One of the characteristics of the Italian Baroque is the realistic depiction of human figures, vivid use of color and foreshadowing techniques, especially in the paintings. In addition, the figures of the paintings seem to emerge from the background, giving huge differences between light and dark. The Italian baroque structure has a sense of movement and that of energy when in static form. The sculptures make the observers to have multiple viewpoints. The Baroque architecture has characteristic domes, colonnades, giving an impression of volume and void. Michelangelo’s David does not react with the surroundings but it stands alone with the little movements disguised behind it. The sculpture brings out David as a soldier preparing for war and not a person engaged in a battle (Miller, Vandome, & McBrewster, 2010). The hands are larger than normal and the arms are longer than his body. This is meant to illustrate the renaissance period. In contrast, the Bernini’s David has aspects of motion, showing that he was already engaged in the battle with Goliath. The idea of movement is enhanced by the loosely flowing robes. In addition, the sculpture demonstrates that unlike Michelangelo’s David that has longer hands, Bernini’s David has contracted muscles. The Michelangelo’s sculpture was created during Renascence period while the Bernini’s sculpture was done during the Baroque period. Caravaggio’s painting is unique due to its wonderful use of chiaroscuro, which is the contrast between light and dark. For example, the painting “Supper at Emmaus (1602)” illustrates Jesus and his disciples in bright colors and uses a dark tint for the background (Miller, Vandome, & McBrewster, 2010). Looking at the painting “The Incredibility of Saint Thomas”, the power seems to lie in the skepticism exhibited by Apostle Thomas. The painter seems interested in Thomas’ doubt at the time he is pushed to the limits to believe about Jesus’ resurrection (Miller, Vandome, & McBrewster, 2010). Enlightenment deals with the use of human reason to combat ignorance and enhance political, religious and educational achievements. The enlightenment period enhanced art and revolutionized the themes and topics that relate to this area of study. The subjects and topics that used to be discussed in arts have now been altered and turned into political and economic issues. One of the paintings done by Rococo was that of a girl in a field, in the presence of string wind that blowing up her dress and hair. This painting uses a wide range of pastel colors and has graceful curves that embellish the lady’s figure (Adams, & Adams, 2010).
With the number of people losing faith in Catholicism during the Protestant Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church needed to find a way to reaffirm the catholic faith in people, and because many of the people during this time were illiterate, the church needed a universal method of communication. Art, being a media that only need to be seen in order to be understood, was used to portray very direct, passionate and realistic, mostly religious scenes that could be understood by anyone regardless of literacy of social status. In order to accomplish this, Gentileschi does not paint idealized figures, like that of the earlier renaissance paintings, instead the subjects are simple, more full figured and dressed in simple garments which appealed to even the most common people. Painted with chiaroscuro adds grandeur to the piece and this coupled with foreshortening creates a sense of movement and energy which rounded out the illusion that makes the viewer feel as if they are in the very same room witness to the act.
The artists of the Baroque had a remarkably different style than artists of the Renaissance due to their different approach to form, space, and composition. This extreme differentiation in style resulted in a very different treatment of narrative. Perhaps this drastic stylistic difference between the Renaissance and Baroque in their treatment of form, space, and composition and how these characteristics effect the narrative of a painting cannot be seen more than in comparing Perugino’s Christ Delivering the Keys of the Kingdom to St. Peter from the Early Renaissance to Caravaggio’s Conversion of St. Paul from the Baroque.Perugino was one of the greatest masters of the Early Renaissance whose style ischaracterized by the Renaissance ideals of purity, simplicity, and exceptional symmetry of composition. His approach to form in Christ Delivering the Keys of the Kingdom to St.Peter was very linear. He outlined all the figures with a black line giving them a sense of stability, permanence, and power in their environment, but restricting the figures’ sense of movement. In fact, the figures seem to not move at all, but rather are merely locked at a specific moment in time by their rigid outline. Perugino’s approach to the figures’themselves is extremely humanistic and classical. He shines light on the figures in a clear, even way, keeping with the rational and uncluttered meaning of the work. His figures are all locked in a contrapposto pose engaging in intellectual conversation with their neighbor, giving a strong sense of classical rationality. The figures are repeated over and over such as this to convey a rational response and to show the viewer clarity. Perugino’s approach to space was also very rational and simple. He organizes space along three simple planes: foreground, middle ground, and background. Christ and Saint Peter occupy the center foreground and solemn choruses of saints and citizens occupy the rest of the foreground. The middle distance is filled with miscellaneous figures, which complement the front group, emphasizing its density and order, by their scattered arrangement. Buildings from the Renaissance and triumphal arches from Roman antiquity occupy the background, reinforcing the overall classical message to the
During the Age of enlightenment people began to reform society using reason, challenge ideas of tyranny and of the Roman Catholic Curch. People for the first time started advancing knowledge through the use of the scientific method. Enlightenment type thinking has had a huge impact on the culture, politics, and g...
The Enlightenment was a time after the dark ages that many intellects used reason to create a better society. Before the Enlightenment, many people were uneducated and there was no scientific proof. During the Enlightenment, there were scientific discoveries, breakthroughs, and new explanations. Philosophers began to rejected tradition and to go against the normal. They thought of new explanations, and they asked the tough questions to figure out why things happen the way that they do.
In Baroque art, bold contrasts of bright light and dark shadows were used in the form of tenebrism. However, the lighting in Rococo art works was applied to create warmth and intimacy. Baroque color palettes were dynamic and rich, while the Rococo favored ubiquitous golds and pastels. The Ecstasy of St. Theresa, by Bernini was housed in the Cornaro Chapel, Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome, where Bernini also designed the stucco and paint of the exterior. Bernini created a total environment and setting for the subject matter of Theresa that truly captures the viewer's attention. He used strong contour lines and built exquisite texture in the polished marble medium. On both sides of the sculpture, there are relief sculptures illustrating the male members of the Cornaro family, who commissioned the work. Gesamtkunstwerk is the german term for a "total work of art" that employs more than one medium such as paint and sculpture, which is what Bernini mastered here when the term was coined. Ther...
The Enlightenment was an important period in Western history that has allowed humans to think more reasonably and to value reasoning in addressing the challenges and problems of this world. It revolutionized human thought, influencing people to greater considerations of the human experience, of empirical data, and to ideate and eventually value natural human rights of everyone. These themes are well reflected in the art of the Age.
Bernini’s “David” is 5 foot, 7 inches tall and was made in the year 1623. It is from the Baroque period, a time of discovery, exploration and increased trade. Bernini’s “David” is a three-dimensional sculpture that gives the viewer the ability to relate the image with one’s body and not only in one’s mind. Bernini wanted to show the intensity and dramatic tension in the hero David as he prepares to cast the stone from the sling. In contrast to the intensity of Bernini’s David, Michelangelo’s “David” looks much more contemplative, statuesque and less “life-like” than Bernini’s. This marble sculpture, unlike Michelang...
I chose “The Martyrdom of St. Matthew” as the painting that best illustrates the baroque period. The reasons surrounding my decision are clear in Caravaggio’s painting. Here Caravaggio uses the entire canvas to illustrate complexity, flow, and chiaroscuro. The painting depicts the source of lighting to be coming from the left side of the plane. The brightest light focuses directly on Matthew’s executioner who intends to strike Matthew with an old balcanic hand weapon. Caravaggio masterfully illustrates the use of lighting by casting believable shadows. As an example, the shadow of the handle on balcanic hand weapon reflects on the executioner’s left thigh and knee. Another shadow appears on the executioner’s right inner thigh. The lighting source to the left of the executioner, the executioner, St. Matthews, the boy, the 2 observer’s bottom, right, and the fainter lighting upper left of the canvas illustrates the technique of visual movement. The lighting is placed strategically, causing visual movement within the piece. For example, the illumination of the executioner’s forearm directs my attention to the angel who appears to be handing St. Matthew a palm leaf. As a result, my eyes then focuses on the body of St. Matthew, lying on the bottom of the altar, then my eyes shifts up toward the Angle’s arm. The lighting on the angel's arm contrasted with the darkness of the palm leaf forces the viewer to look at the hand to see what St. Matthew is reaching for. The boy fleeing the scene further draws in the viewer. The two adult observers at the bottom right of the painting are illuminated but not as bright as the two main characters. Next, my attention is drawn to the man lying on the bottom steps, left side of the canv...
... the way that the artwork is resembled in the religious background of the gospel but reconstructed in to a celebrating impression. Throughout the fresco painting it depicts the myth of the Christ’s three fold temptations relating back to the article that “distinction between fresco and panel painting is sharp, and that painters are seen as competitors amongst themselves discriminating also, between the difference in genuine attempts in being better then the other.” Baxandall, “Conditions of Trade,” 26. in relation, the painting concerns the painter’s conscious response to picture trade, and the non-isolation in pictorial interests.
As the seventeenth century began the Catholic Church was having a hard time bringing back the people who were swept away by the protestant reformation. The conflict between the protestant had a big influence on art. (Baroque Art) The church decided to appeal to the human emotion and feeling. They did so by introducing a style called Baroque. Baroque was first developed in Rome and it was dedicated to furthering the aims of Counter Reformation. Baroque was first used in Italy than later spread to the north. In this paper I will argue that the Italian Baroque pieces were more detailed and captured the personality of the figure, in contrast and comparison to Northern Baroque pieces that aimed to produce a sense of excitement and to move viewers in an emotional sense leaving them in awe. I will prove this by talking about the different artwork and pieces of Italian Baroque art versus Northern Baroque Art.
The enlightenment was the growth of thought of European thinkers in the 1600’s. The spread of enlightenment was a result of the Scientific Revolution during the 1500’s and 1600’s. It resulted as a need to use reason to distribute human laws. It also came about from a need to solve social, political and economic problems.
Donatello’s David is made of bronze and around five feet tall, while Michelangelo’s David is of marble and seventeen feet tall. Michelangelo’s David is fully nude, while Donatello’s David is wearing boots and a helmet. Moreover, Donatello’s David appears more feminine, was the first nude sculpture in centuries, and is thought to possibly be a homosexual expression (Schneider, 1973). The placement of Michelangelo’s David was also disputed more than Donatello’s (Parks, 1975). Furthermore, both David’s appear to be depicted as two different scenes in the battle against Goliath. The piece by Donatello is standing on the head of Goliath with a sword in his hand, and, in contrast, the piece by Michelangelo is only holding a slingshot and standing on the plain rock. Donatello’s David has a cocky stance with his arm on his him that almost says “Killing Goliath was a piece of cake” Michelangelo’s David is looking off, and his face is like that of a batter stepping to the plate. It is a look of confidence, determination, and a tad of anger. Therefore, Michelangelo’s art is interpreted as David about to fight Goliath, and Donatello’s art is interpreted as after David has won (Hughes,
In Caravaggio’s most famous painting The Calling of Saint Matthew shows the moment that Jesus Christ calls upon Saint Matthew and inspires him to follow him. In most religious paintings, Jesus is glowing. Even if Jesus is not depicted in the middle of the painting, your focus leads to Jesus.
Baroque art, music and architecture became bizarre, dramatic and more extravagant than ever before. Artists started following a more non-realistic way of drawing and led the “viewer” into an imaginary world, especially due to their usage of intensive contrasts. The „Baroque art period“ was a very important time in the history of art. It was the time after the High Renaissance.
The Baroque Period lasted from about 1600 to 1750. Baroque is defined as excess and extravagance. The music in the early Baroque Period differed from the music in the Renaissance because the rhythms became more definite, regular, and insistent. A single rhythm would be used throughout a whole piece or a major segment of a piece. The new rhythm caused a new emphasis on the meter. Bar lines were being used for the first time in history. The music’s meter was systematic in evidence instead of being downplayed. The strong beats were emphasized by certain instruments. While some early Baroque music is homophonic and some is polyphonic, both textures are enriched by a feature called basso continuo, a feature used only in this period. The