The Baroque Period

The Baroque movement, developed in the early part of the 17th century in Europe, is defined by its bombastic, colorful, and theatrical style. Paintings were sometimes very large, with enormous gilt frames staging the drama of the often biblical or mythical stories painted within. The use of light and shadow created intense works of art that conveyed strong emotions like power, passion, violence, or love. Sculptures from this era highlight the movement of the human form, with muscular, full-figured bodies bending and twisting, caught in a moment. The architecture of the movement is marked by its rich detail, like ornate, swirling cartouches, arches, and oval or pear-shaped optical illusions. These architectural elements can readily be found in Baroque churches and palaces.

Notable painters of the movement include Peter Paul Rubens, Caravaggio, Federico Barocci, and Anthony van Dyck. Notable sculptors include Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Alessandro Algardi, Jean Baptiste Tuby and Alonso Cano. Notable architects include Christoph Dientzenhofer, Claude Perrault, and Pietro da Cortona. Below is a bibliography of excellent books on the Baroque period, found at The Ringling Art Library. The Library is open Monday-Friday, 1PM-5PM and is free to the public.

Image courtesy of The Ringling Museum. The Triumph of Divine Love by Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1625.

BIBILOGRAPHY

Bayard, Marc. Feinte Baroque: Iconographic et esthétique de la variété au XCIIe siècle. Somogy èditions d’art: 2010.

Careri, Giovanni. Baroques. Princeton University Press: 2003.

Earls, Irene. Baroque art: A topical dictionary. Greenwood Press: 1996.

Gal, Ofer. Baroque science. The University of Chicago Press: 2013.

Gillgren, Peter. Performativity and performance in Baroque Rome. Ashgate: 2012.

Hills, Helen. Rethinking the Baroque. Ashgate: 2011.

Kotalík, Jiérí. Architecture of the Baroque. DaDa: 2001.

Martin, John Rupert. Baroque. Harper & Row: 1977.

Mosco, Marilena. Cornice dei Medici: La fantasia barocca al servizio del potere. Mauro Pagliai: 2007.

Norman, Larry. The theatrical Baroque. University of Chicago: 2001.

Scarisbrick, Diana. Baroque: The age of exuberance. Orbis Books: 1973.

Snodin, Michael. Baroque, 1620-1800: Style in the age of magnificence. Harry N. Abrams, Inc.: 2009.

Toman, Rolf. Baroque and Rococo. Feieraband: 2003.

Toman, Rolf. Baroque: Theatrum mundi: The world as a work of art. H.F. Ullman: 2012.

WEB CONTENT

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/53809/Baroque-art-and-architecture

http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/exhibitions/Renaissance/index

https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hi/hi_eur1718bar.htm

http://www.oxfordartonline.com/public/page/themes/baroqueartandarchitecture

http://www.artcyclopedia.com/feature-italian-women-artists.html

https://www.samuseum.org/exhibitions/current-exhibition/621-glories-of-the-baroque- 17th-century-european-art

http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/bernini/

http://www.mcah.columbia.edu/ha/html/baroque.html

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