Baroque, Dutch Golden Age, Americas, English 18th Century Visual and Contextual

Il Gesu (Church) Visual

extra wide nave with shallow side chapel
creates a large space for theatrical presentation for priests

Il Gesu Triumph of the Name of Jesus (Painting) Visual

Triumph of Name of Jesus is similar to Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel
both have painted architecture
blurred distinction between architecture and painting
Di Sotto in Su painting
when a drawing contains foreshortened figures on the ceiling, so it looks like they are right on top of you
figures appear to fall out of the sky
appeals to emotions, not intellect
painting expresses emotional drama with asymmetrical compositions
contrast between light and dark
message is that you must follow the name Jesus to be saved, or be damned to the darkness and fall from the sky like the figures on ceiling
dramatic, theatrical
diagonals

Il Gesu, including Triumph of the Name of Jesus ceiling fresco

baroque means irregular
baroque art is created in response to Protestant reformation
patronage is either Church of aristocracy
Il Gesu is glorification of the name Jesus
principle church of the Jesuit order, which is part of the Catholic church
more devout division of the catholic church
fought against Protestant Reformation
patron is Cardinal Farnese, the grandson of Pope Paul III
Farnese’s name is carved above doorway
has IHS, an interpretation of Jesus’s name
church was made after the Council of Trent
formal Roman Catholic reply to the Protestant Reformation
trying to revitalize Catholic Church and make Protestant Reformation lose popularity
looks ornamental but classical materials are used
classical corinthian columns, may be spoilia
Italian Baroque

Calling of Saint Matthew Visual

Christ is on far right, Saint Peter is in front of him
Christ is pointing
ode to Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel
environment is a dirty, dark room
Christ is painted in an earthly realistic scene
Christ is looking for Matthew
there are other tax-collectors, greedily counting their money
not a heavenly scene
figures not idealized
contemporary setting, people are wearing expensive clothing
diagonal light
diagonals are common in Baroque art
emotional, dramatic, theatrical
saintly figures have earthly realistic depictions
shocks the Church, because saints are normally glorified

Calling of Saint Matthew Contextual

painted for a chapel
image from the New Testament
Christ summons tax-collector Levi, who will become Saint Matthew
tax-collectors are not noble occupations
Carvaggio is famous for tenebrism light, extreme contrast between light and dark

San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane Visual

undulating makes it appear in a wave like motion
convex and concave walls are next to each other
characteristic of Borromini
interconnection between various geometric shapes on interior
Borromini is known for curvy linear stone buildings

San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane Contextual

translation is Church of Saint Charles of the 4 Fountains
at intersection of road, there are four fountains
small church built by Borromini for FREE
Borromini is supportive of the Trinitarians
Trinitarians are another Catholic religious order
focuses on Trinity
1 God, father, son, and holy spirit
promotes Catholicism
Baroque art has undulating curvy irregular forms

Ecstasy of Saint Teresa Cornaro Chapel, Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria Visual

Saint Teresa was canonized 1622
wrote down her stories about her visions of angels that brought her religious ecstasy
mystical experience
Hellenistic drama

Ecstasy of Saint Teresa Cornaro Chapel, Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria Contextual

Bernini was very religious and interested in set design and theatrical productions
he brings together sculpture, architecture, colored marble, frescos, and stained glass
Corronado family are the patrons
carved into the balconies on each side of work
attempting to involve viewer into a religious experience
promoting ideas against protestantism

Henri IV Receives the Portrait of Marie de Medici, from the Marie de Medici Cycle Visual

Marie is in the painting
either side of painting are gods of marriage and love
Cupid and Hymen
gods are presenting the portrait to Henri IV
Hymen has torch in left hand, meaning love
Henri is shown excited/smitten
Jupiter and Juno are at the top (king and queen of Olympian gods)
they look down at reunion with approval
aka divine approval
Jupiter is subdued by love, so Henri will be too
behind Henri is the personification of France (woman in blue)
wears a blue silk garment with gold fleur de lys
fleur de lys is sign of France
France urges Henri IV to leave the battlefield and fulfill his domestic duties
he leaves his shield and helmet on ground next to the cherubs
France is telling Henri that he should marry Marie
dramatic, asymmetrical, contrast between light and dark, union of gods/figures with real people

Henri IV Receives the Portrait of Marie de Medici, from the Marie de Medici Cycle Contextual

Marie commissioned Rubens to paint 24 of these paintings to hang in her Luxembourg palace in 1622
husband is Henri, who was a French king killed in 1610
Marie acted as regent for her young son
she loved the position but there are tensions between her son and French noble
she is exiled from Paris
she is kicked out from court
she commissions these paintings to boost her reputation
legitimacy and status

Palace at Versailles Visual

busts of him throughout the house
ceilings have King Louis with Greek gods to show power
outside is classical, symmetrical
borrows elements from Classical Ancient Greek temples

Palace at Versailles Contextual

Versailles is 10 miles south of Paris
originally was King Louis 14 dad’s hunting lodge
King Louis transforms hunting lodge into palace
took 21 years to complete
ornate and enormous
hall of mirrors was main reception room
supposed to emphasize King Louis’s important
he moved official seat of government to Versailles to control the nobles
makes everything a ritual at Versailles
called himself the Sun King
believed that everything should revolve around him
palace and gardens are on a east west axis
parallel between king and sun
most rooms have marble and gold paintings
they had to wait for King to wake up, sleep, etc
most famous room is Hall of Mirrors, which reflect the sun and king
used as a passageway for King to walk to his private chapel
people lined up here to beg the King a favor
King uses classical architecture to remind people of the greatness of Greeks and Romans
he wants to be like them
rules 72 years

Angel with Arquebus, Asiel Timor Dei Visual

angel has a rifle instead of sword
dressed as rich Andean aristocrat clothing
large balloon like sleeves
plumed feather hat, since feathers = royalty

Angel with Arquebus, Asiel Timor Dei Contextual

arquebus is first gun to be shot from shoulder
type of gun
during this time period, only the military was allowed to use gold/silver on their clothing
angel is portrayed in a military pose
after Spanish conquest, guns came
represents aristocracy and military coming together to end pre Hispanic religions
force natives to worship Catholicism
Catholic Counter Reformation
church is army
angels are soldiers
in Catholic teachings, angels explain functions of cosmos
like sacred indigenous beings
paintings of angels with guns represent power of Spanish over the natives
people feel protected

Las Meninas Visual

door in back is open with a man, believed to be the chamberlain to the queen
no focal point
showing royal family in candid aspect of daily life

Las Meninas Contextual

court painter for King Philip IV
famous painter
Baroque painting of a painting
muted colors, tenebrism, very painterly
depicting Princess Margarita with her ladies in waiting along with a dwa??
Velazquez is back, a mirror shows King and Queen of Spain
unknown meaning
self portrait = big ego
trying to elevate his status by painting himself in same image as loyalty
red cross on his coat was added later in 1659 because Velazquez was knighted
Order of Santiago
back wall has 2 Rubens paintings because Velazquez admired Rubens

Screen with the Siege of Belgrade and hunting scene Visual

one side is Battle of Belgrade in 1688
victory demonstrates Spain’s power
other side is a hunting scene where men and wives see viceroy (men and wives are split by screen) where men see viceroy and wives see hunting screen
uses enconchado, aka shell inlay

Screen with the Siege of Belgrade and hunting scene Contextual

reflects trade between Japan, Spanish governed Philippines and New Spain (Mexico) and Spain
shows Spain’s colonization of the world, aka power
bring back byoba/biombos from Japan (the folding screens)
Japanese word translate to protection from wind
early JP screens arrived in Mexico City and became a popular luxury good
owner of screen was Viceroy of New Spain

The Virgin of Guadalupe Visual

she is covered in mother of pearl (enconchado idea from Japan)
shows Manila Galleon Trade between New Spain (MX), Philippines, Japan, and Spain
her complexion is darker to make it more relatable to indigenous people
Spanish settlers try to convert indigenous to Catholicism
¾ view, hands clasped, eyes downcast
modest
she is standing on crescent moon held up by an angel
4 corners shows the story of Juan Diego
aka the roses
above virgin is a dove, symbolizes holy spirit
eagle on cactus = Aztec culture
trying to appeal to indigenous
frame with red and gold symbols of virgin mary
ladder represents Jacob’s ladder to paradise
lily = purity
Japanese lacquerware also used enconchados with red and gold colors
copied by new world artists

The Virgin of Guadalupe Contextual

story of Juan Diego
Dec 1531, Juan Diego walks across land and sees a woman who speaks to him in his native language of Nahuatl
says that she is Virgin Mary and he should build a missionary by telling Bishop
Bishop does not believe him, so Virgin Mary appears like 4 times and tells Diego to pick roses
Diego has tilma full of roses and appears before Bishop
the tilma shown to the Bishop has an image of Mary, so the Bishop believes him and builds a shrine
after this, devotion to Virgin of Guadalupe increases

Spaniard and Indian Produce a Mestizo Visual

woman wears a huipil, a traditional indigenous dress
pure blood Spaniard is best dressed, etc
one child is a servant
family appears calm and harmonious, however as you progress in painting numbers, families are less happy and not ideal
meaning more mixing = poor/bad

Spaniard and Indian Produce a Mestizo Contextual

casta painting, aka caste systems
paintings are attempts to document interethnic mixing in New Spain
casta paintings typically depict mother, father, and child
holy family
casta paintings were labeled with number and inscription, produced in sets of 16
first one is usually a Spanish man and an elite indigenous woman with their offspring, a mestizo
mixing increases as casta paintings progress???
more european = more top of society u are
social status is tied to race
created for elites, viceroys, and Spanish government officials

Self-Portrait with Saskia Visual

Rembrandt wears a fancy plumed beret and a fur trim overcoat
Saskia (his wife) wears an old fashioned veil
half link (half of body is shown)
seated at table
Rembrandt looks directly at viewer with serious expression
Saskia sits behind him because she is smaller and more ink on Rembrandt
1st time Rembrandt presents himself as an artist at work
he holds chalk and is shown drawing

Self-Portrait with Saskia Contextual

they are wearing 16th century clothing, but etching was in 17th century
characteristic of Rembrandt’s style, he liked depicting old clothing
marriage portrait
Rembrandt met Saskia through cousin
she died at 30
only etching that shows Rembrandt and Saskia together
Rembrandt is greatest etcher and first to popularize etching

Woman Holding Balance Visual

woman is dressed in fashion of the day
pearls and gold coins on table
she is holding a balance
painting behind her is the Last Judgment
her head divides those who go to Heaven and Hell
Catholic household, since Protestants do not have large paintings
bare and simple unlike the ornate painting !

Woman Holding Balance Contextual

scene that reflects rising Dutch merchant middle class
domestic netherlands scene, characteristic of Vermeer
message is that she is trying to balance religion and accumulation of wealth
Vermeer was Catholic in Protestant Holland
expensive pigments (even though he was poor)
only 34 paintings credited to him because he took long time to paint
debate on whether he used a camera obscura or not
everyday objects are used to communicate a moral message
Catholic church is not patron of these Dutch paintings

Fruit and Insects Visual

asymmetrical
light and dark = tenebrism
vanitas - moral messages
transience of life
reminds people to not become attached to materialistic worldly pleasures
only way to reach salvation is to be devoted to God
life is fleeting, not permanent

Fruit and Insects Contextual

still life = common
fine details and brushstrokes
smooth and realistic
she specialized in painting flowers, fruit, and bugs
her father was famous scientist in botany and entomology
he encouraged her scientifically accurate paintings
most paintings were sold to merchant class (not bought by Catholic Church)

The Tete a Tete, from Marriage a la Mode Visual

the son is tired from womanizing
dog symbolizes loyalty, dog is sniffing out women on him
the daughter has messy clothes
both are behaving immorally
black dot on son’s face represents syphilis, STD
people died from it
the daughter gets syphilis and the baby gets it, and in the end everyone dies!!!!!! rich
paintings used to make fun of aristocracy

The Tete a Tete, from Marriage a la Mode Contextual

from a series of 6 paintings, then turned into etchings/engravings sold to middle class
narrative with specific details to keep you entertained
moral painting that satirizes upper class and modern marriages for economic reasons
aristocracy was declining, had no money
married members from rising merchant class
Lord Squanderfield (squandered inheritance) meets with merchant middle class
his son marries merchant’s daughter to get money, while the daughter gets a title
son on right, daughter in middle
making fun of rich people who fool around with money