The Baroque and Rococo - Essay Example

The Baroque and Rococo Introduction The soul of the Baroque is characterized by austerity that inspires silence and meditation and it is the aesthetic nature of the Baroque to underscore the basic lines and points of the message being conveyed. The Rococo style dances, plays itself out completely (bergerfoundation.ch). This paper includes points of view of two famous art historians, Gombrich and Hauser. Thru this paper we will able to compare how the two historians describe or deal with the baroque and rococo art. The analysis and understanding of Gombrich in baroque and rococo where discussed in the Story of Art. Meanwhile, Hauser analyzed and described baroque and rococo in Social History of Art. Baroque started in 1600 in Rome and Italy. It is the period of exaggerated motion and clear. It easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance and music (Wikipedia.com). Rococo style of art emerged in France in the early 18th century as a continuation of the Baroque style. In contrast to the heavier themes and darker colors of the Baroque, the Rococo style was characterized by an opulence, grace, playfulness, and lightness. Rococo motifs focused on the carefree aristocratic life and on lighthearted romance rather than heroic battles or religious figures; they also revolve heavily around nature and exterior settings (Wikipedia.com). Baroque and Rococo Baroque derived from the Italian word barocco, which was a term used by philosophers during the middle Ages to describe an obstacle in schematic logic. Another possible source is the Portuguese word barroco (Spanish barrueco), used to describe an irregular or imperfectly shaped pearl, and this usage still survives in the jeweler's term baroque pearl. Rococo was an art style of 18th-century painting and decorations characterized by lightness, delicacy, and elaborate ornamentation. The Rococo period corresponded roughly to the reign (1715-1774) of Louis XV of France.The term rococo comes from the French rocaille, "rock-work". Hauser and Gombrich on Baroque Baroque in the 16th century up to the 18th century was considered to be loosely applied to European art. Based on Hauser, the painting of the Baroque period is so varied that no single set of stylistic criteria can be applied to it. The reason for this is that because currents of classicism and naturalism co existed with. According in the History of Art by Hauser, the catholic churches use this kind of art in order to invite the churchgoers to enter their church. The churches that evolved from this program were both sensuous and spiritual, while the naturalistic rendered the religious image more comprehensible to the average churchgoer, dramatic and illusory effects were used to stimulate piety and devotion. According to Hauser the Baroque vision of the world is dynamic and dramatic. Hauser described the figures with utmost vividness and richness by using rich colours, dramatic effects of light and shade, and lavish use of highlights. Based on the Story of Art in 1950, Gombrich distinguished between representational art based on seeing and that on based on understanding. The story of the Art, is a story of a continuous weaving and changing of tradition in which each work refers to the past and points to the future. The baroque style according to Gombrich in the Story of the Art, should emphasized on unity among the arts. Gombrich description on baroque art is that the viewer tends to engage the viewer, both physically and emotionally. In painting and sculpture this was achieved by means of highly developed naturalistic illusionism, usually heightened by dramatic lighting effects, creating an unequaled sense of theatricality, energy, and movement of forms. Architecture, departing from the classical canon revived during the Renaissance, took on the fluid, plastic aspects of sculpture. Hauser and Gombrich on Rococo The Rococo style of art emerged in France in the early 18th century as a continuation of the Baroque style, but in contrast to the heavier themes and darker colors of the Baroque, the Rococo was characterized by an opulence, grace, playfulness, and lightness. Based on Gombrich the rococo in decoration is fully fledged style it is characterized by decoration based on arabesques, shells, elaborate curves, and asymmetry; in painting it is typified by iridescent pastel colours and light-hearted rather than weighty subject matter. In the Art History of Gombrich, the origins of rococo are obscure, but it appears to have begun with the work of the French designer Pierre Lepautre, who introduced arabesques and curves into the interior architecture of the royal residence at Marly. Later the paintings of Antoine Watteau, whose delicate, colour-drenched canvases of aristocratic men and women in idyllic surroundings broke with the heroism of Louis XIV style.Gombrich further described rococo as characterized by dramatic scenes, with strong contrasts of chiaroscuro (Baroque Clair-obscure)and full, thick brushstrokes such as the one done by Giuseppe Maria Crespi in Bologna. Later the color become lighter and the themes tended to lean towards biblical and pastoral scenes. He was thus a transition figure between Baroque and Rococo Styles. Rococo according to Hauser is a feminine look, the style suggests that the age was dominated by the taste and the social initiative of women, and, to a large extent it was. Hauser described French Rococo interiors were designed as lively, total works of art in which the architecture, relief sculptures, and wall paintings were complemented by elegant furniture, enchanting small sculpture, ornamented mirror frames, delightful ceramics and silver, a few "easel" paintings, and decorative tapestry. Rococo art portrayed a world of artificiality, make-believe, and game-playing. Although less formal, it was essentially an art of the aristocracy and emphasized what seem now to have been the unreflective and indulgent lifestyles of the aristocracy rather than piety, morality, self-discipline, reason, and heroism (all of which can be found in the baroque). Rococo is seen both as the climax and fall of Baroque art. Baroque and Rococo to other art Historian The Rococo style is characterized by pastel colors, gracefully delicate curving forms, fanciful figures, and a lighthearted mood (visually and physically). The essence of Rococo art is light. Extreme highlights are placed on the subject matter and the overall work is light in color, effect, and emotion. Artists paid special attention to fine detail. Form is characterized by delicacy of color, dynamic compositions, and atmospheric effects. (huntfor.com). Eventually the Rococo art was replaced by the more serious style, Neoclassicism. Critics condemned it as "tasteless, frivolous, and symbolic of a corrupt society". Based on Michael Kitson description of rococo, the essence of rococo interior decoration is twofold; first, the forms are almost flat instead of being, as in baroque schemes, in high relief; second, architectural and sculptural features are eliminated so that the designer is confronted with a smooth surface, interrupted only by the window recesses and the chimneypiece. In later schemes the forms were often mildly asymmetrical in arrangement, but asymmetry was more the province of three-dimensional objects, such as wall brackets, candlesticks, and table ornaments, the master designer of which was Juste Aurle Meissonnier. Reference Hauser, Arnold, 1892-1978. The Philosophy of Art History. Publisher: New York, Knopf, 1959 [c1958] Highlight: Distinguishing between Baroque and Rococo http://www.bergerfoundation.ch/Home/high_roccoco.html Kitson, M. Art Period, Rococo style http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Art/rococo.shtml http://www.huntfor.com/arthistory/c17th-mid19th/rococo.htm Wikipedia.com Read More