THE BAROQUE IN FRANCE
17th Century
Paris began to take over as the world capital of the arts, instead
of Rome.
 72 year reign of the “Sun King”, Louis XIV was France’s
golden age.
o French art, fashion and etiquette was the standard
o French language became the diplomatic language
o Art and architecture began to serve the king as it had for
the Church
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CHARACTERISTICS
 Glorify the King’s reign
 Not extreme expression and enthusiasm of Italy
 Rational and balanced Classicism (Louis XIVs taste)
ARTIST
GEORGES DE LA TOUR (1593-1652)
Magdalen with the Smoking Flame, 1630-1635 p. 341
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Influenced by Caravaggio’s Tenebrism and Realism
Often a candle or moonlight as only source of light
Dramatic night time compositions
Seems like genre painting but actually emotional and sacred
Calm
Simple and monumental forms
Magdalen = symbol of the Catholic doctrine of the forgivenss
of sins through penance.
ARTIST
Nicolas Poussin (1593-1665)
The Most Important Painter of France during the Baroque period
Worked most of his time in Italy
Characteristics:
 Used coloured glazes inspired by Titian
 Used simplified sculptural quality of Raphael
 Elimination of unnecessary detail
 Inspired by Classical art
 Subject matter was important. It should be grand, heroic or divine.
Sometimes he…
 Emphasized composition & balance
But, sometimes he…
 Filled his paintings with swirling activity and strong brushwork as in the
Rape of the Sabine Women, ca. 1634 (see story of the Sabine women
below)
Constructed a model stage filled with wax figures
ARTWORK
Poussin, Holy Family on the Steps, 1648
This painting is a perfect example of Poussin’s characteristics:
 Subject matter is DIVINE because the painting features Mary, Joseph,
Christ Child, Elizabeth and John the Baptist.
 Setting is CLASSICAL because of columns and urns in background
 Composition is BALANCED due to the triangular arrangement of figures.
Subtle symbolism:
 Joseph, with his carpentry tools, is located in the shadow of Mary and the
Christ Child.
o Joseph represents the working life
o Mary and Jesus represent the spiritual life.
 Joseph’s foot is highlighted to create asymmetrical balance.
 Elizabeth and John the Baptist are cast in shadow to retain the emphasis on
Mary and Jesus.
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HISTORY of the Sabine Women
The first generation of Roman men acquired wives for themselves by abducting (“raping” [not in
the sexual sense]) Sabine women. The Sabines were an ancient Italian tribe that lived in the
Apennine Mountains, which were north of what would become Rome. This became a popular
story during the Renaissance and Baroque period.
THE BAROQUE IN SPAIN
After 1600
ARTIST
DIEGO VELAZQUEZ (1599-1660)
 Appointed court painter by King Philip IV
 Main focus was portraiture
 Interested in reality
Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor), 1656 p. 361
 Combines formality of a royal group portrait with the
informality of a more casual genre scene in his studio
 He represents himself in his studio standing in front of a very
large canvas
 He may be painting the portraits of the King & Queen who are
reflected in the mirror on the far wall
 5 year old princess, 2 ladies in waiting, her favourite dwarfs
and dog
 Aim – show the movement of light and the ways it can be
reflected
 Line was seldom used by Velazquez, instead he used spots and
light define objects
ROCOCO
18th Century
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Commissioned works of art that reflected their wealth and
social position
Artists not as important as Baroque artists
Centered in France
Substituted gaiety, charm and wit for Baroque grandeur
ARTIST
ANTOINE WATTEAU (1684-1721)
The Gamut of Love, 1717 p. 365
Shimmering surfaces: would underpaint canvas with
white, pale blue and pink, with glazes painted over
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Sparkle with life, gaiety
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Capture the essence of fête galante (elegant
entertainment)
 Scenes of elegant society or comedic actors in parklike
settings.
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Glittering and fanciful lives of wealthy Parisians.
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