Chapter 53, Baroque Art of Europe

Baroque: a European art style characterized by a sense of drama.

53.8 Peter Paul Rubens, The elevation of the Cross

• Catholic painter

• composition is made up of diagonals, very different from a calm composition in the renaissance

53.9 Peter Paul Rubens, The Felicity of the Regency

• Marie de Medici is the woman in the center.

• very scandalous for her to be depicted with her breast out.

• she wants to be depicted as justice, drawing of greek goddesses which is why it is excused that her breast is there.

• high allegorical figures, dramatic

53.10 Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Cornaro Chapel with The Ecstasy of St. Teresa

• the central sculpture is the Ecstasy of St Teresa

• the woman was stabbed by an angel multiple times in the heavens but describes a sweet sensation despite the deep pain.

• supposed to have sexual innuendos

• this is why the Baroque period was famous because there was more on the table, included sexuality.

• Bernini wanted to mix painting and sculpture.

53.11 Gian Lorenzo Bernini, roundels in the floor of the Cornaro Chapel

• the whole chapel is meant to be theatrical including the floor

53.15 Jeronimo de Balbas, Alter of the Kings, metropolitan Cathedral, Mexico City

• Ultra-Baroque: related to baroque but even more robust

• Estipite: a column in the shape of an inverted cone or pyramid

• Retablo: ]

• baroque is spreading and changing

53.2 Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, The Calling of St Matthew

• Genre Painting: a category of painting depicting everyday life

• Tenebrism: a style of painting using very pronounced chiaroscuro, where there are strong contrasts of light and dark and where darkness becomes a dominant feature of the image.

• hand is in the creation of Adam in the sistine chapel.

• tax collectors counting the money

53.3 Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, David with the head of Goliath

• the head with blood is the head of Caravaggio

• the pope is determining if he should be beheaded

• very strong lights and darks

• the guy holding the head looks guilty and sad

53.4 Artemisia Genttileschi, Judith Slaying Holofernes

• Holofernes took a liking to jewish queen, Judith and invited her to his bedroom

• they come and behead him to help free their people.

• Judith is depicted as very strong and determined