Art History- Period of Baroque - Essay Example

[The [The [The Art History-Baroque Baroque style, as well as a vehicle of Catholic evangelism, acted as a protest to the formality and idealism of the High Renaissance (much like its mannerist precursor). Baroque's affect on art is clearly apparent through the major works of the time. To materialize the Counter-Reformation's outreach to its former members, artists utilized bright, inviting colors combined with loud contrast and the unique use of space to invoke passion and reverence in viewers. Such a display of contrasting light and dark is painfully obvious in the masterwork of Caravaggio. Caravaggio's paintings seem as if there is a spotlight on the central focus of the work. This acts to intensify the emotions and engage the viewer's senses. Such a display of this theatricality can be found in "The Crucifixion of Saint Peter." Saint Peter is posed on the crucifix in a brand-new, intense diagonal position. Also, it seems as if a spotlight is shining on the group, betraying the distress and suffering of Saint Peter and the anonymity of the executioners to the viewer. Highly realistic and profoundly untraditional, the painting reaches out to its viewer and begs that they feel the pain of Saint Peter. The Baroque style also affected other areas of art, such as architecture. The Catholics needed impressive and inviting churches to represent the mystical and evangelical aspects of the Counter-Revolution. Renaissance, through its new ideology and reform, resulted with a variety of styles. The idea of individualism and freedom of artistic creations influenced Michelangelo in a different manner. He was, in a way opposite of Leonardo. He was emotional and inward oriented. While painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he described the creation of the universe in his own way. He represented God as an old man with bears, most probably because of the humanism. Also, the humanism of Renaissance allowed him to represent a naked man, together with God, in same size. Renaissance was a start of reform and it was a return to classical values. In opened a new viewpoint in terms of ideology and style. After Renaissance, Baroque period have started. The artistic center moved from Florence to Rome. The reconstruction and redecoration of Rome gave rise to different artistic ideas and styles. One of the features of Baroque which distinguished it from Renaissance period is that it was international. Baroque style spread all through Europe, it was also accepted in Russia and passed into the New World. Caracci and Andrea Pozzo became famous with their ceiling frescoes and Caravaggio with his style, his way of representing figures and use of light etc. The paintings on ceilings in Baroque period differed from Renaissance. In this period the paintings became more elaborate and variety of images created an allegory in a way, representing the glorification of the miracles. There were flying figures on ceilings and everything took place above us. Therefore the perspective moved from walls to ceilings and scientific reality gave its place to illusion and movement. The Baroque period had its own way of representing naturalism and reality. Michelangelo Merisi Da is better known as Caravaggio and he was an Italian baroque painter. His works portrayed saints and other biblical figures as plain ordinary people. Little is known about his early life but one might assume from his painting that he was a very catholic person with good morals. But actually this is not the case- His fame came when he unveiled his three life size paintings narrating the life of Saint Matthew in 1600. At that time his life was filled with notorious violence. It is said that a full transcript of his trial pending and police records would fill several pages. Several of these violent incidences almost ended in his death. He was later ordered to quit Rome after one of his alliances was killed during a violent accident. He wanted to paint saints and biblical figures as plain ordinary people to counter act the judgment placed on him for his outstanding police records and violence. Maybe to suggest that anyone can make a mistake, and that the saints and such were once ordinary people with problems just like him. The Calling of St. Matthew is a 322 x 340 cm oil painting done on canvas. This painting seems very dramatic and yet somehow silent to me. It is divided into two parts; here Christ and St. Peter have come to summon St. Matthew or "Levi" to another life and world. Christ's' gestures seem to be very demanding and everyone except two men at the table look shocked. The expressions on the men's faces are vivid; they look very attentive and maybe even concerned. The light in this painting has been manipulated- Some think that the light from the visible window that's covered with oil skin in this painting, probably came from the painter's studio. (Friedrich, 119-23) The upper light illuminates St. Matthews face and the group sitting at the table, and the light behind Christ and St. Peter is only introduced with them and could somehow be intended as miraculous. He used a bit of a blending technique in this painting; it is kind of hard to make out some of it. He has paid extra attention to expression on the faces here. Annibale Carracci was an Italian painter, etcher and engraver. He opened the School of Eclectics and the School of Carracci and was considered the epitome of Rome and the finest living artist at the time of writing his "Belloris' Idea". (Carracci) The Flight into Egypt is a biblical narrative on a structured landscape with Rome architecture. The architecture, trees, ground and mountains are portrait like. It looks as if Carracci was painting something he could actually see and study. The water is really calm and the people are at piece. Each landscape element is carefully balanced and reveals a natural world where man and every thing that surrounds him live in perfect Arcadian harmony. (Friedrich, 143-51) These three paintings have many similarities and differences. They are all three oil paintings done on canvas during the Baroque era. Every piece of that art work has a biblical theme or a message of Christianity which made them ideally fit in the time period of Baroque (Martin, 164-71). The Christ is mainly focused by two most similar paintings one is the Resurrection of Christ and other is The Calling of St. Matthew. Both paintings are truly thespian and influential. Magnificent blending techniques are used in the making of these two paintings. Another beautiful painting with the biblical theme is the Flight into Egypt which is flamboyant and serene. Every painting varies in size as well as in texture. So it can be said without any doubt that these two artists truly had in born talented and contributed a lot in the Baroque Art. The paintings are meaningful, sending very strong messages. All these works reflect the Baroque time period in which they all focus on biblical themes. One concentrates on a specific theme and the other two on an individual, Christ. From Caravaggio's intensely emotional depictions of biblical scenes to the fierce missionary efforts of the Jesuit Order, the evangelical spirit of the Baroque is evident throughout the culture of the time. The Baroque period was most definitely a successful answer to the Protestant Movement. With the help of this passionate style, Catholicism remains the most dominant religion worldwide. The path that lead to 16 century, also lead to a change in ideologies, styles, perspectives etc. New artists brought new visions in all of the components of art and architecture. Sometimes social and political issues gave inspiration to artists, or it was just their inward psychology. Sometimes the artists wanted to remember past styles and gave a second birth to them or they just wanted to form new styles that have not existed before. And art renewed itself by leaving billions of major works behind it. Works Cited Friedrich C. J., The Age of the Baroque: 1610-1660, New York, 1952. 119-23 Friedrich C. J, "Style as the Principle of Historical Interpretation", Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, XIV ( 2), 143-51. Martin J. R., "The Baroque from the Viewpoint of the Art Historian", Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, XIV ( 2), 164-71. Read More