How to Identify Baroque Art

Baroque is the term given to the art movement of the Counter-Reformation that began in the late sixteenth century and ended in the mid-eighteenth century. While the style makes an appearance in some Dutch art, it emerged mainly in predominantly Catholic countries. Painters, sculptors and architects located in these areas strove to evoke movement, emotion and variety in their artwork. Read on to learn how to identify Baroque art.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Research the three main categories of Baroque art. The Catholic Counter-Reformation emphasized simple compositions used to tell stories that ignited religious feelings in the viewer. The aristocratic courts of Louis XIV of France produced art that while religiously themed exemplified the style of Northern Europe. The work of the Stuarts of England and the merchants of Holland is distinguished by their genre scene, or depictions of everyday life. Dutch art reflects an absence of religious themes because the Protestant Church did not commission art.
2. Study works by Michelangelo Merssisi da Caravaggio such as "The Conversion of St. Paul." This piece marked the beginning of the Baroque movement as a response to the Jesuit religious movement known as the Catholic Counter-Reformation.
3. Notice Caravaggio's use of dramatic light. Called chiaroscuro, this painting technique uses contrast of light as a means of giving three-dimensional depth to objects like the human form. Chiaroscuro is often applied as a means of contrast to entire compositions which gives a painting a sense of drama. It was first seen in "The Conversion of St. Paul" and is technique seen often in Baroque art.
4. Explore the work of Paul Rubens and Nicolas Poussin. Rubens' "The Assumption of the Virgin" and Poussin's "Holy Family on the Steps" are both characteristically Baroque in their religious subject matter and their expression of drama. Rubens tends to favor the bold use of color in his work to achieve baroque theatrics. Poussin uses contrast and shading along with precise lines do the same. Both pieces create a dramatic Baroque effect even though the artists use different techniques. Both are considered classic examples of the French baroque style.
5. Research the work of Frans Hals, Rembrandt van Rijn and Johannes Vermeer. These painters are all considered classic Bourgeoisie Baroque artists. While classic religious themes are explored by each of these artists, the emergence of the genre scene, or a depiction of everyday life is also investigated by these painters which is a classic theme surveyed in Dutch Baroque art.

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