Greetings and salutations, deviants! Once again, by your choice, I bring you the fifth edition of the now quarterly series Art History Spotlight!

The Art History Spotlight Series will be exploring various artistic movements, the techniques used therein, major artists behind it and it's influence on dA!

The fifth edition focuses on Baroque. You can find the previous editions here:

Art Nouveau
Abstract
Surrealism
Impressionism

So, without further ado, I bring to you:

Baroque

[ba-rohk, ba-rahk]
as defined by merriam-webster

1 : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a style of artistic expression prevalent especially in the 17th century that is marked generally by use of complex forms, bold ornamentation, and the juxtaposition of contrasting elements often conveying a sense of drama, movement, and tension

2 : characterized by grotesqueness, extravagance, complexity, or flamboyance

3 : irregularly shaped —used of gems

Origins

With the waning of the Mannerism movement, Baroque had it's strongest influence within the 17th century. The style was adopted and backed by the Catholic Counter-Reformation in the early 1600s, and subsequently spread through many of the Catholic countries in Europe. ^[1] This style, however, was not solely religious; the French Monarchy, under the rule of Louis XIV, also enlisted Baroque Art for French propaganda endorsing the king.<sup>[2]


Cristo Crucificado Diego Velasquez</sup>

The center of the movement began in Rome with Caravaggio and rival Anibale Carracci, as the movement and intense emotion of Mannerism combined with the High Renaissance's grandeur and solidity to create a new style: Baroque.<sup>[3]


Self Portrait, Annibale Carracci and Caravaggio, Ottavio Leoni</sup>

Within this era, came High Baroque, led by Gianlorenzo Bernini, as he introduced the union of sculpture, paint and architecture. Within this time, the style really spread, leading to the intense extravagance of church architecture and decor. During the 18th century, Baroque seamlessly transitioned into the more decorative and lighter movement of Rococo.^[2]

Prevalent artists within the Baroque era include Anibale Carracci, Michelangelo de Merisi Caravaggio, Gianlorenzo Bernini, Diego Velazquez, Peter Paul Rubens, Johannes(Jan) Vermeer, Rembrandt van Rijn, and Guido Reni. There's a very long list.

Technique

As we look over the intensely dynamic pieces of the Baroque movement, these are the techniques found^[4].

• Heavy use of chiaroscuro to create striking depth and volume. (very loosely put, harsh light play)
• attention to exact, naturalistic detail
• with the exception of the Dutch landscapes, a story is told, or a scene unfolds
• movement captured by circular or diagonal composition
• key words: dramatic, bold, movement, emotion, extravagance

Baroque from the Masters

<sup>The Girl With the Pearl Earring, Johannes Vermeer

The Taking of Christ, Caravaggio

Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne, Annibale Carracci

Faust in his Study, Watching a Magic Disc, Rembrandt

The Ecstasy of St. Theresa, Gianlorenzo Bernini

Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus, Rubens</sup>

Baroque on dA

The curious and rich stories of ~GeirrodVanDyke

The delectably detailed sculptures of *MarkNewman

The intensely contrasted works of ~DCassano

More Baroque on dA



<sup>Disclaimer: Art History Spotlight is a simple overview and summary of the particular movement featured. It is in no way meant to be a replacement for reading a book on the subject, but instead a taste to get you interested! I apologize if I don't highlight your favorite artist, or don't fully explain any one aspect. Please contribute any pertinent information in the comments!

Sources</sup>
1 [link]
2 [link]
3 [link]
4 [link]
Pictures from ArtArchive.com