Unit 3.3

The Church of Gesù, including Triumph of the Name of Jesus Ceiling Fresco Gesu is Mother Church Giovanni Battista Gauli Giacomo da Vignola & Giacomo Della Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the new-found Jesuit religion, needed a church to serve as the religion’s center scared into believing

Form:

• Brick, marble, stucco, fresco; single nave with side chapels

• Dramatic ceiling illusionism by Gaulli (Triumph of the Name of Jesus)

Content:

• Ceiling shows angels and sinners swirling toward divine light (IHS monogram)

• Unified architecture, sculpture, and painting

• Single aisle church

• Has side chapels

• Church is in a cruciform plan ( the transept is not that long)

• Dark interior

Function:

• Mother church of the Jesuit Order; inspire faith and awe through emotion

Historical Context:

• Rome, 16th–17th centuries (Vignola & della Porta architects, Gaulli fresco c. 1676–1679)

• Counter-Reformation art emphasizing drama and devotion

The Calling of Saint Matthew (Caravaggio)

Form:

• Oil on canvas; intense chiaroscuro and naturalism

• Tenebrist lighting highlights spiritual revelation

Content:

• Christ points to Matthew (a tax collector), calling him to discipleship

• Realistic figures in contemporary clothing

• Jesus christ seen pointing at Matthew (replicating the hand of Adam in Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam)

• Peter’s pointing is slightly more assertive than Christ’s

Function:

• Inspire personal conversion and faith; Counter-Reformation emphasis on divine grace

Historical Context:

• Rome, c. 1597–1601 CE

• Italian Baroque—Caravaggio revolutionized art with realism and dramatic light

• Jesus Christ called a tax collector to become a disciple

San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane (Borromini)

Form:

• Stone; undulating façade, oval dome with geometric coffers

• Dynamic curves and white interior create movement

Content:

• Complex geometry; ovals and circles symbolize divine perfection

Function:

• Small church for Trinitarian order

Historical Context:

• Rome, 1638–1646 CE

• Borromini’s innovative architecture embodied Baroque emotion and complexity

Ecstasy of Saint Teresa (Bernini)

Form:

• Marble, stucco, and gilt bronze; theatrical light and motion

• Sculptural group within architectural setting

Content:

• Saint Teresa pierced by angel’s arrow—spiritual and physical ecstasy

• Naturalistic folds and emotional intensity

Function:

• Inspire faith through sensory and emotional experience

Historical Context:

• Cornaro Chapel, Rome, 1647–1652 CE

• Bernini merged sculpture, architecture, and theater—key Baroque masterpiece

Woman Holding a Balance (Vermeer)

Form:

• Oil on canvas; quiet interior scene with balanced composition and soft light

• Subtle use of perspective and symbolism

Content:

• Woman weighs valuables before a Last Judgment painting

• Symbolizes spiritual balance and moral choice

Function:

• Genre scene with moral message about moderation and virtue

Historical Context:

• Netherlands, c. 1664 CE

• Dutch Baroque—emphasis on everyday life and moral reflection

Self-Portrait with Saskia (Rembrandt)

Form:

• Etching; fine linework, light and shadow for depth

• Intimate composition of artist and wife

Content:

• Rembrandt with his wife Saskia; informal, personal image

Function:

• Experiment in self-portraiture; showcase identity and printmaking skill

Historical Context:

• Netherlands, 1636 CE

• Dutch Baroque—rise of middle-class patronage and self-representation

Fruit and Insects (Rachel Ruysch)

Form:

• Oil on wood; precise realism, balanced composition

• Careful observation of natural detail

Content:

• Still life of fruit, wheat, and insects—symbolizing seasons and abundance

Function:

• Showcase wealth, beauty of nature, and vanitas themes

Historical Context:

• Netherlands, 1711 CE

• Female artist during Dutch Golden Age; scientific interest in nature

Henri IV Receives the Portrait of Marie de’ Medici (Rubens)

Form:

• Oil on canvas; dynamic composition, glowing color, swirling movement

Content:

• Henry IV gazes at Marie’s portrait; gods celebrate the match

• Mix of mythological and political imagery

Function:

• Glorify Marie de’ Medici’s political power and marriage

Historical Context:

• Flanders, 1621–1625 CE

• Commissioned by Marie de’ Medici; Flemish Baroque propaganda

The Palace at Versailles

Form:

• Masonry, stone, gold, gardens, sculpture; axial symmetry

• Lavish interior with Hall of Mirrors

Content:

• Architecture and gardens expressing absolute monarchy

Function:

• Royal residence; symbol of Louis XIV’s power and divine right

Historical Context:

• Versailles, France, 1669 CE, architects Le Vau & Hardouin-Mansart

• French Baroque grandeur and control

Las Meninas (Diego Velázquez)

Form:

• Oil on canvas; complex spatial composition and lighting

• Naturalistic realism combined with self-reference

Content:

• Infanta Margarita surrounded by attendants, painter includes himself

• Reflection of king and queen in mirror

Function:

• Elevate painting and the artist’s status

Historical Context:

• Madrid, 1656 CE

• Spanish Baroque masterpiece exploring reality and illusion

Angel with Arquebus (Asiel Timor Dei)

Form:

• Oil on canvas; Andean Baroque style mixing European and indigenous motifs

• Elaborate costume with metallic detailing

Content:

• Angel holding a gun (arquebus); blend of religion and military imagery

Function:

• Reinforce Catholic faith and divine protection in the Americas

Historical Context:

• Peru (La Paz School), c. 17th century

• Spanish Colonial art merging Christian and Andean traditions

Screen with Siege of Belgrade and Hunting Scene

Form:

• Tempera and resin on wood; folding screen with Japanese biombo influence

• Shell inlay (enconchado technique)

Content:

• One side: Habsburg battle; other side: leisure hunting scene

Function:

• Decorative piece dividing space in a viceroy’s palace

Historical Context:

• Mexico, 1697–1701 CE

• Commissioned for the Mexican viceroy; reflects global trade and cultural fusion

La Virgen de Guadalupe (Miguel González)

Form:

• Oil on canvas with mother-of-pearl inlay (enconchado)

• Luminous surface and symbolic imagery

Content:

• Virgin of Guadalupe surrounded by Marian imagery and miracles

Function:

• Promote devotion; symbol of Mexican identity and faith

Historical Context:

• Mexico, c. 1698 CE

• Colonial religious art blending European and indigenous traditions

Frontispiece of the Codex Mendoza

Form:

• Ink and color on paper; Aztec pictograms with Spanish annotations

Content:

• Founding of Tenochtitlán; tribute lists; Aztec rulers

Function:

• Record Aztec history for Spanish authorities

Historical Context:

• Mexico City, 1541–1542 CE

• Made after conquest to inform the Spanish crown about Aztec culture

Spaniard and Indian Produce a Mestizo

Form:

• Oil on canvas; soft color and balanced composition

• Part of casta painting tradition

Content:

• Spanish father, indigenous mother, and their mixed-race child

Function:

• Illustrate racial hierarchy in colonial New Spain

Historical Context:

• Mexico, c. 1715 CE

• Reflects Enlightenment interest in taxonomy and colonial racial order