Baroque art. What was she like?

Baroque art: basic information

Baroque art dominated in Europe from the end of the 16th century to the first half of the 20th century. Eighteenth century. Its name comes from the Portuguese “barroco” – a term for a large pearl with irregular shapes. Baroque as a cultural formation was just like that – decorative, flaunting colors and shapes, sometimes even overly expressive. Renaissance ideals have been replaced here by the desire to maximize the impact on the recipient, amaze him and delight him. It is no coincidence that baroque architecture and art were eagerly used by the Catholic Church after the Council of Trent – beautiful buildings, sculptures and paintings became an element that helped to compete with Protestantism in its numerous fractions.

What are the features of baroque art?

What are the features of baroque art? It is worth starting with the fact that we can talk about baroque art, painting, sculpture, but also about literature, music and intellectual formation. Baroque art was not a simple contradiction of Renaissance moderation. Even in works such as Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment, a harbinger of baroque art was seen. Renaissance harmony was changed into the desire to influence the senses and imagination of the viewer. Hence the monumentalism of the building, numerous decorations and the use of light and perspective in painting. It is worth knowing that the art of the Baroque:

• used types of buildings developed in the Renaissance, but with an emphasis on monumentalism, panache, rich ornamentation
• she willingly used kinks, lumps, columns, turrets and very decorative columns
• it is full of splendor
• she was eager to use contrast
• she rediscovered the importance of the garden as an architectural element

Baroque architecture – examples

What was the baroque architecture like? Examples of such implementations can be found all over Europe, up to Russia. Even in Nowy Świat, secular and church buildings in the baroque style appeared. The most characteristic buildings, however, can be found in Italy, France or today’s Germany. Also in Poland, the number of interesting baroque buildings is very large.

St. Peter and Paul in Krakow Angelika Mu / Shutterstock

Undoubtedly, the Church of Il Gesù in Rome was very important for religious architecture. The temple with its characteristic façade has become a model for churches all over Europe. An example is the Church of St. Peter and Paul in Krakow. Baroque elements can also be found in the architecture of St. Peter in Rome – the colonnade in St. Peter, designed by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini. An example of a monumental baroque construction is also the royal palace in Versailles in the suburbs of Paris, which became a symbol of French absolutism and Louis XIV as the ruler.

Versailles. The Palace of Versailles in France is the most famous building of Baroque Classicism in the world. The palace is visited by 5,900,000 people annually. Shutterstock

Other examples of baroque buildings include:

• church of Santa Maria della Salute in Venice
• church of st. Charles Borromeo in Vienna
• church of st. Nicholas in Prague
• Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna
• Zwinger Palace in Dresden
• Piazza Navona in Rome
• Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam
• St. Paul in London
• church of st. Peter and Paul in Vilnius
• facade of the Louvre museum in Paris

Piazza Navona in Rome photo: Shutterstock

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Baroque culture in Poland – examples of buildings

What did the baroque culture in Poland stand out for when it comes to construction? Monuments of this style are scattered throughout the country. Speech incl. about buildings such as:

• the Bernardine Church in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska,
• church of st. Anna in Krakow
• the Visitationist Church in Warsaw
• palace in Wilanów
• the palace of the Krakow bishops in Kielce
• Krasiński Palace in Warsaw
• Royal Castle in Warsaw

Royal Castle in Warsaw Photo Maciek Jaźwiecki / Agencja Gazeta

Baroque art – painting

What else do we mean by the term “baroque art”? is another important topic. Characteristic for him were chiaroscuro, rich symbolism and illusionism. Here, too, the idea was to make a great impression on the viewer. Works on religious themes were painted, as well as portraits, allegorical and mythological. Landscapes and still lifes were also popular. Apart from Italy, very important centers of baroque painting were Spain, France and the Netherlands. The most important artists are:

• Caravaggio
• Pietro da Cortona
• Giovanni Battista Tieppolo
• Diego Velazquez
• Antoon van Dyck
• Rembrandt van Riijn
• Frans Hals
• Charles Le Brun
• Antoin e Watteau

‘Judith Beheading Holofernes’, Caravaggio 1598-1599, oil on canvas 145 × 195 cm, in the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica collection Photo Wikipedia / Public Domain

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