenesses of the militiamen make this one of the greatest group portraits in the Dutch tradition Rembrandt used light in a masterful way, and the dramatic light enhances the image. The painting's darkness is due to the varnish that he used, which darkened over time.

Interior Painting

These paintings offer the viewer glimpses into their lives Jan Vermeer was the leading Dutch painter of interior scenes. Vermeer and his contemporaries composed quiet, lavish interiors of Dutch middle-class dwellings Women are the primary occupants of Vermeer's homes, and his paintings are highly idealized depictions of the social values of Dutch citizens.

Caravaggio, Entombment, ca. 1603

This painting has all of the typical characteristics of Caravaggio's style: plebian figure types, the stark use of darks and lights, and the invitation to the viewer to participate in the scene. The action takes place in the foreground. The figures are on a stone slab. The corner of it seems to extend into the viewer's space. This suggests that Christ's body will be laid directly in front of the viewer. To viewers in the chapel, the men seem to be laying Christ's body on the altar, which stands in front of the painting. This gives visual form to the doctrine of transubstantiation - the transformation of the Eucharist bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. This doctrine was central to Catholicism that Protestants rejected. The painting is now in a museum, so this effect cannot be experienced any more.

Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith and her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes, c. 1625. 72 ½" x 55 ¾"

This scene is tense with imminent danger as Judith and her maid prepare to flee Holofernes's tent with his severed head. Dramatic and unusual chiaroscuro, especially the shadows Judith's hand casts on her face, together with vigilant expressions and posture, add urgency to the scene.

Rembrandt van Rijn, Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp, 1632

This was painted when he was 26, beginning his career. Rembrandt deviated from traditional group portraits - evenly spaced across the canvas, and chose to portray the members of the surgeon's guild (who commissioned this painting) clustered together on the left side of the composition with a strong diagonal. In the foreground, Dr. Tulp is in the act of dissection a corpse. Rembrandt placed the corpse diagonally and foreshortened. He depicted each of the students specifically. Their poses and facial expressions suggest the varying degrees of intensity with which they watch Dr. Tulp's demonstration. One (at the apex of the triangle) looks out at the viewer instead of at the operating table. Another directs his attention at the open book (a manual of anatomy) at the corpse's feet. Influenced by Caravaggio's tenebrism - figures emerge from a dark background with radiant light

Diego Velázquez, Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor), 1656. 10' 5" x 9' ½"

We stand in the space of the king and queen whose reflection is seen in the mirror The central focus isn't himself or the king and queen, but the brightly light 5 year old daughter He represented himself in his studio standing in front of a large canvas. The young princess is in the foreground with her maids-in-waiting, her favorite dwarfs, and a large dog. A central issue preoccupying scholars has been what exactly is taking place in this painting? He may be painting this very painting, or a portrait of the king and queen whose reflections appear in the mirror on the far wall. Is it a self-portrait or royal portrait? Velázquez was attempting to elevate himself as well as his profession with this painting. He elevated the art of painting to the highest status. The king's presence enhanced this status. The other paintings that appear in this painting further reinforce the celebration of the painter's craft. He proclaims dignity and importance of painting as one of the liberal arts. This painting contrasts mirrored spaces, "real" spaces, pictured spaces, and pictures within pictures. The extension of the composition's pictorial depth in both directions is noteworthy. The open doorway and its ascending staircase lead the eye beyond the artist's studio, and the mirror device and outward glance of several of the figures incorporate the viewer's space into the picture as well. Instead of putting lights abruptly beside darks, as Caravaggio, he allowed a great number of intermediate values of gray to come between the two extremes. His matching of tonal gradations approached effects that were later discovered in photography.

Francesco Borromini, façade of San Carlo alle Quatro Fontane, 1665-67

Went well beyond any of his predecessors or contemporaries in emphasizing a building's sculptural qualities. The façade has an undulating motion, creating a dynamic counterpoint of concave and convex elements on two levels. He emphasized the three-dimensional effect with deeply recessed niches. This façade isn't the flat traditional type that defines a building's outer limits. It is a pulsating form that goes between interior and exterior space, designed not to separate but provide a fluid transition between the two.

Gianlorenzo Bernini

architect, painter, and sculptor one of the most important and imaginative artists of the Italian Baroque era

Louise Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, Portrait of Marie Antoinette with her Children, 1787. 9' 1/4" x 7' 5/8"

painted 2 years before the French Revolution royal propoganda - depicting the queen as the "good mother" Commissioned to do a painting that would counter antimonarchist sentiments spreading through France, by portraying the queen as a loving mother. The queen hoped this would counter her public image as immoral, extravagant. She is shown as a loving mother, surrounded by her children represented the ideal expounded by the Enlightenment. Her daughter leans affectionately, the son points to the empty cradle of a recently deceased sibling The triangular composition and child on the lap are reminiscent of Renaissance images of the Madonna and child. This painting was trying to create a sympathetic portrait of a mother and her children (while also asserting their divine right).

Peter Paul Rubens

renowned Flemish master He drew together contributions from Italian Renaissance and Baroque masters to formulate the 1st truly pan-European painting style. became the 1st international superstar of the European artworld