Baroque Lecture quiz

CONTEXT LEADING UP TO BAROQUE

• Protestant Reformation influence on Early 1500’s= emphasized corruption of Catholic Church

• The Baroque Period revives ORNATE DETAILS, MOVEMENT and EXUBERANCE in art.

Characteristics

• Fused the Renaissance “ideas of Beauty” with the drama of Mannerism 

• Dramatic LIGHT (theatrical)

• Emotional Impact

• Catholic countries= Religious Art flourished

• Protestant countries= Religious Art forbidden, so instead still-life, portraits, and landscapes

The Calling of St. Matthew (1599-1600)

Caravaggio

• Meant to capture a spiritual awakening 

• Christ looks to be pointing at Matthew 

• Christ sees Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth and says follow me to Matthew and he follows 

• Subtle halo 

• Christ stands behind St. Peter and his body is covered 

• Set in a tavern 

• Matthew point at himself and his right hand is still near the money 

Conversion of St. Paul on the way to Damascus (1601)

• Oil on Canvas

• Caravaggio

• In the Saint Maria Del Poplo in Rome 

• One of two paintings 

• Shows Saul whose job was to persecute christians and he was on the road to Damascus when he was blinded by light and heard a voice which was the voice of Christ and said to him Saul why did you prosecute me?

• Saul was blinded for three days  

• Tenebroso

David with the Head of Goliath (c. 1610)

• Caravaggio

• Depicts David holding Goliath's head,  

• Some scholars suggest the head is a self-portrait of Caravaggio and David a younger version of himself. 

• In Caravaggio's work, David assumes the pose traditional for allegories of Justice, with a sword in the right hand but with scales instead of the head in the left. 

• It depicts the  moment of victory and reflection

Judith Beheading Holofernes (c. 1599- 1601)

• Caravaggio

• Biblical story of Judith, who saved her people by seducing and beheading the Assyrian general Holofernes

•  Judith, young, beautiful, looks physically weak, and draws back distastefully as she seizes Holofernes's hair and cleaves through his neck with his own sword.

• Holofernes, on his bed, powerful but drunk, nude, and bellowing helplessly, has frozen in the futile struggle of his last instant of consciousness.

• The servant  doesn't look to be doing anything and just looking as her mistress does everything 

• Holofernes seems to be trying to push up and trying to get out of this situation.

 The Incredulity of St. Thomas (1601- 1602)

• Oil on Canvas

• Caravaggio

• The focus is on Saint Thomas's right hand, firmly guided by Christ's, as the stolid doubter carefully prods the wound with his index finger. 

• Tellingly, the hands of the other two apostles are concealed, although their curiosity is undisguised and scarcely less restrained than Thomas's.

•  All three apostles are portrayed as rustic materialists without imagination or tact. 

Apollo & Daphne (1622-25)

 Bernini

• Originally in Marble but over time it was restored with Metal 

• First Major commission 

• Stars Apollo insults Eros and he takes his revenge 

• Eri makes two arrows, one from gold and another from lead. He pierces Apollo with the golden one which makes him fall in love with Daphne

• Daphne is pierces with the lead arrow which makes her repulsed by Apollo 

• Daphne ask her father Ladon to help her escape and he intervenes so the moment Apollo catches up to her she will turn into a Laurel tree 

• This is the moment Apollo catches up to Daphnne  and she begins to transform into that tree. - Sculpting at the highlight of the action 

• Looks unstable, not balanced 

• Daphne's face is both an expression of horror and a kind of blankness 

• Laurel is symbolic because of laurel crowns a sign of victory 

• Apollo says since you can never be my bride , my tree at least you shall be 

Bernini’s David (1623-24)

•  Bernini 

• Biting his lower lip brows are furrowed

• Made for cardinal Borghese

• Story comes from the old testament: A young man who will become King David 

• Moment where David is about to release the rock from the slingshot 

• Diagonal lines 

• Lips are pressed together which show his intense concentration 

 Ecstasy of Saint Teresa 1647-52

•  Bernini

• Repeating the same colors and has contrast 

• Women who had mean recently made a saint and she is having a vision of an angel 

• The top figure is an angel a high ranking one

• Shows St. Teresa having a vision of an angel 

• In the angels hand their seems to be a golden spear and the angel stabbed her in the heart multiple times 

• When the angel pulled out the spear St.Tessa felt that she was consumed by the great love of God 

• Seems to be enjoying the pain 

• Uses the Physical body and sexual symbolism to get at the spiritual experience 

• Angel has a sweet angelic smile  and his body is graceful 

• On either side of the sculpture we see relief sculptures that looks like they are in theater boxes as if we were part of an audience 

• St.Terrsa and angel on a cloud appearing to float on air with rays of gold 

• Above this we see a fresco on the ceiling of the chapel which shows the Holy Spirit 

Self-portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria (1615-17)

Gentileschi

•  Saint Catherine was tortured: she was tied on a wheel with iron spikes and miraculously rescued by divine intervention 

  • St. Catherine is seen holding the instrument of her torture

  • Shows a quite resilience 

  •  Shows Gentileschi promoting her own image in Florence 

  • A little furrowed brow 

Susanna and the Elders (c. 1610)

• Gentileschi

• Made around the time she was SA

• Old testament figure who was SA as well 

• She was corned into a corner by old men 

• Susanna is less in powered, she not in control and moving away 

• The men are higher up while she is lowered  down trying to keep herself out of harm's way 

• Well-known for realistic flesh tones

• Use of jewel like colors (brighter and more vibrant than male Baroque Painters)

• Some paintings have been interpreted as part of her personal journey in processing trauma related to sexual assault

• Baroque quality of light/shadow (TENEBRISM)

 Judith Slaying Holofernes (c. 1620)

• Gentileschi

• Reclaiming her life 

• 10 years after her SA

• Judith and her handmaiden kill Holofernes

• Her handmaiden is directly above Holofernes 

• The man is not in control of his fate 

• Judith has broad shoulders

• The handmaiden is holding down Holofernes

•  Holofernes hand reaching out and trying to get the handmaiden off of him 

• Judith and the handmaiden look to be on the same level of Holofernes 

Penitent Magdalene (c. 1615-1616)

• Gentileschi

• One Of Jesus follows unofficially 

• She was a prostitute  before she meant Jesus 

• There could have been a romance between her and Jesus 

• Contemporary of Italian Women to make people think about people in their own society that weren't really expected because Magdalene was considered an outcast

• Mary Magdalene turning away from a life of sin to become one of Jesus’ followers.

• She very crunched up 

• Felling of uncertain and stressed = Posture is closed off 

• Suggest it could represent a sense of shame 

• She took care of Jesus after her death 

• TENEBRISM

• Barefoot is supposed to represent that she is a servant of Jesus

Susanna and the Elders (c. 1652)

• Gentileschi

•  seems to be unfinished 

  • Leading out of the Baroque tendenes 

  • Landscape format she's no longer below the men but on the same level 

  • She body is more covered up and she looks in control of herself/ she's not in a corner 

  •  Less vibrant 

  • Before the advances actually happen 

  • Trying to change the narrative 

The Elevation of the Cross (1611)

 Rubens

• Well known for flushy, curve  figures 

• Jesus is still alive 

• Warm undertone and glow 

• Triptych 

• Being raised up on the cross by men who are very muscular almost looking like circus strong men  which can suggest the brutality of these figures that all they are are brute force 

• Moment of the sacrifice/ moment that is critical for the Eucharist/ moment where Christ sheds his blood for mankind

• Was originally in a church but it got destroyed and in that church at the top of the steps it had an image of God which could explain why he was looking up 

  
  

 The Descent from the Cross (1612)

 Rubens

• Flushy 

• Lots of details

• Cool tones more grey and blues which connect to death  

• Magdalence  was most likely shown in this near the bottom helping to bring christ off the cross 

• Christ body is being lowered as gently as possible

• Triptych 

• You can tell the limpness of the body and its weight 

• A man at the top is seen clenching the sheet holding Christ's corpse behind his teeth so he can liberate his arm to hold up Christ  - you can see the blood in his cheeks, forehead.  

Venus and Adonis (c. 1635)

•  Rubens

• Flushy nudes 

• Looking back at the renaissance and making them his own

• Greek mythology tells the story of Venus, the goddess of Love; of her unrequited love; and of her attempted seduction of Adonis,who would rather go hunting.

• Adonis has a spare in his hand showing  his a hunter 

• Hes twisting away from her 

• Dog in the back “hunting dogs” 

• A lot of arrows on the ground which represent hunting and cupids arrows 

• Cupid is shown holding Adonis leg not wanting him to go 

• Venus is seen to be begging him to stay and has a grip on him

Pythagorus advocating Vegetarianism (1618- 1630)

•  Rubens

• Pythagoras is a methanation  

• Lots of Greek/Roman philosophy's advocated for vegetarianism 

• Advocated for vegetarianism diet because raising animals meant that you have to feed them vegetables so why go through the extra level  

• Back in those days the beauty standard was being pale because it represented that you were important and wealthy while if you have a darker skin tone is represents you worked in the fields

 The Three Graces (1635)

• Rubens

• Three very curvy women 

• Rubenesque nude 

• Symbols of fertility - the water coming out of the foundation on the right = new growth and purity,  flowers roses = beauty, 

• Are from Greek/Roman societies 

• Tiny amount of fabric but its not covering theme

• Arms are connecting to each other 

Self-Portrait from 1660

 Rembrandt van Rijn

• Very intimate

• Painting every wrinkle, skin tone looking at every imperfection 

• Skin tone colors: green, yellow, gray, red, brown 

• The face itself was very thick and the rest is very loosely brushed 

 Self-Portrait (1628- 29) -

• Rembrandt van Rijn

  • Oil on Oak Panel (7x8 inches)

• His eyes are still visible even though there are very dark visuals  in this painting 

• A little bit of shine on the nose 

• The face itself was very thick 

 Man in a Turban (1632)

Rembrandt van Rijn

• Dutch person wearing a turban for costume wear 

• Tenebrism movements

• Dutch connection to other countries 

• Showed wealth/ statues 

The night watch (1642)

Rembrandt van Rijn

- Oil on Canvas

• Painting of one of the militia groups in Amsterdam 

• Militia groups were supposed to defend the city but by the time  Rembrandt paints this they were largely ceremonial 

• Symbolized civic pride 

• Painting was very specific to the Dutch republic 

• Looking at elite citizens in Amsterdam 

• Takes up majority of the wall

• They seem to be in the act of coalescing around an action 

• Captain is giving an order for the militia to gather and move forward his giving the order to the lieutenant  

• There is a dog barking, someone playing the drums 

• There is a girl striding forward that can be looked as a mascot in her dress she has a dead chicken that's been hung upside down from her belt the claws very prominent which refers to the name of the militia group  

• Was not called the Nightwatch originally but named  after the militia its representing 

• Lots of diagonals angles 

• Very lifelike 

• Painting is so big that the figures are life sized

 Bathsheba at her Bath (1654)

Rembrandt van Rijn

• Old testament story 

• More forced on Jewish Tribes 

• King David sees her bathing from his terrence and is struck by her beauty and summons her though she is a wife of a general 

• They begin an affair which ends in tragedy with Uriah being sent by David into battle to certain Death 

• David and Bathsheba end up having a still born child 

• She looks as if shes faceing a conundrum because she will be cheating on her husband 

• There looks to be a bit of sadness and some interest in the illicit as well  

• She holds a letter in her hand a letter from King David summoning Basheba 

• Chiaroscuro 

• The focal point is her face showing a mix of emotions 

• Moment before the love affair 

• Tied to a famous song hallelujah 

• Has a stark contrast necklace 

• Her eyes follow an diagonal  angle 

Etchings

Rembrandt

• A printmaking process

• A copper plate has a ground applied to it, then a drawing is made into the ground using a sharp tool

• The copper plate is etched with acid and the lines drawn into the ground become lines etched into the plate

• Ink is applied to the etched copper plate

Multiple prints (“Editions”) are made from this single plat

• Surprised or fear 

Artwork: Abraham’s Sacrifice (1655)

Artwork: The Three Crosses (1653)

  Christ in the House of Martha & Mary (c. 1654- 56)

 Vermeer

• Shows jesus with his female followers which was not typically shown 

• Showed what he invision  jesus relationship was 

• Martha is shown the top working to prepare for his arrival and shes annoyed because her sister Mary isn't doing anything to help her 

• Mary is just listening to Jesus and absorbing what Jesus is saying shes sitting down  

• It shows the moment when Jesus responds to Martha’s complaint about Mary’s apparent neglect in helping her.

• Subtle halo 

• His largest painting 

• Women are wearing very traditional dutch clothes 

• Jesus clothes is very renaissance 

Vermeer Young Woman with a Water Jug (c. 1660- 62)

 VermeerThe LIGHT is the main subject, shows a sense beauty in everyday life

• Headdress: Traditional Dutch attire. Indicates Wealthy or Upper Middle-Class 

• Other Indicators of Wealth: Stained glass window, water pitcher is gilded with gold, heavy wool tablecloth traded from foreign country, & jewelry box

• Map: Shows the Netherlands and is a reference to trade/expansion of travel

• Shows the love of everyday 

• Finds beautiful moments in everyday life 

• Point of the painting is to celebrate the everyday 

Women’s clothes 

• Protestant clothes

• Linen headdress 

• The person in the painting Could be his wife or daughter 

• Voyeur

The Milkmaid (c. 1657-58)

 Vermeer

Cleary looking at someone whos not wealthy or higher middle class 

• Same light and moment of everyday life as the Vermer Young Women 

• Felling of the wall is more dengy  

• Th goods in the picture are showing that class of the women 

• Her dress is more of a basic cotton and more airy, headdress is a simple head wrap 

• Window also doesn't have a beautiful design and is very simple 

• Main Vanishing Point/lines converge above WATER PITCHER

Vermeer Girl with the Pearl Earring (c. 1665)

 Vermeer

Face very perfect and flat in some places 

• Lot of attention to her face 

• BACKGROUND is just black there is not environment to tell us who she is 

• Looking at the viewer 

• SHe looks over her shoulder to look at someone staring at her

• Often referred to the Mono Lisa of the North 

• Emphasizes the worldliness of the merchant class 

• The pearl is not real, it was likely just a glass or tin drop varnishes to look like a peal 

Speaking likeness

A person looks most natural and authentic

Person looks more life like as if they are breathing

Example portrait of king Louis XIV