Baroque – Dutch Flemish The popularity and success of the "Baroque" was encouraged by the Roman Catholic Church. They realized that artists' dramatic style could show religious themes with elaborate artistic styles The secular (nonreligious) aristocracy also saw the dramatic style of architecture and art as a means of impressing visitors and competitors This period used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce emotions such as drama, tension, exuberance, and excellence in sculpture, painting, literature, and music The style started around 1600 in Rome, and spread to most of Europe For the first time, Baroque sculpture often had multiple ideal viewing angles Primary Artists: Caravaggio Peter Paul Rubens Diego Velasquez Bernini Rembrandt Vermeer

Caravaggio Michelangelo Merisi – successful artist but his turbulent lifestyle led to fights, drunkenness, murder and he spent years fleeing Rome and the police He used live models such as street people Claimed he didn’t need to study past masters He created realistic and “lived in” natural emotions His use of intense, unseen light sources cast extreme contrasts of light and dark on the scene, called chiaroscuro influenced generations to come The Calling of St. Matthew – oil on canvas, 1600 The Conversion of St. Paul – oil on canvas, 1600 The Crucifixion of St. Peter – oil on canvas, 1601

Peter Paul Rubens A famous Flemish artist His work is in France, Italy, and the Netherlands, very famous throughout all of Europe At an auction in 2002, Rubens' painting Massacre of the Innocents sold for $75 million The Adoration of the Magi 1624 Oil on canvas The Raising of the Cross 1610 Oil on wood

Diego Velasquez The crown jewel of Spain’s golden age of painting Inspired by Caravaggio, with a naturalistic style; everyday activities and ordinary people as models Many paintings include royals of Spain, who was his primary commissioner His masterpiece, Las Meninas is a play: is the family royal? (the king and queen entering) or is it picture of the royal family on a commoners wall? His paintings have been recreated by Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali Friend of Peter Paul Rubens, who convinced him to use Oil painting Las meninas - 1656 Las meninas 1957– by Picasso

Apollo and Daphne marble, 1625 Bernini Gian Lorenzo Bernini was undoubtedly the most important sculptor of the Baroque period He excelled in marble sculptures and busts, with overly dramatic movement and emotions Inspired by Greco-Roman sculpture and form Believed Italian art was better than any other, which offended the French Designed the Piazza and colonnades of St. Peter’s Basilica (Vatican City) The Ecstasy of St. Theresa marble sculpture, 1652 The Piazza of St. Peter’s Basilica Vatican, 1652

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn - The greatest artist of the Dutch school, lived primarily in Amsterdam His paintings are characterized by luxuriant brushwork, rich color, and a mastery of chiaroscuro He was a master of light and shadow; his paintings, drawings, and etchings made him a master He was successful, but died poor, he couldn’t afford his living style He produced approximately 600 paintings, 300 etchings, and 1,400 drawings. (60 self-portraits) The Little Children Being Brought to Jesus 1649 Etching The Night Watch, Rijksmuseum 1642

Vermeer Johannes Vermeer was a Delft painter Girl with a Pearl Earring 1666 Oil on canvas Vermeer Johannes Vermeer was a Delft painter He completed less than 40 works of art He produced carefully detailed interiors with just one or two figures - usually women – bringing beauty to everyday life His style used light softly and subtly, like natural daylight, with highlights to focus His paintings were full of symbolism, as if they were like poetry Young Woman with a Water Pitcher 1665 Oil on canvas

Activity Time Choose one artist from the Baroque time period and create your own replica You can copy the style, the subject, shadowing effects, the exact paintings – YOUR INTERPRETATION For examples: If you copy Caravaggio, create unique light sources, casting shadows If you copy Rubens, create obvious emotions and physical movement For Velasquez, create your interpretation of Las Meninas For Bernini, draw a marble sculpture (Greek-style) For Rembrandt, paint a self-portrait For Vermeer, paint a woman doing an everyday task