Baroque Art: Context, Characteristics, and Influence

The Foundations of Baroque Art

Baroque art, in its broader artistic expression, is complex, rooted in social, political, and religious contexts.

Baroque vs. Mannerism

The Baroque style is a continuation of Italian Mannerism, which prevailed during the first half of the sixteenth century. While Mannerism began using the classical canon with artificiality, the Baroque movement abandoned classical serenity to express a world in motion and agitation of the senses. Therefore, the trend of this period is toward exaggeration and ostentation.

The Art of the Counter-Reformation

Baroque art is often called the art of the Counter-Reformation. To react against the severity and iconoclasm of Protestantism, the Catholic Church encouraged the building of temples featuring a profusion of sculpture. The Church also directed artists to:

• Move away from the pagan subjects popular during the Renaissance.
• Avoid nudity and outrageous scenes.

In both the visual arts and music, the Church's influence on artists was directed toward exciting and inflaming devotion through psychological stimuli. Although these rules appeared conservative and austere, they resulted in the art we now call the sumptuous, ornate Baroque.

The Context of the Seventeenth Century

The seventeenth century was a time of war and violence, unlike few other phases of European history. Life was frequently tormented by pain and death. Consequently, the exaltation of the hectic and intense was more necessary than ever for the Baroque individual.

In this context, the Baroque era embraced the pull of passions, the love of life, movement, and color, as if life itself were a grand theatrical performance. It is rightly noted that in the visual arts, Baroque style attempts to replicate the excitement and striking nature of theatrical representation.

Key Characteristics of Baroque Style

• Theatricality and Decor: Just as a dramatic performance relies on colorful and ephemeral decor, Baroque architecture is subject to the décor, which must be spectacular.
• The Play of Shadows: Another characteristic of the Baroque, manifested in architecture, sculpture, and painting, is the play of shadows. Violent chiaroscuro contrasts are crucial in Baroque aesthetics. This is easily noticeable in painting (e.g., tenebrism) but also in architecture, where the Baroque architect manipulates volume abruptly with numerous protrusions to create dramatic lighting and shadows.