The art of 17th century Europe was an expression of worldly existance, of everyday delights, emotions and situations.
Baroque art employed the classical froms of the Renaissance to create an exhuberant and dramatic show of pomp and splendor. Kings and Princes advertised their wealth and power, the church tried to win converts in the counter reform action. The taste of the period was theatrical and aimed at pleasing the senses. Clothes were colourful costumes, opera was a product of this age. The ceremony of the courts was a most splendid spectacle and the church service wa an unearthly display of weird lighting effects, burning incense and the tumultuous sound of Baroque orgn music.
In the Renaissance, balance and serenity was expressed by the horizontal line accent in archtecture and the Pyramid composition in painting. Baroque energy and drama is expressed by the curved line. The Gothic style was essentially French, the Renaissance Italian, but in Baroque, we see a feeling which captured all of Europe as artists travel from country to country in the employ of court and church.
Architecture
Baroque architecture developed from the power and drama seen in Michelangelo's works. The catholic church had been weakend by the reformation and saught to re-establish its power by building amny elaborately decorated churches. The courts of royalty and nobility wishing to display their power, built palaces in a show of magnificence. In appearance the Baroque building achieved dramatic impact through use of lavish ornament and bold effects of light and shade through walls which are curved and recessed and protruding forward.
Interiors of buildings were painted in bold effects of light and shade and perspective totally destroying the flat nature of the wall and producing an impression of limitless space. Gilt stucco ornament was used throughout on the walls and pillars. The setting of a building was given careful consideration - geometrically laid out gardens, pools, fountains and paths - a favorite trick was to arrange the aproach driveways to a building in an indirect way so that the building must be viewed from many angles on the way. In Italy notable architects were Bernini (also a sculptor) and Borromini.
Baroque style was never totally exceptable in France where Renaissance buildings continued in popularity with Baroque ornament.
In Flanders, where Renaissance forms had been simply added to Gothic, the Flemish also added Baroque. In the Germanic countries where the Renaissance had never been strong the Baroque style developend the most dramatic and lavish forms. Spanish Baroque was also a display of wealth and power.
Sculpture
Taking the lead of Michelangelo, Baroque sculpture became a display of emotion and drama on a grand scalr, executed with a technical vertuosity which, at times, degenerated into an exhibition of skill. In Spain sculpure became so debased that figures wer dressed in actual clothes and trappins of the day. In this age of craftsmanship, figurines, furniture, pottery, jewellery, metalwork and personal adornment reached a pinnacle of lavish design.
Painting
Baroque painters used religious, pagan and secular subjects in terms of a dramatic realism and the complete illusion of plastic form (3D). In Italy painting had declined after Michelangelo. Carravaggio introduced a harsh realism with bold dramatic lighting effects. In Venice Tiepolo (1696 to 1770) did works of a light, airy, colourful splendour which marks the decadence and end of a great period of Italian painting (Giotto to Tiepolo).
Peter Paul Rubens (1577 to 1652) marks the opening of the Flemish school which ws to greatly influence European painting. Rubens had the Baroque exhiberance and technical skill. He studied in Italy and added the rich colouring and vitality of Titian and Giorgione and the power of Michelangelo. During his lifetime Rubens gained fame and wealth, employing studio artists to execute his ideas which accounts for his prodigious output.
A pupil of Rubens' - Anthony Van Dyke (1599 to 1641) painted bold energetic compositions, especially portraits which show an elegance and refinement and dislike of anything coarse or unbeautiful.
Franz Hals (1580 to 1666) was the first of the Dutch "Old Masters" Van Rivsdale, Hobbema, Vermeer were others who painted pictures for a rising wealthy merchant class. Pleasant scenes of everyday life - Interiors, homes, food, still lifes, flower paintings were popular.
Rembrandt (1606 to 1669) had an excellent understanding of the subjects he painted. The inner character of his subjects (especially his portraits) shows through the luminous mellow colour (c/f Mona Lisa). In his work is combined the calm and peacful quality of the Renaissance and the drama of the Baroque, joined with a love of everyday scenes and the people of the Dutch Masters.
Velasquez (1599 to 1660) was the outstanding painter of the Spanish court, although he also drew on everyday life for subject matter. His paintings capture space and atmostphere but have an airy mysterious quality unlike the dramatic Baroque of Europe.