Chapter 53 - Baroque Art of Europe

Annibale and Agostino Carracci, The Love of the Gods

• Image combines the exuberance of Mannerism and the tradition of the Classical Idealism

• Intermingles painting sculpture, and architecture, but through the imagery, positions painting as the superior illusionistic art

• Baroque Classicism imagery includes a myriad of references to antiquity

Caravaggio, The Calling of St. Matthew

• An example of Baroque naturalism

  • It is based on the dramatic use of light and line, and a vividly realistic treatment of the subject

• Visual ambiguity allows the viewer to interpret the image subjectively

• Christ’s outstretched hand mimics Adam’s hand in the Sistine Chapel ceiling

Caravaggio, David with the Head of Goliath

• Conveys the artist’s personal guilt and asks for mercy

  • Goliath is a self-portrait of Caravaggio

  • Sword inscription: humilitas accidit superbiam

• Innovative in its focus on characters as individuals with psychological depth and emotional resonance

Artemisia Gentilschi, Judith Slaying Holofernes

• Gentileschi was a Caravaggisti who emulated Caravaggio’s dramatic, naturalistic approach to create a heightened scene of drama

• An Old Testament scene infused with contemporary knowledge (e.g., the incorporation of the parabola shape of the arca on blood that spew from Holofernes’ neck

• Scene of empowered women

Francisco de Zurbarán, Christ on the Cross

• In Spain, works of art served as devotional objects and reinforced Catholic theological reforms

• Utilizes tenebrism, but removes narrative detail to ensure the viewer’s exclusive focus on the crucifixion

• Visual illusionism is used to amplify Christ’s suffering and sacrifice

Diego Velázquez, Juan de Pareja

• The sitter is of Spanish and North African descent who was enslaved to Velázques and was considered an unusual subject

• Intimacy of the sitter’s gaze and stance create a connection between the sitter and the viewer

• Combination of loose brushstrokes and extreme precision created an immediacy that other painters recognized as “truth”

Diego Velázquez, Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor)

• Embraces a sense of ambiguity and captures a sense of reality that reflects on the nature of Illusionism

• Features portraits of variety of members of the royal household, including the artist himself, in a relatively informal manner

• The true subject of the matter of the image remains unclear, as this is an artist’s self-portraits, a group portrait, and a genre scene

Peter Paul Rubens, The Elevation of the Cross

• Baroque dynamism is seen here through foreshortened figures, diagonal lines, and V-shaped space

• Features many details derived from the Gospels, and adheres to Catholic Reformation ideals of lifelike, historically accurate subjects that inspire the viewer

Jean Delagrive, Plan of Versailles

• Louis XIV’s absolute power was communicated through art (e.g. the transformation of a family hunting lodge into the Baroque palace, Versailles)

• The gardens were designed to impress a sense of order on nature while also featuring dynamic lines and multiuse spaces

  • Conveys the idea that the king controlled nature itself

Hardouin-Masart and Le Brun, Hall of Mirrors, Château of Versailles

• This waiting room and reception hall impressed upon the viewer the absolute control of the king

• The extensive use of glass, a costly material that was difficult to transport, demonstrated the power and wealth of the king and France