Caravaggio, The Conversion of St. Paul, Rome, 1600.
The Style of the Rococo and Baroque
Few Europeans believed that any art could surpass that of the Renaissance. In fact, during the period that we now call the Baroque and Rococo (1600-1780) admirers by the thousands flocked to Rome to view the artistic creations of the previous century. During this time however, sculpture, painting and architecture was undergoing a transformation that was to bring to light some of the most talented artists of all time. The style of the Baroque and Rococo was not aimed at achieving perfection, or at glorifying the human spirit as was the Renaissance. Rococo and Baroque art was filled with emotion and drama. It often portrayed the effects of light on objects or figures, to heighten the emotion associated with the work. Artists during this period used movement in their work, which was often larger and more grandiose than the work produced during the Renaissance. This style was to dominate the art world from London to Paris, from Rome to Spain, and even in the areas to the north such as Amsterdam. The painters, sculptors and architects of the Baroque and Rococo were to be recognized for their genius only after their flames had burned out.
Architecture
Il Gesu, Rome, 1575.
Borromini's San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, Rome, 1670.
The Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, France, 1675.
Christopher Wren, St. Paul's Cathedral, London, 1675.
Gianlorenzo Bernini, The Ecstasy of St. Theresa, Rome, 1650.
Gianlorenzo Bernini, David, Rome, 1660.
Artemesia Gentileschi, Judith and her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes, Rome, 1625.
Peter Paul Rubens, The Raising of the Cross, Paris, 1610.
Rembrandt, The Night Watch, Amsterdam, 1650.
Diego Velazquez, Las Meninas, Spain, 1656.
Jan Vermeer, A Woman Weighing Gold, Holland, 1665.
Sculpture
Painting
What words could you use to describe all the works pictured above?
