Baroque Art - Research Paper Example

Baroque art Introduction During the century between 1600 and 1700, there was a great shift in art, philosophy, culture, and a major upheaval in western civilization. It all started with the conflicts between the Protestants and the Catholics. There were wars, reformation of the Protestants, and the counter-reformation of the Catholics. These events influenced art and increased the demand for art due to the building campaigns for churches, their furnishings, and their decorations, which included numerous paintings, sculptures, and architecture. Aside from the churches, economically speaking, many European capitals rose during that time period, such as Amsterdam and London, causing much architecture to be done. With the new nations coming to power, a lot of citizens acquired middle class status with disposable income. This prompted them to use their money to invest in art, further encouraging the artists of the time period to produce artwork. So, the main patrons of artists in this time period were the Church, the Courts, the government, and the middle class. They had a large impact on artists since they paid artists to make art according to what they wanted. Because of the many patrons, artists became versatile, and created multiple new styles to keep up with the multiple demands of the patrons. Artists started specializing their own styles--some opting to paint landscapes, or portraits or renditions of scenes from the bible. This specialization made it difficult for the artists themselves to gain patronage, so it was also in this era when other professions connected to art started to emerge such as the art dealer, the auctioneer, and the art critic. This signaled the “beginning of the organization of the modern art world at the end of the 17th century.” In this era, the center for art moved away from Rome and into Paris by the middle of the 17th century where it remained all the way to the 20th century (“Baroque Art”). Baroque Style The term Baroque is French for the English “irregular, and consequently, flawed pearl.” Baroque paintings and sculptures are usually strongly emotional, passionate, stormy, and had a flair for the theatrical. Most depictions were dramatic, engages the viewer, speaks to users physically and psychologically, are usually extravagant and ornamental, they use color, contrasts between light and dark, and overlapping figures and elements to further add drama to their art. Most themes were about visions, ecstasies, conversions, martyrdom, death, and intensely emotional moments. Other events happening in the era also influenced the art. In this age, new concepts of physics and astronomy introduced by Galileo and Newton made the artists interested in the concept of space. Descartes’s philosophy I think therefore I am also redefined “the attribute of being.” Science redefined nature as motion in space and time. Light was demystified by Pascal’s discovery of the materiality of light. These preoccupations of scientists and philosophers also became the preoccupation of the artists of the time (“Baroque Art”). Bernini One of the greatest Baroque artists ever was Bernini (1598 - 1680). His full name was Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and he dominated the Roman art world during the seventeenth century. He still retained a semblance to his Renaissance predecessors in the sense that he was a universal genius who practiced architecture, sculpture, painting, stage, design, and being a playwright. He was a prodigy. He began his training under the teachings of his father, Pietro, at their workshop in Rome. His first works were created as early as his eighth birthday. The papal family commissioned him for the first time when he was at the age of 11. Among his notable works was his sculpture of David made for Cardinal Borghese in only 7 months. This work of art displays the essence of the Baroque art. It depicted David in a dramatic moment, which added a dynamic aspect of energy to the work as it occupied space. Throughout his career, most of his patrons were cardinals and popes. Though most of his famous works were as a sculptor, he was also a renowned architect. He designed the great piazza in St. Peter’s leading to the church under Pope Alexander the seventh. He also showed his prowess in architecture in the Church of Sant’Andrea al Quirinale. He designed the interior with concaves and convexes to guide the watcher’s eyes around the area. He also made a fountain design for the Piazza Barberini, the Triton Fountain, which honored the Barberini Palace and the aqueducts of Rome. Another famous fountain he made was the Four Rivers Fountain (“Baroque Art;” White). The Ecstasy of St. Teresa at the Cornaro Chapel in Rome (Source: Bernini) Bernini’s true masterpiece has always been the sculpture of St. Teresa being pierced through the heart by an angel with a fiery golden arrow (see figure above). This sculpture was a depiction of one of the great saints of the Catholic Church’s counter-reformation, Teresa of Avila. She claimed that “an angel pierced her heart with a flaming golden arrow.” Bernini chose to depict this event because it is so charged with emotion and can portray a lot of power. This scene of St. Teresa being pierced through the heart with a flaming arrow by an angel was made of marble with various colors; the Angel was depicted as a child holding a golden arrow atop St. Teresa who is clad in voluminous robes lying on a cloud with eyes closed and mouth open in an expression of ecstasy. Behind and above the marble statue itself are golden rays of light made out of brass. The statue is set into a niche between two dark marble pillars limiting the audience’s view to only the front of the statue, and adding contrast between the lighted marble and the dark marble pillars. To the both sides of the statue, there are eight men depicting Federico Cornaro’s family in boxes. They seem to be discussing the event depicted in the main statue (“Baroque Art;” “The Ecstasy of St. Teresa;” White). The main statue, with its depiction of St. Teresa lying on a cloud in ecstasy as an angel, stands above her with a spear speaks volumes by itself. The angel, smiling while holding the spear daintily by his fingertips makes him seem graceful as angels should be. The collapsed St. Teresa with most of her body covered in her robes seems to be dematerializing from her contact with God. Her face, with eyes closed, mouth open and face lifted up to the heavens shows rapture and intense ecstasy. The only limbs seen are her feet and left hand, which are seen hanging off the cloud, giving the image of her body in total relaxation, with no resistance as she experiences God. The cloud she is on, and how it was sculpted in layers creating lights and shadows makes it three dimensional, and the darker marble supporting it seems to blend with the darker backdrop making the lighter colored marble of the cloud seem like its floating (“The Ecstasy of St. Teresa”). The golden rays of sunlight suspended over St. Teresa made of gilt bronze raining down from an unseen source adds to the drama. The hidden window was not really part of the sculpture, but was a bit of architecture that served to heighten the already ethereal quality of the work. The hidden source of light made the statue glow with apparently divine light. The shadows it cast over the folds of her robes and the cloud added contrast and texture. These shadows made the heavy statue seem to float weightlessly bearing St. Teresa and the archangel (“The Ecstasy of St. Teresa”). Placing the statue in a niche between two dark marble pillars area feat of architecture really brings out the lighter shades of the statue. It limits the audience’s view to the front of the sculpture. The dark marble pillars and the convex structure of the niche add to the contrast and gives more dynamism to the scene making it appears as though the wall opened up to reveal the scene under holy light. The statue itself is only the centerpiece to the larger space of the Cornaro Chapel. It is surrounded by other masterpieces of painting and architecture designed by Bernini. For example, the boxes on each wall perpendicular to the sculpture contained likenesses of the Cornaro family members gazing upon the Ecstasy of St. Teresa and conversing among themselves about the miracle. This showed the spiritual significance of the statue, and how people at the time were amazed at the event, adding more emotion and wonder to the statue depicting such a momentous occasion (“The Ecstasy of St. Teresa”). Conclusion Looking at Bernini’s statue by itself, we can see his attention to detail, his craftsmanship in portraying great emotion, and his utilization of different colors of marble to great effect. Looking at the bigger picture with the added architectural aspects such as the mysterious light, the dark marble pillars, the niche in the wall, the surrounding artwork, and the marble audience at both sides of the statue makes for a truly remarkable piece of art that mixes sculpture, architecture, and design seamlessly in a scene of great rapture and life that just awes the viewer. Bernini’s style and innovation that led Baroque art into the 17th century justifies why many consider him to be the most influential artist in the Baroque period. Works Cited “Baroque Art.” Survey of Western Art. The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, n. d. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. . Bernini, Gian Lorenzo. The Ecstasy of St. Teresa. 1647-1652. Cornaro Chapel, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome, Italy. Art Through Time: A Global View. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. . “The Ecstasy of St. Teresa.” Art Through Time: A Global View. Annenberg Foundation, 2011. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. . White, Veronica. “Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598- 1680).” Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, n. d. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. . Read More