Chapter 24: The Baroque in Italy and SpainChapter Sheet
Preview: The term Baroque is used to describe art and architecture of the 17th century, much of which is characterized by complex theatricality and emotionalism. Italian Baroque architecture features dynamic, engaging compositions, exemplified by Gianlorenzo Bernini’s sweeping colonnades surrounding the piazza of St. Peter’s in Rome. Bernini is also the leading sculptor in Baroque Italy, rendering figures that exhibit energy and intense emotion. Ceiling painting in the Baroque era reached new heights in drama and illusionism, while Caravaggio set new standards for painting on canvas, employing dynamic compositions and engaging naturalism. Artemisia Gentileschi, a follower of Caravaggio, achieved international renown and was the leading woman artist of the century. In Spain, Diego Velazquez served at the court of Philip IV where he painted Las Meninas, a masterwork so visually and thematically complex that it continues to inspire artists and occupy scholars to this day.
Key Figures: Pope Urban VIII, Pope Innocent X, Ignatius Loyola, Cesare Ripa (La Pittura)
Key Art Terms: Baroque, barroco quadro riportato, tenebrism, still life
Key Architectural Terms: atrium, piazza, baldacchino, lost-wax process, chasing, obelisk, proscenium, Greek cross
List of Artworks (15 cards total)
- Context Card for Baroque in Italy and Spain
- Carlo Maderno, east façade of Saint Peter’s, Vatican City, Rome, Italy, 1606-1612—Pg. 671
- Aerial view of Saint Peter’s, Vatican City, Rome, Italy. Piazza designed by Gianlorenzo Bernini, 1656-1667—pg. 672
- Plan of St. Peter’s
- Bernini, baldacchino, Saint Peter’s, Vatican City, Rome, Italy, 1624-1633—pg. 673
- Bernini, David, 1623—pg. 674
- Bernini, Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, Cornaro chapel, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome, Italy, 1645-1652—pg. 674
- Bernini, Cornaro chapel, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome, Italy, 1645-1652—Pg. 675
- Guarini, Palazzo Carignano, Turin, 1679-1692—Pg. 676
- Borromini, San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane (view into dome), Rome, Italy, 1638-1641—Pg. 677
- Caravaggio, Calling of Saint Matthew, ca. 1597-1601—Pg. 681
- Caravaggio, Conversion of Saint Paul, ca. 1601—Pg. 683
- Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Slaying Holofernes, ca. 1614-1620—Pg. 683
- Giovanni Battista Gaulli, Triumph of the Name of Jesus, ceiling fresco with stucco figures on the nave vault of Il Gesú, Rome, Italy, 1676-1679—Pg. 686
- Velázquez, Surrender of Breda, 1634-1635—Pg. 690
- Velázquez, Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor), 1656—Pg. 691
Exercises for Study:
1. What are the primary defining elements of Italian Baroque sculpture and architecture? Select one Baroque sculpture and one Baroque building in Italy and discuss how they exemplify the style.
2. In what ways was Artemisia Gentileschi’s career affected by her gender?
3. Describe the levels of reality represented in Diego Velazquez’s Las Meninas. In what way does the painting serve to elevate the artist and his profession?
Chapter 24 - The Baroque in Italy and Spain Objectives
•Describe how Michelangelo, Bernini, and Borromini manipulated classical architectural elements to engender a sense of energy.
•Describe the differences between Italian Baroque architecture in Rome and Turin.
•Define tenebrism and describe its impact on art both inside and outside of Italy.
•Describe the critical part played by Caravaggio and Gentileschi in defining a new kind representation in painting.
•Be prepared to compare and contrast the art of the Italians to José de Ribera, Francisco de Zurbarán and Diego Velázquez.
•Discuss the significance of social and political events in the production and use of art and architecture.
•Explain how absolutist rhetoric is embodied in examples of 17th-century art and architecture.
•Describe the influence the Catholic Counter Reformation exerted on 17th-century art and architecture.
•Explain the significance of the classical tradition in examples of 17th-century art and architecture.
•Analyze the shifting status of artists and architects in the 17th century