Fine Art

NAME: GULMATICO RED LOUIE D. SECTION: CRABBER’S EYE DATE: 3/18/2021

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Fine Arts

(Baroque Period, Rococo, Neo Classicism, Romanticism)

The Baroque Period

The Baroque is a period of artistic style that started around 1600 in Rome , Italy, and
spread throughout the majority of Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries. In informal
usage, the word baroque describes something that is elaborate and highly detailed.

The most important factors during the Baroque era were the Reformation and the
Counter-Reformation, with the development of the Baroque style considered to be linked
closely with the Catholic Church. The popularity of the style was in fact encouraged by
the Catholic Church, which had decided at the Council of Trent that the arts should
communicate religious themes and direct emotional involvement in response to the
Protestant Reformation. Baroque art manifested itself differently in various European
countries owing to their unique political and cultural climates.
Characteristics

The Baroque style is characterized by exaggerated motion and clear detail used to
produce drama, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, architecture, literature,
dance, and music. Baroque iconography was direct, obvious, and dramatic, intending to
appeal above all to the senses and the emotions.

The use of the chiaroscuro technique is a well known trait of Baroque art. This technique
refers to the interplay between light and dark and is often used in paintings of dimly lit
scenes to produce a very high-contrast, dramatic atmosphere. The chiaroscuro technique
is visible in the painting The Massacre of the Innocents by Peter Paul Rubens. Other
important Baroque painters include Caravaggio (who is thought to be a precursor to the
movement and is known for work characterized by close-up action and strong diagonals)
and Rembrandt.

Italian Painting in the Baroque Period

Baroque painting emerged in the 16th century and became extremely popular in the 17th
century; the Roman High Baroque lasted from 1623 to 1667.

Caravaggio

Caravaggio (1571–1610), born and trained in Milan, stands as one of the most original
and influential contributors to late 16th century and early 17th century European
painting. He was known for painting figures, even those of classical or religious themes,
in contemporary clothing, or as ordinary men and women. His inclusion of the seedier
side of life was in marked contrast to the trends of the time. He used tenebrism and
stark contrasts between partially lit figures and dark backgrounds to dramatize the
effect.
 The Calling of Saint Matthew by Caravaggio: The Calling of Saint Matthew shows
Caravaggio’s use of tenebrism and stark contrasts between partially lit figures
and dark backgrounds to dramatize the effect.

Other influential Italian painters during this early period who influenced the
development of Baroque painting include Peter Paul Rubens, Giovanni Lanfranco, and
Guercino. Other artists, such as Guido Reni and Domenico Zampieri, pursued a more
classical approach. Baroque painters such as Cortona, Giovan Battista Gaulli, and Ciro
Ferri continued to flourish alongside the classical trend represented by painters such as
Sacchi and Nicholas Poussin. Even a classicist painter like Sacchi’s pupil Carlo Maratta
was influenced in his use of color by the Baroque.
Spanish Painting in the Baroque Period

The Spanish Golden Age is a period of flourishing in arts, coinciding with the political rise
and decline of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty.

The Spanish Golden Age is a period of flourishing in arts and literature in Spain, coinciding
with the Baroque era and the political rise and decline of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty .
It began no earlier than 1492 with the end of the Reconquista (Reconquest), the sea
voyages of Christopher Columbus to the New World, and the publication of Antonio de
Nebrija’s Gramática de la lengua castellana (Grammar of the Castilian Language).
Politically, it ended no later than 1659 with the Treaty of the Pyrenees, ratified between
France and Habsburg, Spain.

Spain, in the time of the Italian Renaissance , had seen few great artists come to its shores.
The Italian holdings and relationships made by Ferdinand of Aragon, Queen Isabella’s
husband and later Spain’s sole monarch, launched a steady traffic of intellectuals across
the Mediterranean between Valencia, Seville, and Florence. Luis de Morales, one of the
leading exponents of Spanish Mannerist painting, retained a distinctly Spanish style in his
work reminiscent of medieval art . Spanish art, particularly that of Morales, contained a
strong mark of mysticism and religion that was encouraged by the Counter-Reformation
and the patronage of Spain’s strongly Catholic monarchs and aristocracy.

Diego Velázquez

Diego Velázquez is widely regarded as one of Spain’s most important and influential
artists. He was an individualistic artist of the contemporary Baroque period and most
well-known as a portrait artist. In addition to numerous renditions of scenes of
historical and cultural significance, he painted scores of portraits of the Spanish royal
family, other notable European figures, and commoners, culminating in the production
of his masterpiece Las Meninas (1656). Velázquez was a court painter for King Philip IV
and found increasingly high demand for his portraits from statesmen, aristocrats, and
clergymen across Europe. His portraits of the King, his chief minister, the Count-duke of
Olivares, and the Pope himself demonstrated a belief in artistic realism and a style
comparable to many of the Dutch masters.
Philip IV in Brown and Silver, 1632: Velázquez is perhaps most well-known for his
many famous portraits, including this one of King Philip IV.
Religion in the Art of the Spanish Golden Age: Francisco de Zurbarán

The religious element in Spanish art, in many circles, grew in importance with the
Counter-Reformation. The austere, ascetic, and severe work of Francisco de Zurbarán
exemplified this thread in Spanish art, along with the work of composer Tomás Luis de
Victoria. Philip IV actively patronized artists who agreed with his views on the Counter-
Reformation and religion. The mysticism of Zurbarán’s work—influenced by Saint
Theresa of Avila—became a hallmark of Spanish art in later generations.

The Birth of the Virgin: The Birth of the Virgin, by Francisco de Zurbarán,
demonstrates the religious themes, particular the devotion to the Virgin Mary,
that pervaded Counter-Reformation Spanish artwork.
French Painting in the Baroque Period

17th century painting in France was influenced by Italian Baroque sensibilities as well as
the Classical tastes of the powerful monarchy.

17th century painting in France was influenced by Italian Baroque sensibilities as well as
the Classical tastes of the powerful monarchy. These two strong influences resulted in a
style that was unique to France and culminated in the art produced for King Louis XIV.
The reign of Louis XIV saw a shift from Mannerist and Baroque styles popular in the early
part of the century, during the reign of Louis XIII, toward a more prescribed Classical
style. Louis XIV established royal control over artisanal production in France, prohibiting
the purchase of luxury goods from abroad. He also established the Academy of Painting
and Sculpture, which maintained a hierarchy of genres in painting and a distinctly
Classical flavor.

Influential French Painters

Important painters of 17th century France include Simon Vouet, Charles Le Brun, Nicolas
Poussin, Claude Lorrain, and Georges de la Tour. 17th century painting in France was
divided: on one hand there was influence from the Italian Baroque style as seen in the
work of de la Tour; on the other was a distinctive turn towards a rigid, Classical style that
was favored by the monarchy, and exemplified by the works of Le Brun, Poussin, and
Lorrain. The convergence of these two styles gave 17th century painting an aesthetic tone
that was wholly unique to France.

Simon Vouet and Charles Le Brun

Simon Vouet is known for introducing Baroque style painting to France. He studied in
Italy and learned the techniques of the Italian masters, which he imbued with his own
sensibilities. He was made “premier peintre du Roi” by Louis XIII, who commissioned
numerous works from him. Charles Le Brun was Vouet’s most influential pupil and was
to become an important painter in the court of King Louis XIV. Le Brun worked primarily
for Louis XIV, and his most important works reside at the Palace of Versailles. Mostly
producing battle pieces and altarpieces , Le Brun’s paintings exemplify a synthesis of
Baroque and Classical styles.
 Charles Le Brun, The Conquest of Franche-Comté: Charles Le Brun worked
primarily for King Louis XIV, and his most important works reside at the Palace of
Versailles. Mostly producing battle pieces and altarpieces, Le Brun’s paintings
exemplify a synthesis of Baroque and Classical styles.
Flemish Painting in the Baroque Period

The style of painting produced in Flanders during the 17th century is known as Flemish
Baroque.

Flemish Baroque

The style of painting produced in Flanders during the 17th century is known as Flemish
Baroque. This style was produced between about 1585, when the Dutch Republic split
from the Habsburg Spain regions of the south, until about 1700, when the Habsburg rule
ended after the death of King Charles II. Antwerp—the home of Peter Paul Rubens,
Anthony Van Dyck, and Jacob Jordaens—figured prominently as a point of artistic
production during this time, as did Brussels and Ghent to a lesser extent. Peter Paul
Rubens, the preeminent painter of the Flemish Baroque style, had a strong influence on
the artistic aesthetic of the 17th century.

Categories of Flemish Painting

Flemish Baroque painting is notable for the fact that it was separated into different
thematic categories, and artists of the time tended to specialize in one of these areas.
These genres included history, portraiture, genre, landscape, and still life paintings.

History Painting

History painting, considered the most noble genre during the 17th century, was
comprised of depictions of historical, biblical, mythological, and allegorical scenes. Peter
Paul Rubens was the dominant painter in this category, though his student Anthony Van
Dyck also became prominent. More than in any other category, Flemish history painters
continued to draw influence from Italian painting. Rubens spent nine years in Italy
studying the work of the masters, and he introduced the monumental hunting scene to
painting. This is exemplified in his work Wolf and Fox Hunt, which depicts a noble battle
on a large scale and was inspired by his study of classical antiquity .
Portrait Paintings

Portrait paintings were, for the most part, monumental or life sized, though the group and
family portrait came into prominence during the 17th century. Although he was not a
portrait painter, Rubens completed some early works in this category. He also exerted
influence through his student, Anthony Van Dyck, who became the court painter for
Charles I of England and an influence on subsequent portraiture in England.

Genre Painting

Genre paintings depict scenes from everyday life and were very common in 17th century
Flanders. These paintings feature figures with no specific identity, commonly engaged in
activities associated with “the peasant life.” Many genre artists follow the tradition of
Peter Brueghel the Elder in their depiction of the lower classes. The paintings of Adriaen
Brouwer, which often show peasants fighting and drinking, serve as an example of
Flemish genre painting. Brouwer is known for painting his subjects in interior, rather
than exterior, scenes. He was also known for his expressive facial studies, characteristic
of a genre called “tronies” (faces) and exemplified in works such as The Bitter Drink.

Landscapes

Landscape painting was another major category in the 17th century. The style developed
from earlier 16th century Flemish landscape paintings, which were not particularly
realistic and employed the semi-aerial view typical of Peter Brueghel the Elder.
Architectural interior painting also became popular around this time, developing out of
the works of Hans Vredman de Vries and depicting the realistic interiors of existing
churches and cathedrals .

Still Lifes

Floral still life painting was widespread in 17th century Flanders, popularized by
Brueghel the Elder around 1600. His sons, Jan Brueghel the Younger and Ambrosius
Brueghel, were also known flower specialists of the time. Other subjects or subcategories
of still life painting included the banquet still life, the animal still life, and garland scenes.
Still life paintings often had an underlying moralistic message concerning the brevity of
life, a trait exemplified by the “vanitas.” A vanitas is a symbolic still life painting that is
meant to illustrate the meaninglessness of earthly life and the transience of all earthly
pursuits. Vanitas paintings were very popular in 17th century Flemish and Dutch work,
and they often depict symbols such as skulls, flowers, rotting fruit, clocks, watches,
smoke, and hourglasses, all of which are meant to convey the ephemeral nature of life on
earth.
Wolf and Fox Hunt by Peter Paul Rubens: Wolf and Fox Hunt is an example of the
monumental hunting scene Rubens introduced to painting.

Rococo in Painting

Rococo style in painting echoes the qualities evident in other manifestations of the style
including serpentine lines, heavy use of ornament as well as themes revolving around
playfulness, love, and nature.

Painting during the Rococo period has many of the same qualities as other Rococo art
forms such as heavy use of ornament, curved lines and the use of a gold and pastel-based
palette. Additionally, forms are often asymmetrical and the themes are playful, even
witty, rather than political, as in the case of Baroque art. Themes relating to myths of love
as well as portraits and idyllic landscapes typify Rococo painting.
Antoine Watteau

Antoine Watteau is considered to be the first great Rococo painter. His influence is visible
in the work of later Rococo painters such as Francois Boucher and Honore Fragonard.
Watteau is known for his soft application of paint, dreamy atmosphere, and depiction of
classical themes that often revolve around youth and love, exemplified in the painting
Pilgrimage to Cythera.

Pilgrimage to Cythera by Antoine Watteau: Watteau’s signature soft application of

paint, dreamy atmosphere, and depiction of classical themes that often revolve
around youth and love is evident in his work Pilgrimage to Cythera.

Francois Boucher

Francois Boucher became a master of Rococo painting somewhat later than Watteau. His
work exemplifies many of the same characteristics, though with a slightly more
mischievous and suggestive tone. Boucher had an illustrious career, and became court
painter to King Louis XV in 1765. There was controversy later in his career as Boucher
received some moral criticism from people such as Diderot for the themes present in his
work. The Blonde Odalisque was particularly controversial, as it supposedly illustrated
the extra marital affairs of the King.

Blond Odalisque by Francois Boucher: Blond Odalisque was a highly controversial

work by Francois Boucher as it was thought to depict an affair of King Louis XV.
The work employs serpentine lines, a reasonably pastel palette and themes of
love indicative of Rococo artwork.
Neoclassical Paintings

Neoclassical painting, produced by men and women, drew its inspiration from the
classical art and culture of ancient Greece and Rome.

Background and Characteristics

Neoclassicism is the term for movements in the arts that draw inspiration from the
classical art and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. The height of Neoclassicism
coincided with the 18th century Enlightenment era and continued into the early 19th
century. With the advent of the Grand Tour—a much enjoyed trip around Europe
intended to introduce young men to the extended culture and people of their world—it
became fashionable to collect antiquities as souvenirs. This tradition laid the foundations
of many great collections and ensured the spread of the Neoclassical revival throughout
Europe and America. The French Neoclassical style would greatly contribute to the
monumentalism of the French Revolution, with the emphasis of both lying in virtue and
patriotism.

Neoclassical painting is characterized by the use of straight lines, a smooth paint surface
hiding brush work, the depiction of light, a minimal use of color, and the clear, crisp
definition of forms. Its subject matter usually relates to either Greco-Roman history or
other cultural attributes, such as allegory and virtue. The softness of paint application and
light-hearted and “frivolous” subject matter that characterize Rococo painting is
recognized as the opposite of the Neoclassical style. The works of Jacques-Louis David
are widely considered to be the epitome of Neoclassical painting. Many painters
combined aspects of Romanticism with a vaguely Neoclassical style before David’s
success, but these works did not strike any chords with audiences. Typically, the subject
matter of Neoclassical painting consisted of the depiction of events from history,
mythological scenes, and the architecture and ruins of ancient Rome.

The School of David

Neoclassical painting gained new momentum with the great success of David’s Oath of
the Horatii at the Paris Salon of 1785. The painting had been commissioned by the royal
government and was created in a style that was the perfect combination of idealized
structure and dramatic effect. The painting created an uproar, and David was proclaimed
to have perfectly defined the Neoclassical taste in his painting style. He thereby became
the quintessential painter of the movement. In The Oath of the Horatii, the perspective is
perpendicular to the picture plane. It is defined by a dark arcade behind several classical
heroic figures. There is an element of theatre, or staging, that evokes the grandeur of
opera. David soon became the leading French painter and enjoyed a great deal of
government patronage. Over the course of his long career, he attracted over 300 students
to his studio.

Jacques-Louis David. The Oath of the Horatii (1784): Oil on canvas. Musée du
Louvre, Paris.

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, a Neoclassical painter of history and portraiture, was

one of David’s students. Deeply devoted to classical techniques, Ingres is known to have
believed himself to be a conservator of the style of the ancient masters, although he later
painted subjects in the Romantic style. Examples of his Neoclassical work include the
paintings Virgil Reading to Augustus (1812), and Oedipus and the Sphinx (1864). Both
David and Ingres made use of the highly organized imagery, straight lines, and clearly
defined forms that were typical of Neoclassical painting during the 18th century.
 Virgil Reading to Augustus by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1812): Oil on
canvas. The Walters Art Museum.

While tradition and the rules governing the Académie Française barred women from
studying from the nude model (a necessity for executing an effective Neoclassical
painting), David believed that women were capable of producing successful art of the
style and welcomed many as his students. Among the most successful were Marie-
Guillemine Benoist, who eventually won commissions from the Bonaparte family, and
Angélique Mongez, who won patrons from as far away as Russia.
 Self-Portrait by Marie-Guillemine Benoist (1788): In this untraced oil on canvas,
Benoist (then Leroulx de la Ville) paints a section from David’s acclaimed
Neoclassical painting of Justinian’s blinded general Belisarius begging for alms.
Her return of the viewer’s gaze and classical attire show her confidence as an
artist and conformity to artistic trends.

Mongez is best known for being one of the few women to paint monumental subjects that
often included the male nude, a feat for which hostile critics often attacked her.
 Theseus and Pirithoüs Clearing the Earth of Brigands, Deliver Two Women from
the Hands of Their Abductors by Angélique Mongez (1806): Oil on canvas.
Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.

Mongez and Antoine-Jean Gros, another of David’s students, tried to carry on the
Neoclassical tradition after David’s death in 1825 but were unsuccessful in face of the
growing popularity of Romanticism.
Romanticism

Romanticism, fueled by the French Revolution, was a reaction to the scientific rationalism
and classicism of the Age of Enlightenment.

Romanticism was an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in

Europe toward the end of the 18th century. In most areas the movement was at its peak
in the approximate period from 1800 CE to 1840 CE. Romanticism reached beyond the
rational and Classicist ideal models to elevate a revived medievalism.

The Influence of the French Revolution

Though influenced by other artistic and intellectual movements, the ideologies and
events of the French Revolution created the primary context from which both
Romanticism and the Counter-Enlightenment emerged. Upholding the ideals of the
Revolution, Romanticism was a revolt against the aristocratic social and political norms
of the Age of Enlightenment and also a reaction against the scientific rationalization of
nature. Romanticism elevated the achievements of what it perceived as heroic
individualists and artists, whose pioneering examples would elevate society. It also
legitimized the individual imagination as a critical authority, which permitted freedom
from classical notions of form in art.

Painting in the Romantic Period

Romanticism was a prevalent artistic movement in Europe during the 18th and 19th
centuries.

Romanticism

While the arrival of Romanticism in French art was delayed by the hold of Neoclassicism
on the academies, it became increasingly popular during the Napoleonic period. Its initial
form was the history paintings that acted as propaganda for the new regime. The key
generation of French Romantics born between 1795–1805, in the words of Alfred de
Vigny, had been “conceived between battles, attended school to the rolling of drums.” The
French Revolution (1789–1799) followed by the Napoleonic Wars until 1815, meant that
war, and the attending political and social turmoil that went along with them, served as
the background for Romanticism.
History Painting

Since the Renaissance, history painting was considered among the highest and most
difficult forms of art. History painting is defined by its subject matter rather than artistic
style. History paintings usually depict a moment in a narrative story rather than a specific
and static subject. In the Romantic period, history painting was extremely popular and
increasingly came to refer to the depiction of historical scenes, rather than those from
religion or mythology.

French Romanticism

This generation of the French school developed personal Romantic styles while still
concentrating on history painting with a political message. Théodore Géricault’s The Raft
of the Medusa of 1821 remains the greatest achievement of the Romantic history
painting, which in its day had a powerful anti-government message.

The Raft of the Medusa by Jean Louis Theodore Gericault, 1818–21: This painting
is regarded as one of the greatest Romantic era paintings.

Ingres
Profoundly respectful of the past, Ingres assumed the role of a guardian of academic
orthodoxy against the ascendant Romantic style represented by his nemesis Eugène
Delacroix. He described himself as a “conservator of good doctrine, and not an innovator.”
Nevertheless, modern opinion has tended to regard Ingres and the other Neoclassicists
of his era as embodying the Romantic spirit of his time, while his expressive distortions
of form and space make him an important precursor of modern art.

Achilles Receiving the Envoys of Agamemnon by Ingres, 1801: Ingres, though

firmly committed to Neoclassical values, is seen as expressing the Romantic spirit
of the times.

Delacroix

Eugène Delacroix (1798–1863) had great success at the Salon with works like The Barque
of Dante (1822), The Massacre at Chios (1824) and Death of Sardanapalus (1827).
Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People (1830) remains, with The Medusa, one of the best
known works of French Romantic painting. Both of these works reflected current events
and appealed to public sentiment.
 Liberty Leading the People, by Delacroix, 1830: The history paintings of Eugene
Delacroix epitomized the Romantic period.

Goya

Spanish painter Francisco Goya is today generally regarded as the greatest painter of the
Romantic period. However, in many ways he remained wedded to the classicism and
realism of his training. More than any other artist of the period, Goya exemplified the
Romantic expression of the artist’s feelings and his personal imaginative world. He also
shared with many of the Romantic painters a more free handling of paint, emphasized in
the new prominence of the brushstroke and impasto, which tended to be repressed in
neoclassicism under a self-effacing finish. Goya’s work is renowned for its expressive line,
color, and brushwork as well as its distinct subversive commentary.
 The Milkmaid of Bordeaux by Goya, ca. 1825–1827: Though he worked in a
variety of styles, Goya is remembered as perhaps the greatest painter of the
Romantic period.

German Romanticism

Compared to English Romanticism, German Romanticism developed relatively late, and,

in the early years, coincided with Weimar Classicism (1772–1805). In contrast to the
seriousness of English Romanticism, the German variety of Romanticism notably valued
wit, humor, and beauty.

The early German romantics strove to create a new synthesis of art, philosophy, and
science, largely by viewing the Middle Ages as a simpler period of integrated culture,
however, the German romantics became aware of the tenuousness of the cultural unity
they sought. Late-stage German Romanticism emphasized the tension between the daily
world and the irrational and supernatural projections of creative genius. Key painters in
the German Romantic tradition include Joseph Anton Koch, Adrian Ludwig Richter, Otto
Reinhold Jacobi, and Philipp Otto Runge among others.

The Hulsenbeck Children by Phillip Otto Runge, oil on canvas: Runge was a well-
known German Romantic painter.