ch 24 baroque notes

8/12/2019 Ch 24 Baroque Notes

1/31

Chapter 24 Baroque Art - NotesThe cultural production of the 17th and early 18th centuries in the West is often described asBaroque, a convenient blanket term. However, this term is problematic because the periodencompasses a broad range of developments, both historical, and artistic, across an e pansivegeographical territory. !lthough its origin is unclear, the term may have come from the

"ortuguese word barroco, meaning an irregularity shaped pearl. #se of the term baro$ueemerged in the late 18th and 1%th centuries when critics disparaged the &aro$ue period's artistic production, in large part because of the perceived deficiencies in comparison to the art of the period preceding it. (ver time, this negative connotation faded, and the term is now most oftenused as a general designation of the period. )ome scholars use &aro$ue to describe a particularstyle that emerged during the 17th century. *t was a style of comple ity and drama that isusually associated with *talian art of the period. The dynamism and e travagance of this&aro$ue style contrast with the rational order of classicism. +ot all artists adopted this styleduring the &aro$ue period.

*n our study, because of the diversity of styles in the various cultures of the period, &aro$uewill be used to describe the characteristics associated with a particular culture, such as, *talian&aro$ue or utch &aro$ue.

(ne historian claims that between 1- / and 17/1, all of 0urope only had peace for four years.The ma or conflict was the Thirty 2ears War that was rooted in conflict between militant3atholics and "rotestants that grew into secular, dynastic, and nationalistic reasons. The resultwas a ma or restructuring of 0urope. The formation of the #nited "rovinces of the +etherlands4the utch 5epublic6, )weden and rance e panded their authority )pain's and enmark's

power diminished. The building of nation9states was underway. *n addition to thereconfiguring territorial boundaries, the Treaty of Westphalia in essence granted freedom ofreligious choice throughout 0urope. The treaty thus marked the abandonment of the idea ofa united Christian Europe, which was rep aced by the practica rea ities of secu arpo itica systems!

&y the 17th century, 0uropean societies began to coordinate their long distance trade moresystematically. The allure of e panding markets, rising profits, and access to a wider range ofgoods contributed to the relentless economic competition between countries. :uch of thefoundation for worldwide mercantilism 9 e tensive voyaging and geographic e ploration,improved cartography, and advances in shipbuilding 9 was laid in the previous century. *n fact

by the end of the 1 th century, all ma or trade routes had been established.

*n the 17th century changes in financial systems, lifestyles, and trading patterns, along withe panding colonialism, fueled the creation of a worldwide marketplace. The utch founded the

bank of !msterdam in 1 ;%, which eventually became the center of 0uropean transfer banking.&y establishing a system in which merchant firms held money on account, the bank relievedtraders of having to transfer precious metals as payment. !s a result trading became more


2/31

comple and could involve many parties rather than simple e changes between two or three parties. :any new goods became available. 3offee from island colonies, tea from china, andsugar e ploded in popularity. )ugar, along with tobacco, and rice, were slave crops, and theslave trade e panded to accommodate demand for these goods. !fricans were enslaved andimported to 0uropean colonies and the !mericas to provide the labor for producing thesecommodities.

The worldwide mercantile system permanently changed the face of 0urope. The prosperitysuch trading generated, affected social and political relationships, necessitating new rules ofeti$uette and careful diplomacy. "ith increased disposab e income, more of the new ywea thy spent money on art #amon$ other thin$s%, e&pandin$ the number of possib esources of patrona$e! By '()), the $rowth of the moneyed c ass had contributedsi$nificant y to the emer$ence of *ococo, a decorati+e sty e associated with the wea thyand aristocratic!

'(th Century ta ian BaroqueWhat to do about the considerable appeal of "rotestantism in the succeeding century occupiedthe 3atholic 3hurch even into the 17th century. With the popes and clergy still continuing asma or patrons of the arts, as in the previous centuries, much of *talian &aro$ue art was aimed at

propagandistically restoring 3atholicism's predominance and centrality. "hereas ta ian*enaissance artists often had re+e ed in the precise, order y rationa ity of c assica mode s,ta ian Baroque artists embraced a more dynamic and comp ete aesthetic! urin$ the'(th century, dramatic theatrica ity, $randiose sca e, and e aborate ornateness, a used tospectacu ar effect, characteri.ed ta ian Baroque art and architecture! "apal 5ome's

importance as the cradle of *talian &aro$ue art further suggests the role art played in supportingthe aims of the 3hurch. "rotestant ob ection to using images in religious worship was firmlyresisted by the 3atholic 3hurch, insisting on their necessity for teaching the laity. Therefore*talian &aro$ue art commissioned by the 3hurch was not merely decorative but didactic as well.

The popes of the late 1 th and 17th centuries contributed much to reestablishing the preeminence of the 3atholic 3hurch. They were responsible for building what is the moderncity of 5ome. The papal treasury commissioned art and architecture that embodied the renewedenergy of the 3atholic 3ounter95eformation and communicated to its populace.

ArchitectureThe facade designed by Car o /aderno #'001-'12 % at the turn of the century for the 5omanchurch of 3anta 3usanna , stands as one of the earliest manifestations of the &aro$ue spirit.The facade emphasi


3/31

)anta )usanna's vigorously pro ecting columns and pilasters mount dramatically toward thestressed central a is. The recessed niches, which contain statues, heighten the sculptural effect.

3aint eter5sThe drama of )anta )usanna's facade appealed to "ope "aul = 41 ;-91 /16, whocommissioned :aderno in 1 ; to complete )aint "eter's in 5ome. !s the symbolic seat of the

papacy, )aint "eter's radiated enormous symbolic presence, and needed to be finished.

*n many ways :aderno>s facade of )aint "eter's is a gigantic e pansion of the elements of)anta )usanna's first level. &ut the compactness and verticality of the smaller church's facadeare not as prominent because the e pansive width in )aint "eter's counterbalances them. The

pree isting core of an incomplete building restricted :aderno, so he did not have the lu ury offormulating a totally new concept for )aint "eter's. His design for the facade was also never

fully e ecuted. The two outside bell tower bays were not part of :aderno's original plan.Hence, had the facade been constructed according to the architect's initial design, it would haveestablished greater verticality and coherence.

:aderno's plan also departed from the central plans designed by &ramante and :ichelangeloduring the 5enaissance. )eventeenth century clergy re ected a central plan for )aint "eter's

because of its association with pagan buildings, such as the "antheon. "aul = commissioned:aderno to add three nave bays to the earlier nucleus. The longitudinal plan reinforced thesymbolic distinction between clergy and laity and provided space for the processions of evergrowing assemblies. ?engthening the nave, unfortunately, pushed the dome further back fromthe facade and the effect :ichelangelo had planned 9 a structure pulled together and dominated

by its dome is not readily visible. When viewed at close range, the dome hardly emerges abovethe facades soaring frontal plane seen from far back, it appears to have no drum. =isitors mustmove back $uite a distance from the front to see the drum and dome together and e perience theeffect :ichelangelo intended.

BerniniThe design of )aint "eter's was finally completed 4e cept for details6 by @ianloren


4/31

terminate in severely classical temple fronts. The dramatic gesture of embrace that thecolonnades make as viewers enter the pia


5/31

&ernini's a+id, predates his work at )aint "eter's and was commissioned by 3ardinal)cipione &orghese. This marble statue aims at catching the figure's split second action anddiffers markedly from the figures of avid presented by onatello, =errocchio, and:ichelangelo. &ernini shows avid with his muscular legs widely and firmly planted, and is

beginning the violent, pivoting motion that will launch the stone from the sling. Berninise ected the most dramatic of an imp ied sequence of poses, so obser+ers ha+e to thinksimu taneous y of the continuum and of this tiny fraction of it! This is not the kind ofscu pture that can be inscribed in a cy inder or confined in a niche6 its indicated actiondemands space around it! +or is it self sufficient in the 5enaissance sense, as its pose andattitude direct the the viewer's attention beyond it to its surroundings. avid's intense ga


6/31


7/31

@uarini's mathematical talents must have guided him when he designed the e traordinarilycomple dome of the Chape of the 3antissima 3indone #


8/31

participating in them. The sense of inclusion is augmented by the low horis paintin$ technique has been ca ed tenebrism ! Theword comes from the ta ian word tenebroso, or ?shadowy@ manner! !lthough tenebrismwas widespread in 17th century art, it was especially strong in )pain and the +etherlands. Thetenebrism in 3aravaggio>s work usually had great meaning. *n 3onversion of )aint "aul thelight is divine revelation converting "aul to 3hristianity.

*n 1 ;B, 3aravaggio produced a large scale painting, Entombment, for the 3hapel of "ietro=ittrice at )anta :aria in =allicella in 5ome. This work includes all the hallmarks of3aravaggio's distinctive styleF the plebeian figures, the stark use of light and dark, and the

invitation of the viewer to participate in the scene. The action takes place in the foreground.The artist positioned the figures on a stone slab whose corner appears to e tend into theviewer's space suggesting that 3hrist's body will be laid directly in front of the viewer.

This moving composition also had theological implications. With 3ounter95eformationconcerns, this image gives visual form to the 3atholic doctrine of transubstantiation 4thetransformation of the 0ucharistic bread and wine into the &ody and &lood of 3hrist6, and wasre ected by "rotestants. &y depicting 3hrist's body as though it were physically present duringthe :ass, 3aravaggio visually articulated the abstract theological concept.

Artemisia 9enti eschi3aravaggio's combination of naturalism and drama became very popular. Those who weregreatly influenced by him were called Cara+a$$ista! (ne of those was Artemisia 9enti eschi#'0 ;-'10;%! @entileschi was instructed by her father (ra


9/31

*n contrast to 3aravaggio, Anniba e Carracci #'01)-'1) %, not only studied, but also emulatedthe 5enaissance masters carefully. 3arracci received much of his training at the academy of artin his native &ologna. ounded cooperatively by his family members, the Bo o$nese Academywas the first si$nificant institution of its kind in the history of "estern art! *t was foundedon the premise that art can be taught and that its instruction must include the classical and5enaissance traditions in addition to the study of anatomy and life drawing. 3arracci embraceda more classically ordered style while 3aravaggio's style was more naturalistic.

*n 7 i$ht into E$ypt, based on the &iblical narrative from :atthew /F1B91A, 3arracci createdthe ideal or classical landscape that represented nature as ordered by divine and human reason.The roots of the style are in =enetian 5enaissance paintings, the pastoral. The viewer is ledfrom the foreground to the background and eventually to the architectural setting of the castle.)uch constructed environments captured ideali


10/31

the glory of the &arberini family 4 and #rban *** in particular6. The iconographic program forthis fresco, designed by the poet rancesco &racciolini, centered on the accomplishments of the&arberini. ivine "rovidence appears in a halo of radiant light directing *mmortality, holding acrown of stars, to bestow eternal life on the &arberini family. The laurel wreath 4also a symbolof immortality6 reinforces the enduring &arberini legacy. *t floats around bees and is supported

by aith, Hope, and 3harity. The papal tiara and keys announcing personal triumph of #rban*** are also clearly visible.

7ra Andrea o..o7ra Andrea o..o #'142-'() % was a lay brother in the Eesuit order and master of perspective,on which he wrote an influential treatise. "o


11/31

Bartho omew is grim and dark in sub ect and form. 0 ecutioners are hoisting into position)aint &artholomew, who is about to suffer the torture of being skinned alive. The saint's rough,heavy body and swarthy, plebeian features e press a kinship between him and his tormentors.The concept of ideali


12/31

?as :eninas is noteworthy for its visual and narrative comple ity. !rt historians do not agreeon any single interpretation or reading. ! central issue is what is taking place in ?as :eninasI*n the painting, what is =ela


13/31


14/31

Henry *=, the first of the &ourbon ings of rance. )he commissioned 5ubens to paint a seriesmemoriali


15/31

Anthony Dan yck #'0 -'14'% was the most famous of 5uben's assistants that became oneof his successors. 0arly on =an yck, the younger man, unwilling to be overshadowed by theundisputed stature of his master, left !ntwerp, eventually settling in ?ondon, where he becamethe court portraitist to 3harles *. "ortraits became his specialty. He developed a courtly mannerof great elegance that was influential internationally. *n one of his finest works,Char es ismounted, the ill fated )tuart king stands in a landscape with the river Thames inthe background. !n e$uerry and a page attend 3harles *. !lthough the king impersonates anobleman out for a casual ride in his park, no one can mistake the regal pose and the air ofabsolute authority that his "arliament resented and was soon to rise against. Here, ing 3harlesturns his back on his attendants as he surveys his domain. The king's placement in thecomposition is e tremely artful. He stands off center but balances the picture with a single keenglance at the viewer. =an yck even managed to portray 3harles * in a position to look downon the observer. *n reality, the monarch's short stature forced him to e ert his power in waysother than physical. =an yke>s elegant style resounded in 0nglish portrait painting well intothe 1%th century.

C ara eeters #'0 4-'10(% was a lemish artist who spent time in Holland and was a pioneerin the field of still life painting, laying the groundwork for future utch still life painters. )hewas particularly renowned for her depictions of food and flowers together, as well as, still lifesthat included bread and fruit. )uch still lifes became known as breakfast pieces. 3ti ife with7 owers, 9ob et, ried 7ruit, and ret.e s, displays "eeters considerable skills.

The utch *epub icThe ascendance of the utch 5epublic during the 17th century was largely due to economic

prosperity !msterdam had the highest per capita income in 0urope. *t emerged as the financialcenter of the continent. The utch e pertise on the open seas facilitated establishing coloniesand trade routes around the world.

)pain and the southern +etherlands was 3atholic and the northern +etherlands were mainly"rotestant. The prevailing 3alvinism demanded a re ection of art in churches, and thus artists

produced little religious art in the utch 5epublic at the time. espite their 3alvinist beliefs,the utch were truly tolerant people, and artists 4often 3atholics6 did create religious art works.

7ans


16/31

lively portraits that seem far more rela ed than the formulaic traditional portraiture. He in ectedspontaneity into his images and conveyed the personalities of the sitters as well. His manner ofe ecution intensified the casualness, immediacy, and intimacy in his paintings. The touch ofHal's brush was as light and fleeting as the moment when he captured the pose.

Hals also e celled at group portraits, which multiplied the challenges of depicting a single sitter.Archers of 3aint


17/31

5embrandt amplified the comple ity and energy of the group portrait with his painting of 1 A/,The Company of Captain 7rans Bannin$ Cocq better known as Ni$ht "atch! This title is amisnomer for the painting is not a nocturnal scene. Though 5embrandt used dramatic lighting,the darkness of the painting is due more to the varnish the artist used than the sub ect depicted.

This painting is one of many civic guard group portraits produced during this time period. *tappears that 5embrandt was commissioned to paint the two officers, 3aptain rans &anning3oc$ and his lieutenant Willem van 5uytenburch along with 1 members of this militia group4each contributing to 5embrandt's fee6. This work was one of si paintings commissioned fromdifferent artist' around 1 A; for the assembly and ban$uet hall of the new :usketeer's Hall in!msterdam. )ome scholars have suggested that the occasion of the commissions was the visitof Jueen :arie de :edici to the utch 3ity in 1 B8.

5embrandt captured the e citement and activity of the men preparing for the parade.

5embrandt>s inventiveness was by this time becoming a conventional portrait format. 5atherthan present assembled men, 5embrandt depicted them scurrying about in the act of organi


18/31

greater fidelity to actual appearances. This techni$ue is closer to reality because the eyes perceive light and dark as always subtly changing and not static.

@enerally speaking, 5enaissance artists represented forms and faces in a flat, neutral modelinglight. They represented the idea of light, rather than the actual look of it. !rtists, such as5embrandt discovered degrees of light and dark, degrees of difference in pose, in the movementof facial features, and in psychic states. They arrived at these differences optically, notconceptually or in terms of some ideal. 5embrandt found that by manipulating the direction,intensity, distance, and surface te ture of light and shadow, he could render the most subtlenuances of character and mood, both in persons and whole scenes. He discovered for themodern world that variation of light and shade, subtly modulated, could be read as emotionaldifference. *n the visible world, light, dark, and the wide spectrum of values in between arecharged with meanings and feelings that sometimes are independent of the shapes and figuresthey modify. Theater and photography have used these discoveries to great dramatic effect.5embrandt carried over the spiritual $uality of his religious works into his later portraits. The

Cpsychology of light,D as some have said. ?ight and dark are not in conflict, they arereconciled, merging softly and subtly to produce a visual $uietness. Their prevailing mood isthat of tran$uil meditation, of philosophical resignation, of musing recollection, a whole clusterof emotional tones heard only in silence.

*n a self portrait produced late in life, light shines from the upper left of the painting and bathesthe sub ects face while leaving the lower part of the body in shadow. The artist depictedhimself as possessing dignity and strength. The portrait can be seen as a summary of the manystylistic and professional concerns that occupied him throughout his career.

Etchin$:any artists took up etching when it was perfected early in the 17th century. *t was moremanageable than engraving and allowed greater freedom in drawing the design. or etching, acopper plate is covered with a layer of wa or varnish. The artist incises the design into thissurface with an etching tool, e posing the metal surface below, but not cutting into its surface.The plate is then immersed in acid, which etches or eats away at the e posed metal surface.The mediums softness gives greater carving freedom than woodcutters and engravers haveworking directly in their more resistant media of wood and metal. "rior to the invention of thelithograph in the 1%th century, etching offered the greatest subtlety of line and tone.

*f 5embrandt never painted, he still would be renowned, as he principally was in his lifetime,for his prints. "rints were a ma or source of income for him, and he often reworked the platesso they could be used to produce a new issue or edition. This constant reworking was unusualwithin the conte t of 17th century print making practices. Christ with the 3ick around


19/31

diffused with abiding piety. 3hrist appears in the center preaching to the blind, the lame, andthe young. (n the left, a group of Eews heatedly discuss issues among themselves. The centraltheme her is 3hrist's humility and mercy.

5embrandt>s genius is undisputed. He is revered as an artist of great versatility, as a master oflight and shadow, and a uni$ue interpreter of the "rotestant conception of )cripture. &ecause ofthe esteem in which 5embrandt>s work is held, his work and style have been the focus of forgersand copyists. To counteract this, a group of scholars has launched the 5embrandt 5esearch"ro ect, whose goal is to provide definitive identification of the hundred's of works currentlyattributed to 5embrandt.

udith eyster #'1) -'11)% was a portraitist, like Hals, her teacher. )he has depicted herselfin this portrait as the artist. )he allows the viewer to evaluate her skill, which is considerable.Though she painted many sub ects, her specialty was genre scenes with a comical image likethe one in the portrait. ?eyster's elegant attire distinguishes her as a member of a well to do

family.

utch andscape*n addition to portraiture, the utch avidly collected landscapes, interior scenes, and still lifes.?andscape scenes abound in utch &aro$ue art. ue to topography and politics, the utch hada uni$ue relationship to the terrain, one that differed from those of other 0uropean countries.!fter gaining independence from )pain, the utch undertook an e tensive land reclamation

pro ect that lasted almost a century. ikes and drainage systems were everywhere across thelandscape &ecause of these efforts, the utch developed a direct relationship with the land. Themarshy and swampy nature of much of the land made it less desirable for large scalee ploitation, so the e tensive feudal landholding system that e isted elsewhere in 0urope neverdeveloped in the provinces. :ost utch families owned and worked their own farms,cultivating a feeling of closeness to the utch terrain.

Ae bert Cuyp #'12)-'1 '% produced works of careful observation and deep respect for andunderstanding of the utch landscape. A istant Diew of ordrecht, with a /i kmaid and7our Cows, and Hther 7i$ures, often referred to as The ? ar$e ort,@ reveals 3uyp')substantial skills. The title indicates the location was important to the artist. #nlike theideali


20/31

in the foreground stretching linen to be bleached 4a ma or industry in Haarlem6 9 endows the painting with a sense of honesty and integrity. 2et this is primarily a landscape painting. Thehuman element is portrayed small and miniscule so as to blend into the landscape. The hori


21/31

that ad=oinin$ co ors affect each other, and that i$ht is composed of co ors! Thus hepainted ref ections off of surfaces in co ors modu ated by others nearby!

=ermeer's, A e$ory of the Art of aintin$, depicts himself and his profession. =ermeer's back is facing the viewer. He is dressed in historical &urgundian attire and is hard at work on a painting of a model portraying the attributes of 3lio, the muse of history. The map of the provinces on the back way serves as another reference to history. The viewer is located outsidethe space of action. )ome art historians have suggested that the light radiating from an unseenwindow on the left illuminates both the model and the canvas =ermeer is painting alludes to thelight of artistic inspiration. The allegorical reading of this painting was affirmed when=ermeer's window, wishing to retain this painting after the artist's death, listed it in her writtenclaim as Cthe piece... wherein the !rt of "ainting is portrayed.D

3atiri.in$ utch ifean 3teen #'120-'1( % provided a counterpoint to =ermeer's charm and beauty of utch

domestic life. The 7east of 3aint Nicho as depicted a household scene of 3haos anddisruption. )aint +icholas had ust visited this residence, and the children are in an uproar asthey search there shoes for the gifts from saint +ick. )ome children are delighted, such as, thelittle girl clutching her gifts refusing to share. (thers are disappointed 9 the boy on the left is intears because he received a birch rod. ! festive atmosphere reigns, which contrasts sharplywith =ermeer's decorum. )teen fre$uently used children's activities as satirical comments onfoolish adult behavior. The east of )aint +icholas can be seen as alluding to selfishness,

pettiness, and ealousy.

3ti ifeThe prosperous utch were proud of their accomplishments and the popularity of still life

paintings, particularly images of accumulated material wealth, reflected pride. These beautifully crafted images are both scientific in their optical accuracy and poetic in their beautyand lyricism. Danitas 3ti ife by ieter C aes. #'0 (I :-'11)% reveals the pride utchciti


22/31

"i em Ja f #'1' -'1 ;% in his painting, 3ti ife with a ate /in$ 9in$er ar, reveals both the wealth utch citi


23/31

There, inspired by its monuments and countryside, he produced his grandly severe and regularcanvases modeled on the work of Titian and 5aphael. He also carefully worked out atheoretical e planation of his method, and was ultimately responsible for establishing classical

painting as an important manifestation in rench &aro$ue art.

"oussin's Et in Arcadia E$o # , Too, in Arcadia, or E+en in Arcadia, Fam presentG%6 wasinformed by 5aphael's rational order and stability and by anti$ue statuary. ?andscape, forwhich "oussin became very fond, provides the setting for the picture. The foreground isdominated by three shepherds, living in the idyllic land of !rcadia, who spell out an enigmaticinscription on a tomb as a statues$ue female figure $uietly places her hand on the shoulder ofone of them. )he may be the spirit, reminding these mortals, as does the inscription, that deathis found even in !rcadia, supposedly a place of 0denic bliss. The countless draped femalestatues surviving in *taly since 5oman times supplied the models for this figure. The youthwith one foot resting on a boulder is modeled on @reco 5oman statues of +eptune, the sea godleaning on his trident. The compact balanced grouping of the figures and the light, reserved,

mournful, mood set the tone for "oussin's art in its later phase.

n notes for an intended treatise on paintin$, oussin out ined the ?$rand manner@ ofc assicism, of which he became a eadin$ e&ponent in *ome! Artists must first of achoose $reat sub=ects! ?The first requirement, fundamenta to a others, is that thesub=ect and the narrati+e be $randiose, such as batt es, heroic actions, and re i$iousthemes!@ /inute detai s shou d be a+oided, as we as a ? ow@ sub=ects, such as $enre -?Those who choose base sub=ects find refu$e in them because of feeb eness of theirta ents!@ C ear y, these directi+es ru e out a $ood dea of decorati+e art, as we as the$enre scenes that were popu ar in the utch *epub ic!

oussin represents a theoretica tradition in "estern art that $oes back to the Ear y*enaissance! t asserts that a $ood art must be the resu t of $ood =ud$ment6 a =ud$mentbased on know ed$e! n this way, art can achie+e correctness and propriety, two of thefa+orite characteristics of the c assici.in$ artist or architect! oussin praised the ancient9reeks who ?produced mar+e ous effects@ with their musica ?modes!@


24/31

The two massive bearers and the bier are starkly isolated in a great landscape that throws theminto solitary relief, elo$uently e pressive of the hero abandoned in death. The landscape'sinterlocking planes slope upward to the lighted sky at the left. *ts carefully arranged terraces

bear slowly moving streams, shepherds and their flocks' and' in the distance, whole assembliesof solid geometric structures 4temples, towers, walls, villas, and a central grand sarcophagus6.The skies are untroubled, and the light is even and revealing of form. The trees are few andcarefully arranged, like curtains drawn back to reveal a natural setting carefully cultivated for asingle human action. #nlike van 5uisdael's Diew of


25/31

treated with somber stillness by the rench. 7ami y of Country eop e e presses the gravedignity of a family close to the soil, one made stoic and resigned by hardship. The peasant'slot, never easy, was miserable during the time ?e +ain painted. The constant warfare 4 amilywas painted during the Thirty 2ear's War6 took its toll on rance. The anguish and frustrationof the peasantry, suffered from the cruel depredations of unruly armies living off the country,often broke out in violent revolts that were savagely repressed. The family however is pious,docile, and calm. &ecause ?e +ain depicted peasants with dignity and subservience, despitetheir harsh living conditions, some scholars have suggested that he intended to please wealthyurban patrons with these paintings.

acques Ca ot #'0 2-'1;0% conveyed a sense of military life of the times in a series ofetchings called /iseries of "ar! 3allot worked almost e clusively in etching, and was widelyinfluential in his own time and since. *n the ar$e /iseries of "ar series, he coolly observedthe details of life and death, presenting without comment images based on events he must haveseen in the wars in ?orraine.

He depicted a mass e ecution by hanging in


26/31

"erhaps the preeminent patron of the period was ing ?ouis K*=. He was a master at politicalstrategy and propaganda. He promoted his rule as divine right 4belief in a king's absolute

power as @od's will6, rendered ?ouis authority incontestable. )o full of himself was he that headopted the nickname le Roi Soleil #the 3un Jin$%! ?ike the sun, ?ouis was the center of theuniverse.

?ouis was a control freak. His desire to control e tended to all realms of rench life, even art.?ouis and his principal advisor, Eean &aptiste 3olbert 41 1%91 8B6, were determined toorgani


27/31

a simple hunting lodge into the palace of =ersailles became the greatest architectural pro ect ofthe age 9 a defining statement of rench &aro$ue style and an undeniable symbol of ?ouisK*='s power and ambition.

"lanned on a gigantic scale, the pro ect not only called for a large palace flanking a vast park but also for the construction of a satellite city to house court and government officials, militaryand guard detachments, courtiers, and servants 4undoubtedly to keep them all under the king'sclose supervision. The town was laid out to the 0ast of the palace along three radial avenuesthat converge on the palace structure itself their a es, in a symbolic assertion of the king'sabsolute power, intersected in the king's bedroom. This room was actually an audience room, astate chamber. The palace itself was more than a $uarter mile long and was placed at rightangles to the dominant 0ast9West a is that runs through the city and park.

3areful attention was paid to each detail of an e tremely rich decoration of the palace's interior.The architects and decorators designed everything from wall paintings to doorknobs, to

reinforce the splendor of =ersailles and to e hibit the very finest sense of artisanship. (ut ofthe hundred's of rooms in the palace, the most famous is the 9a erie des 9 aces, or


28/31

5oyal 3hapel to the comple . The chapel's interior is essentially a rectangular building with anapse as high as the nave, giving the central space a curved &aro$ue $uality. ?arge clerestorywindows allow light to enter the interior, illuminating the precisely chiseled details. "iersupported arcades carry a ma estic row of 3orinthian columns that define the royal gallery. Thedecoration is restrained. The illusionistic ceiling decorations, added in 17;8917;% by AntoineCoype #'11'-'(22%, suggest the drama and comple ity of &aro$ue art.

As a symbo of power and abso utism, Dersai es is unsurpassed! t a so e&presses, in themost monumenta terms of its a$e, the rationa istic creed - based on scientific ad+ances -that a know ed$e must be systematic and a science must be the consequence of theinte ect imposed on matter! The who e stupendous desi$n of Dersai es proud y proc aimsthe mastery of human inte i$ence #and ouis K D% o+er the disorder iness of nature!

!nother of Hardouin9:ansart's masterworks the E$ ise de ome, Church of the n+a ides in"aris, also makes reference to *talian &aro$ue architecture. !n intricately composed domed

s$uare of great scale, the church is attached to the veteran's hospital ?ouis K*= set up fordisabled soldiers of his many wars. Two firmly separated levels, the upper one pedimented,composes the frontispiece. The grouping of the orders and of the bays they frame is like *talian&aro$ue. The compact facade is low and narrow in relation to the vast drum and dome,seeming to serve simply as a base for them. The conspicuous dome is overpowering and like*talian &aro$ue in its dramatic magnitude. The dome is built of three shells the lowest is cutoff so that a visitor to the interior looks up through it to the one above, which is paintedillusionistically with the apotheosis #deification% of )aint ?ouis, patron of rance. The seconddome, filled with light from hidden windows in the third, outermost dome, creates animpression of the open limitless space and brightness of the heavens. &elow, the buildingsinterior is only dimly illuminated.

En$ andThe absolute authority of the monarchy that prevailed in rance was not found in 0ngland.3ommon ?aw and the "arliament kept royal power in check. *n the 17th and 18th centuries0ngland e perienced the development of both limited monarchy and constitutionalism. Thereligious conflicts of the continent were not as contentious. The religious affiliations of the0nglish included 3atholicism, !nglicanism, "rotestantism,, and "uritanism 4the 0nglish versionof 3alvinism6. 0ngland took advantage of the opportunities offered by overseas trade that the

utch did. 0ngland being an island country possessed a great navy.

0nglish &aro$ue art does not have the focused character of either utch or *talian &aro$ue art.The one area of cultural production in which 0ngland made great strides was architecture, muchof it incorporating classical elements.

The revolution in 0nglish building was primarily the work of one man, ndi$o ones #'0(;-'102%, Architect to Jin$ ames and Char es ! Eones spent considerable time in *taly. He


29/31

greatly admired the classical authority and restraint of "alladio's structures and studied hisarchitectural treatise. Eones took many of "alladio's basic design principles and applied them tohis own work. The nature of this achievement is evident in the buildings he designed for hisroyal patrons, among them the Banquetin$ s e pansion into the +ew World. !t the time, a smallgroup of architects associated with the aging )ir 3hristopher Wren was responsible for brieflyreturning *talian &aro$ue comple ity to favor over the streamlined "alladian classicism of

*ndigo Eones. =anbrugh was the best known of this group. &lenheim recalls *talian &aro$uearchitecture. The design demonstrates =anbrugh's love of variety and contrast, tempered by hisability to create focus areas such as those found fre$uently in 17th century architecture. Thetremendous forecourt, the hugely pro ecting pavilions and the e tended colonnadessimultaneously recall )aint "eter's and =ersailles. &aro$ue architects often sacrificedconvenience for dramatic effect. =anbrugh placed the kitchen some /;; feet from the ma esticdining salon. His architecture pleased his patrons in the beginning, but even before &lenheimwas completed, critics condemned what they considered its ponderous and bi


30/31

9ermany*talian &aro$ue influenced the ecclesiastical architecture of )outhern @ermany and !ustria.(ne of the most splendid @erman buildings is the pilgrimage church of Dier.ehnhei i$en#fourteen saints% designed by Ba thasar Neumann #'1:(-'(0;% and built near )taffelstein.

+eumann traveled to !ustria and +orthern *taly and studied in "aris before returning home to become one of the most active architects in his native land.

+umerous large windows in the richly decorated and continuous walls flood the interior of=ier


31/31

ch 24 baroque notes

Documents