9. Baroque

OG Baroque idea

term = not used

• treated as astylistic term - seen as (-)

  • bad taste = conceptualize style

• Baroque​

• Immodest excess​

• Moral dubiousness​

• Insubtantiality of rich ornament​

• Emotional indulgence​

• Bizarre​

• Pernicious caprice​

• Bad taste​

one style —> another —> another

Not true - not so linear

Baroque (5)

• not just a style

• system + period

• emerge as propagandas - public msg

• appeal 2 Catholic+ multi media sensory

• counter reformation - oppose Lutheranism

 

affe/

arc = important seen/proned thry Baroque

deliberate expression of emotion, passion, or emotional states intended to move the viewer.

• Affetti (Italian, plural of affetto) = emotional expressions or passions.

gian lorenzo bernini, “ecstasy of st. teresa,” cornaro chapel altar, s. maria della vittoria, rome, 1647-1652C

gian lorenzo bernini, “ecstasy of st. teresa,” cornaro chapel altar, s. maria della vittoria, rome, 1647-1652C

• facial expression = ecstacy - angel pierce heart

• releriogus ectsatcy

• lines bw scultupre + theater + arc = blirred

• accneuate thru lights —> enhances visitors experince

• multimedi arc

• Real natural light enters through a hidden window.

• Bernini conceals the source so the light appears heavenly and miraculous.

• The combination of sculpture, architecture, and light creates a theatrical Baroque experience.

• Highly dramatic emotion and movement.

• Strong sense of theater: members of the Cornaro family appear in side balconies as if watching a stage performance.

• Hidden window and gilded rays create a supernatural effect with natural light, engaging the viewer emotionall

• Demonstrates the Baroque goal of inspiring religious devotion through an immersive sensory experience.

il Gesù
Giacomo Vignola and Giacomo della Porta
Rome
1568-1576
Baroque

il Gesù
Giacomo Vignola and Giacomo della Porta
Rome
1568-1576
Baroque

• start

• Jesuit —> china, conquestdoars, europe

• center by = new facade lively diff from rome

il Gesù
Giacomo Vignola and Giacomo della Porta
Rome
1568-1576
Baroque

facade

- lively, different depths
- split in 2 not 3 which (not ren./classical)
- segmental pediment (arch supported by pilasters, pediment right underneath)

-pediment = engaged column on both sides
- engaged columns & corinithian pilasters; complex

-4 sets of pilasters

- 2 levels of aedicules (2 niches on each level) = pediment @ top
- cartouche (IHS) right above main door = Jesus in Greek
- 2nd floor - piano tetra = eediculte + cartouche + volute on each
- moving

il Gesù
Giacomo Vignola and Giacomo della Porta
Rome
1568-1576
Baroque

plan

diff from other G plan of church

1. nave

2. crossing (circle area) = dome @ top

3. side altars, not rly a transcept

4. domed chapels, not aisles
   - circle + square = heaven + earth

- mural over nave (can't figure out how high it is, playing with height, represents mysteries of divine)

giovanni battista gaulli, “triumph of the name of jesus”

• multimedia

• intergate sculpture

• use distance for visuals = do not know where sculpture painting starts and ends = blurs line

• shows msytery of divinity/presnet what occurs in heaven

  • PROPOGSANA - targets emotion not sense

volutes

aediculies

cartouche (IHS)

S.ignazio
Orazio Grassi & Carlo Maderno
Rome
1626-1650
Baroque

S.ignazio
Orazio Grassi & Carlo Maderno
Rome
1626-1650
Baroque

main focus

“apotheosis of s.ignatius,” andrea pozzo, 1685 @ s.ignazio, orazio grassi, carlo maderno, rome, 1626-1650C

quadratura

• fools the eye as 3d

• fresco = belnds yinto arc = pla on relaity + illusionary

  • extende space 4 views on G lvl

st peter’s square, gian lorenzo bernini, rome, 1656-1667 CE

st peter’s square, gian lorenzo bernini, rome, 1656-1667 CE

basic context

Sixtus 5th = replanning = use Baroque

• repllaned orm e= use oblisk in square = mark public space

after Sixtus 5th - dies - popeo —> great apton of art —> Bernini (son of napes arists) = redeisgn

st peter’s square, gian lorenzo bernini, rome, 1656-1667 CE

Bernini + design plan

1. piazza Retta = trapezoidal

2. piazza oblique = oval (square w 2 semi circle

Retta + oblique = St. Peter’s Square

• elliptical like colosseum = theater = propaganda

square = squeeze facade of St Petres = look taller

radial line = light + shadow = show movement

piazza arcaded = but not closed off = but still isolated

• enclosure without confinement

• defined but not cut from city \

2 fountains = either side of obelisk = axis

• tension to square - not public space - decorum

vato tondo: oval joined from 2 intersecting circles
- oval like the colosseum; goes with his idea of theater
- statues allowed people to identify with Christian martyrs

piazzas extend the church's welcome

st peter’s square, gian lorenzo bernini, rome, 1656-1667 CE

Bernini + design

coloumns = demis in hieght = conceded tro colou,mn on facades of St Petres = makes it look bigger

statues at the top of Piazza = christian martyrs

st peter’s square, gian lorenzo bernini, rome, 1656-1667 CE

illusion - Barouqe

1. square squeeze

2. collanded - decrease in height

scala regia, gian lorenzo bernini, rome, 1663-1666CE

scala regia, gian lorenzo bernini, rome, 1663-1666CE

• adjacent to ST Peters + Vatican Palace

• formal entrance to ST peters

• resrotred by Bernini - narrow style of __ bw palace + chirch

• use barrel vault, collapsed - narrow = emphasize distance

  • power of person at the top - pope - increase = seem bigger

• theatrics = 2 angesl at the top

• 
  

• The vault gets lower and narrower as it moves away from the viewer.

• Together with the converging columns, it creates forced perspective.

• This makes the corridor seem much longer than it actually is.

• When viewed from below, the person standing at the top (usually the Pope) appears larger, more important, and more powerful.

• The vault also directs your eye toward the end of the passage, emphasizing the ceremonial entrance to St. Peter's Basilica.

piazza navona, gian lorenzo bernini and francesco borromini, rome, begun 1644CE

piazza navona, gian lorenzo bernini and francesco borromini, rome, begun 1644CE

Bernini + borromini

flooded often

• livlomness of square - comes from S AGnese?

• innocent>

s. agnese, carlo rainaldi and francesco borromini, rome, begun 1644CE

s. agnese, carlo rainaldi and francesco borromini, rome, begun 1644CE

• barouqe

• concave facade

• dome bext to facade

• slender cupala

• 2 towers = on cuve/convex facade

• domes be campanile (tower w bells)

fontana dei quattro fiumi (obelisk of Domitian) @piazza navona, gian lorenzo bernini 1651C

• foundatin of 4 rulers - not comeplet - in piazza naconoa

• major rivers with catholic spirits

• NAH sculpture c

• coins wealth

• Designed for Pope Innocent X

• Features an ancient Egyptian obelisk (the Obelisk of Domitian) rising from a rocky base

• Four colossal river gods represent the four major rivers of the continents known to Europeans at the time:

  • Nile (Africa)

  • Danube (Europe)

  • Ganges (Asia)

  • Rio de la Plata (Americas)

• Rivers symbolize the spread and universality of Catholicism throughout the world

• Dynamic Baroque composition with twisting figures, dramatic movement, and interaction with water

• Animals and plants identify each river's geographic region

• Coins spilling from Rio de la Plata symbolize the wealth of the New World

• The fountain creates a theatrical illusion that the obelisk is supported by the natural rock formation below

piazza del popolo, giuseppe valadier, rome, 1816-1820 C

piazza del popolo, giuseppe valadier, rome, 1816-1820 C

- completes urban plan
- 3 radial streets that lead to piazza
- 2 churches, look same at first glance, but ones circle and one oval, had to adapt and make 1 street narrower
- uses complex geometries (away from circle + square)

• Demonstrates the Baroque interest in optical effects and urban theater by creating apparent symmetry despite irregular conditions.

• Uses complex geometries, moving beyond the simple Renaissance preference for the circle and square.

• The oval and other dynamic forms create movement, variety, and spatial drama.

s. maria dei miracoli and s. maria in montesano, carlo rainaldi and gian lorenzo bernini, rome, 1675 1679 and 1662-1675 C

s. maria dei miracoli and s. maria in montesano, carlo rainaldi and gian lorenzo bernini, rome, 1675-1679 and 1662-1675 CE

2 churches, look same at first glance, but ones circle and one oval, had to adapt and make 1 street narrower
- more complex geometries

Santa Maria dei Miracoli

• Circular plan.

• More centralized and stable.

• Represents the traditional Renaissance preference for perfect geometry.

• Circle = perfection, harmony, divine order.

Santa Maria in Montesanto

• Oval plan.

• Elongated to fit the tighter site.

• More dynamic and Baroque.

• Creates a sense of movement and expansion.

Spanish Steps
Francesco de Sanctis and Alessandro Specchi
Rome
1723 - 1726
Baroque

Spanish Steps
Francesco de Sanctis and Alessandro Specchi
Rome
1723 - 1726
Baroque

down from Piazza

SPanish steps - climbing up = showing off

• narrow

• platfrom = stage setting

• church staors = shows off

• urbanisms

• 
  

San Carlo alle Quatro Fontane/San Carlino
Francesco Borromini
Rome
1634
Baroque

San Carlo alle Quatro Fontane/San Carlino
Francesco Borromini
Rome
1634
Baroque

basic

- monestary

• not symmetrical

• complec

• open bc Sixtus 5th - stop sx Wokers

San Carlo alle Quatro Fontane/San Carlino
Francesco Borromini
Rome
1634
Baroque

plan + facade

- axis of this church shifts 5 degrees when you walk in (complex) = indirect = manipulate perception
- unfamiliar curves and forms like equilateral triangles and diamonds
- different church plan
- manipulates perception, diff views everywhere
- weird plan

unudalting suraces ncihes = drmatic = movemenvt + light + shadow

San Carlo alle Quatro Fontane/San Carlino
Francesco Borromini
Rome
1634
Baroque

dome

- oval dome, has hexagons, octagons, trinitarian cross; as you go up, they get smaller as you go up, exaggerating height

• from geomrtci - optics = manipulates perceprion

• elepitical orbits

• basic

s. ivo alla sapienza, f. borromini, rome, 1640sC

- optics
- layering

s. ivo alla sapienza, f. borromini, rome, 1640s

plan + dome

plan:

• hexagon —> six pt star

• geomerty seen w dome = pumkin shape

• ribs fold in on each other

• dimish as height inc

s. ivo alla sapienza, f. borromini, rome, 1640s

exterior

base drum —> spiral at the top

• faceted entablature - sits on top of order

• spiral stairs = ascent to wisdom

label

capella della ss. Sindone/chapel of the holy shroud, guarino guarini, turin, begun 1667CE

capella della ss. Sindone/chapel of the holy shroud, guarino guarini, turin, begun 1667CE

basic

inspo: s ivo alla sapienza

design 4 holy shroud

• latern = infinity

• pendentive —> dome

  • not actually a dome?

Holy Shroud Chapel = ready

capella della ss. Sindone/chapel of the holy shroud, guarino guarini, turin, begun 1667CE

plan

• circular plan inscribed with equilateral triangle

• redesign axis w stairs

capella della ss. Sindone/chapel of the holy shroud, guarino guarini, turin, begun 1667CE

section

• section = telescope valut, rotate polygon

• dome - interlace network of arches, dimishes as go up to int

• oculus = latern

• create opening 4 light

• boromini = surfaces of dome = archer set

• bsae of dome = 6 lage windows

• sequence: windows —> arches —> windows: allow light 2 diffuse

• interlace arches= network 2 control diffuse light

San Lorenzo
Guarino Guarini
Turin, Italy
1668-1680
Baroque

San Lorenzo
Guarino Guarini
Turin, Italy
1668-1680
Baroque

• church = own order

• complex geometry (circle, square, oval, octogan)

• dome = not a solid vault, interlaced ribs + openings

• illuinate circular ribs

• windows = closer 2 drum = not outside = open 2 chamber - alows for light diffusion + control

• inspo: great mosque of Cordoba

- complex geometries
- domes isn't solid, ribs & openings
- windows lead to a chamber, so light comes in controlled thru chamber, then into main space
- drums open to chamber

Barouqe translte

translate = throughout upper europe

• loose catholi c+ counter ref quality

• idea but still used as propoganda

St. Paul's Cathedral
Christopher Wren
London
1675-1711
Baroque

St. Paul's Cathedral
Christopher Wren
London
1675-1711
Baroque
ideas + context

- borrows Baroque language
- borrows from Louvre

• twin pilasters
  
  

1. og plan = gothic

2. 1st design - Greek cross/central = 2 Byzantine - large dome on cross?

3. Latin cross = warrant design proposed by Christopher wren

• laws = write in contract = caluse = can redesign - wren modify warrent design = went from a rlly vertical space = redesign w enlarged domw

proposed model = wood

St. Paul's Cathedral
Christopher Wren
London
1675-1711
Baroque
plan + inspo

• wanted to keep gothic original dome

• when modified, they enlarged dome

• "warrant design": proposed design with legal document, = chaneg from vertical - less slender

• plan = same, section = diff

amande - Bramante - infill of diagonal arch

hemispherical - design dome

• St. Paul's uses a complex triple-dome system.

• The outer dome creates the external profile, while inner structural elements carry loads.

• This differs from the sectional organization at Les Invalides.

paris - dinal - st louis des incalides

• led cover ext dome - support strcuture

• overal plan = similar

• section = diff

• Plan remained largely Latin-cross, but the section changed significantly as the dome became larger and more monumental.

• Less emphasis on Gothic verticality and slenderness.

• Greater emphasis on the dome as the visual center.

• Inner dome

  • Visible from the church interior.

  • Proportioned for the experience of worshippers.

• Brick structural cone

  • Hidden structural element.

  • Carries much of the dome's weight.

  • Supports the lantern above.

• Outer dome

  • Visible on the skyline.

  • Creates the dramatic exterior profile.

  • Covered in lead.

Karlskirche
Johann Bernard Fischer von Erlach
Vienna
1716-1725
Baroque

Johann Bernard Fischer von Erlach

• study in rome = publsihed tutor of joseph 1

• hasburg by assosciatio = became aristrocat + novel + chief inspector

• repels —> ottom - rebuild city - rival rome

Karlskirche
Johann Bernard Fischer von Erlach
Vienna
1716-1725
Baroque

rococo

- precednet: panethon, papl rome (drum, dome, facade, planned)

-barowu churc = mes w gothic/classical undertadning of basillica plan

• propoganda = exhault wurzburg

unusual plan
- merged w/ craft of europe
- became aristocrat by association
- precedent: pantheon

Karlskirche combines a classical temple-front facade, a Baroque dome, and symbolic spiral columns referencing both the Habsburgs and Solomon's Temple, demonstrating Fischer von Erlach's synthesis of multiple historical traditions.

Architectural Features

• Tall oval dome typical of Baroque churches.

• Side bell towers with bulbous crowns.

• Classical temple-front portico references the Pantheon and ancient Roman architecture.

• Two large historiated spiral columns flank the entrance.

Why It Is Important

• Combines different architectural traditions in a single composition.

• Rather than copying one precedent, Fischer creates a synthesis of:

  • Ancient Rome (Pantheon/temple front)

  • Baroque church design (dome and towers)

  • Biblical architecture (Temple of Solomon)

  • Habsburg imperial symbolism

Wurzburg - aristocrat family

• scrutinized by architects

• reception - grand + soft roof

• imperial stairs = divide @2nd floor (like Spanish, grand stairs - stage, not just stairs

• gallery = watches

Wurzburg Residenz
Johann Balthasar Neumann
Wurzburg (southern germany)
1720
Baroque

rococo

• scrutinized by architects

• reception - grand + soft roof

• imperial stairs = divide @2nd floor (like Spanish, grand stairs - stage, not just stairs

• gallery = watches = spectators

-propaganda
- grand stair hall

• fresco

Why it is Rococo:

• Ornament overwhelms structure: decoration becomes more important than showing clear architectural order.

• Light, elegant interiors instead of the heavy drama of High Baroque.

• Curving, flowing forms create movement throughout the rooms.

• Integration of architecture, painting, sculpture, and stucco into a single experience.

• Interiors feel playful, delicate, and theatrical rather than monumental and powerful.

• Rich gilding, mirrors, pastel colors, and elaborate stucco dissolve the boundaries between wall, ceiling, and decoration.

Wurzburg Residenz
Johann Balthasar Neumann
Wurzburg (southern germany)
1720
Baroque

fresco

• fresco - largest

  • not rlefious muruas

  • mytical goids + apollo + aristorcart = same plane as gods

    • has europe + asia + africa

    • aspects - shows Hasburg wealth

- painting celebrates sun god Apollo + aristocrats (placed together); shows different colonies where they got wealth from; architect is sleeping/relaxing

Vierzeheiligen
Johann Balthasar
Neumann
Near Bamberg
1744

Vierzeheiligen
Johann Balthasar
Neumann
Near Bamberg
1744

- basilican plan - like vro plan
- circular transcept
- apse: oval (top)

-freestanding pred = hold vault - lights - mysterious space

• circular bays, spherical triange at intersection
  - spherical triangles (black dots near nave)
  - church covered w plaster + ornamentation
  - 2 altars
  - gnadenaltar = prayed for sickness during plague

Exterior

• Facade treated with restraint compared to the exuberant interior.

• Central entrance bay projects slightly forward.

• Flanked by two tall bell towers.

• References Carolingian westworks.

Interior (Key Rococo Features)

• Colored marble surfaces.

• Undulating balconies create movement.

• Angels appear to float through space.

• Delicate, sinuous Rococo ornament.

• Rich sculptural decoration dissolves clear architectural boundaries.

• Emphasis on lightness, movement, and visual delight.

Why It Is Rococo

• Architecture, sculpture, ornament, and light merge together.

• Decorative richness obscures structural clarity.

• Organic forms replace strict classical order.

• Dynamic, flowing space creates a sense of motion and grace.

• Focus on elegance, delight, and sensory experience rather than Baroque monumentality.

Giambattista Nolli, La Planta Grande di Roma, 1784C

Giambattista Nolli, La Planta Grande di Roma, 1784C

otpics = trump

technqiue = serve faces

• optics = accurate map of rome = h of arisctsorc compeeitons

• doumjents optrics trep, built space

• iconogrpahics plan - not birds eye

• detail, sci method

• ingraving detals = very accurate, mult building w plan

• copper playes - 8m² - dense city w less denswe outer areas, distguish public vs privaye

ching ching

• prop = arc

• chi sci - communicate w Jesuits (go round the world _

• consqeunce = change in ulture

• new perspective = projection

nianxiyao

court officals = linen official - treatise - new space

• shi zue = geometry union

• visio - eye + view fixed

• like single perspective = change persp, on viewing shape

shì xué ("perspective") nián xīyáo

- treatise
- changed how people viewed perspective
- combined 3 perspectives

(gāoyuǎn (high distance);

shēnyuǎn (deep distance);

píngyuǎn (level distance))
- painting by Giuseppe Castiglione needs shadow

- painting by Giuseppe Castiglione needs shadow

• thruthful approacj

Xiyanglou
Giuseppe Castiglione and Michael Benoist
Beijing
1744-1772

basic

• commisoned by Qianlang in Yuasn ming yuan

• garden = NW garden - xiang lou - chinese versailies

• combines baroue (illsiopn of dpeth + scale) +

• chiense olf imperial trdition - azio length + river + order (material + decor)

• strip on northwest

• engracing - commsioned by Qian long
  
  

-large central gardent + gate + hill

animal fountains go off at certain times
- sequence: start on strip, thru gate on hill where can see perspective, over pond, so much difference between u and perspective wall (looks real)
- perspective wall: wife missed western china, wall has optical illusion that looked like it was there; did fool the eye - not invest in actual landsac pe - instead fool

• pavillion = destroyed by boxer pavillion

Xiyanglou
Giuseppe Castiglione and Michael Benoist
Beijing
1744-1772

17 & 19: Gate to Perspective Hill
- 18: Perspective Hill
- 20: Perspective Wall

Why are Baroque geometries so exuberant?

They emerge from Renaissance architectural language combined with new mathematical discoveries.

ow did Baroque architects use classical architecture?

They incorporated classical language into a larger, immersive multimedia experience.

How did Baroque architects reimagine the city?

They treated the city as a series of stages designed for movement, spectacle, and experience.

Why was Baroque architecture politically important?

: It was used as a form of propaganda to express power, authority, and influence.

what did Baroque architects emphasize most?

Affect, emotion, and the viewer’s sensory experience.

why bother?

• Exuberant geometries emerge from the historical

language of the Renaissance and new mathematical

discoveries.

• Baroque architects incorporate classical language

into a larger “multi-media” experience.

• Baroque architects reimagine the city as a series of

stages.

• Baroque architecture is used as a form of

propaganda.

• Baroque architects emphasize affect

James Turrell, “Aten Reign,” 201

James Turrell, “Aten Reign,” 201

mainpulate perception, spiral

turrel = built a stage - like guggenheim - spiral 2 heavemn