Baroque Art and Architecture: Power and Dynamism

Baroque Art: A Universal Movement

Baroque art is not just a style, but a trend common to all arts that acquires very differentiated characteristics in each country according to the influence of Italy or France. It represents the end point of the classical rules and experimentation that started with Mannerism.

The Dual Function of Baroque Art

It was born as an instrument of the Catholic Church to combat the spread of Protestantism and also served absolute monarchies as a way to show their power. Therefore, Baroque art has a dual function: to impress and to convey ideological content. It is considered a forward movement of novelty, a search for the infinite, contrast, and the limits in the bold mix of all arts.

Baroque Architecture and Its Language

In many aspects, Baroque architecture uses the elements of the architectural language that the Renaissance had rescued from the classical world, but the way it is used establishes large differences to produce a higher aesthetic. It developed through religious architecture, although during this period, important palaces were also constructed in places governed by an absolute monarch.

The Structure of the Baroque Palace

Within the palace, two distinct areas can be identified:

• Public Nature: Featuring a grand facade looking at a square with a garden, an indispensable element of the Baroque that reached an important development.
• Private Part: Reserved for the privacy of the King.

Typology of Baroque Churches

Baroque churches are the most frequent constructive typology. Within them, there are two types of plans: centralized and longitudinal.

Longitudinal and Centralized Plans

The longitudinal scheme corresponds to the Latin cross plan, with a single nave, chapels on the sides, and a dome highlighted at the crossing. Architects preferred non-circular section domes, unlike the Renaissance, opting for elliptical shapes; this defies the idea of perfection embodied by the circle. Central plants are significantly more complex and employ not only circular forms but also octagonal and elliptical ones.

Formal Elements and Dynamism

The Baroque style likes to play with irregularity, establishing concave and convex forms, including incoming and outgoing light and shadows. Through this resource, dynamism, surprise, and instability are achieved, which pleased architects of the time. This is used in facades, which largely follow the model of the Church of the Gesù in Rome.

Decorative Motifs and Facades

Over time, these facades were coated with decorative motifs, curved gables, and buttresses (large spirals uniting two bodies of the facade). They are also characterized by curved cornices, oculus, and especially Solomonic columns where the wall was conducted between chiaroscuro. This was done to seek the attention of the believer, but especially to ensure the building is integrated into the urban environment.

Classical Elements and Iconic Works

Classical language elements are used according to non-classic standards. The giant order is frequently used, as are openings that start having oversized dimensions, occupying a space that is not theirs, although they are placed with absolute symmetry.

Masterpieces of Baroque Architecture

Iconic architectural works include:

• The Colonnade of St. Peter's at the Vatican
• San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane
• The Palace of Versailles
• The Facade of St. Peter's at the Vatican
• The Baldachin of St. Peter's