Baroque Architecture

Baroque Architecture

A highly ornate and elaborate style of architecture, art, and design that flourished in 17th-early 18th century Europe, characterized by theatricality, exuberance, and grandeur.

Movement
Unity
Drama

Key Characteristic

curvilinear plans, elliptical domes, and concave convex façades
Light and shadow contrasts (chiaroscuro)
Integration of painting, sculpture, and architecture
Colossal columns and broken pediments
frescoes, stucco, gilding, and mirrors
Dynamic composition

Key Features

Chiaroscuro Lighting

This Key Feature that showcase dramatic light/shadow contrast

Lavish layers of sculptures
tapestries
chandeliers
gilded walls
painted ceilings

Baroque Interior Design

Rococo

Late Baroque style; ornate and theatrical but less visually heavy.

Palace of Versailles

Grand Baroque palace built 1661–1715 by Louis Le Vau, Jules Hardouin-Mansart, André Le Nôtre; symbol of King Louis XIV's absolute power.

St Paul’s Cathedral

London cathedral (1675–1710) by Sir Christopher Wren; blends Baroque and classical, with majestic dome and dynamic façade.

Royal Palace of Caserta

the largest royal residence in the world, the architect is  Luigi Vanvitelli, Built for the Bourbon kings of Naples as a symbol of power and opulence.

Church of Santa Susanna

Rebuilt by Italian architect Carlo Maderno in 1603, this church and monastery is a crucial building in the history of Italian Baroque.

Carlo Maderno

Italian architect who rebuilt Church of Santa Susanna in Rome, combining classical restraint with Baroque dynamism.

Rome, Italy, in the early 17th century.

Where and when did Baroque architecture originate?

Large domes, intricate motifs, gilded sculptures, curved walls, frescoes, vaulted ceilings, mansard roofs, and chiaroscuro lighting.

What are typical features of Baroque architecture?

Louis Le Vau, Jules Hardouin-Mansart, André Le Nôtre (landscape).

Who were the main architects of Versailles?