AP ART HISTORY
Page 1
Chapter 19 – Baroque, Rococo, & Early American Art Comparative Analysis Assignment
Mrs. Lawson
100 Points Total
Directions: Read assigned pages. Collect data on the artworks listed below. Be ready for class discussion and reading quizzes.
ARCHITECTURE
ANALYSIS/DATA
COLLECTION
WORKSHEET
CRITERIA:
Bernini, St. Peter’s & Square,
pg. 752-57
Borromini, Church of San
Le Vau & Mansart, Palais de
Wren, St Paul’s Cathedral, pg
Carlo, pg. 757-58
Versailles, pg 769-73
803-4
Date / Time Period
/ Style
Site / Location /
Relationship to site
(geography,
climate, geology,
etc.)
Medium / Materials
/ Techniques /
Construction
Function / Purpose
Artistic Importance
/ Influences:
Formal Qualities:
Scale/ Size/
Proportion / Form /
Vertical / Horizontal
OrganizationInterior & Exterior:
Axis / Plane / Plan/
Vertical /Horizontal
Patron / Audience:
Relationship to
cultural belief
system (Religious):
Political / Social /
Economic / Power
& Authority:
Other Related
Artworks / with
relevant criteria
Jones, Banqueting House
Whitehall Palace pg 802-3
AP ART HISTORY
Page 2
Chapter 19 – Baroque, Rococo, & Early American Art Comparative Analysis Assignment
Mrs. Lawson
100 Points Total
Directions: Read assigned pages. Collect data on the artworks listed below. Be ready for class discussion and reading quizzes.
SCULPTURE
ANALYSIS/
DATA
COLLECTION
WORKSHEET
CRITERIA:
Bernini, Baldacchino, pg 755-57
Bernini, St Teresa, pg 758-61
Bernini, Four Rivers Fountain,
pg 758-61
Date / Time Period
/ Style
Site / Location /
Relationship to site
Medium / Materials
/ Method /
Technique
Function / Purpose
Content / Subject /
Message /
Iconography
Artistic Importance
/ Influence:
Formal Qualities:
Scale / Size /
Proportion /
Pictorial Space /
Composition /
Emphasis / Balance /
Volume / Mass /
Depth / Color /
Movement /
Treatment of the
Human Form
Patron / Audience
Relationship to
Cultural belief
system (Religious)
Relationship to
Political / Social /
Economic / Power
& Authority
Other artworks
from the period &
relevant criteria
David
Apollo
AP ART HISTORY
Page 3
Chapter 19 – Baroque, Rococo, & Early American Art Comparative Analysis Assignment
Mrs. Lawson
100 Points Total
Directions: Read assigned pages. Collect data on the artworks listed below. Be ready for class discussion and reading quizzes.
PAINTING
ANALYSIS/
DATA
COLLECTION
WORKSHEET
CRITERIA:
Carracci, Farnese ceiling,
Caravaggio, Entombment, pg.
pg. 761-64
764-68
Gentileschi, Judith &
Maidservant with Head of
Holofernes, p 768-9
Date / Time Period
/ Style
Site / Location /
Relationship to site
Medium / Materials
/ Method /
Technique
Function / Purpose
Content / Subject /
Message /
Iconography
Artistic Importance
/ Influence:
Formal Qualities:
Scale / Size /
Proportion /
Pictorial Space /
Composition /
Emphasis / Balance /
Volume / Mass /
Depth / Color /
Movement /
Treatment of the
Human Form
Patron / Audience
Relationship to
Cultural belief
System (Religious)
Relationship to
Political / Social /
Economic / Power
& Authority
Other artworks
from the period &
relevant criteria
Calling of Matthew
La Pittura – self portrait
Conversion of St. Paul
Lorrain, Landscape with
Merchants, pg. 773-76
AP ART HISTORY
Page 4
Chapter 19 – Baroque, Rococo, & Early American Art Comparative Analysis Assignment
Mrs. Lawson
100 Points Total
Directions: Read assigned pages. Collect data on the artworks listed below. Be ready for class discussion and reading quizzes.
PAINTING
ANALYSIS/
DATA
COLLECTION
WORKSHEET
CRITERIA:
Poussin, Landscape with
Velazquez, Las Meninas (The
Rubens, Henri IV Receiving the
Van Dyck, Charles I at the
St. John on Patmos, pg.
773-76
Maids of Honor), pg. 780-781
Portrait of Marie de Medici, pg
781-84
Hunt, pg 783-4
Date / Time Period
/ Style
Site / Location /
Relationship to site
Medium / Materials
/ Method /
Technique
Function / Purpose
Content / Subject /
Message /
Iconography
Artistic Importance
/ Influence:
Formal Qualities:
Scale / Size /
Proportion /
Pictorial Space /
Composition /
Emphasis / Balance /
Volume / Mass /
Depth / Color /
Movement /
Treatment of the
Human Form
Patron / Audience
Relationship to
Cultural belief
System (Religious)
Relationship to
Political / Social /
Economic / Power
& Authority
Other artworks
from the period &
relevant criteria
Raising of the
Cross
Landscape with Rainbow
AP ART HISTORY
Page 5
Chapter 19 – Baroque, Rococo, & Early American Art Comparative Analysis Assignment
Mrs. Lawson
100 Points Total
Directions: Read assigned pages. Collect data on the artworks listed below. Be ready for class discussion and reading quizzes.
PAINTING
ANALYSIS/
DATA
COLLECTION
WORKSHEET
CRITERIA:
Peeters, Still Life with
Hals, Officers of the Haarlem
Flowers, 784
Militia Company of St. Adrian,
pg. 784-86
Leyster, Self-Portrait, pg 786-87
Rembrandt, Night Watch, pg
787-792
Date / Time Period
/ Style
Site / Location /
Relationship to site
Medium / Materials
/ Method /
Technique
Function / Purpose
Content / Subject /
Message /
Iconography
Artistic Importance
/ Influence:
Formal Qualities:
Scale / Size /
Proportion /
Pictorial Space /
Composition /
Emphasis / Balance /
Volume / Mass /
Depth / Color /
Movement /
Treatment of the
Human Form
Patron / Audience
Relationship to
Cultural belief
System (Religious)
Relationship to
Political / Social /
Economic / Power
& Authority
Other artworks
from the period &
relevant criteria
Laughing Officer
Self-Portrait
Ruysch, Flower Still Life,
pg 798-801
Catharina Hooft & Her
Nurse
Three Crosses
AP ART HISTORY
Page 6
Chapter 19 – Baroque, Rococo, & Early American Art Comparative Analysis Assignment
Mrs. Lawson
100 Points Total
Directions: Read assigned pages. Collect data on the artworks listed below. Be ready for class discussion and reading quizzes.
PAINTING
ANALYSIS/
DATA
COLLECTION
WORKSHEET
CRITERIA:
Ruisdael, The Jewish
Vermeer, Woman Holding a
Watteau, The Departure from
Fragonard, The Meeting, pg
Cemetery, pg 792-93
Balance, pg 795-98
Cythera, 810-11
812-14
Date / Time Period
/ Style
Site / Location /
Relationship to site
Medium / Materials
/ Method /
Technique
Function / Purpose
Content / Subject /
Message /
Iconography
Artistic Importance
/ Influence:
Formal Qualities:
Scale / Size /
Proportion /
Pictorial Space /
Composition /
Emphasis / Balance /
Volume / Mass /
Depth / Color /
Movement /
Treatment of the
Human Form
Patron / Audience
Relationship to
Cultural belief
System (Religious)
Relationship to
Political / Social /
Economic / Power
& Authority
Other artworks
from the period &
relevant criteria
View of Delft
The Signboard of Gersaint
The Swing
AP ART HISTORY
Page 7
Chapter 19 – Baroque, Rococo, & Early American Art Comparative Analysis Assignment
Mrs. Lawson
100 Points Total
NAME: ________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 18
BAROQUE, ROCOCO, & EARLY
AMERICAN ART
ANALYSIS PACKET
DIRECTIONS: Use attached worksheets to record information from reading homework
assignments. Add information from class discussion to the worksheets. Upon
completion of chapter, place analysis packet into the turn-in drawer for a
completed-packet grade.
Architecture
Painting
Sculpture
Printmaking
AP ART HISTORY
Page 8
Chapter 19 – Baroque, Rococo, & Early American Art Comparative Analysis Assignment
Mrs. Lawson
100 Points Total
Exam Strategy
Baroque art has been one of the most heavily tested artistic styles on AP Art History exams. Since 1983, there
have been 12 slide-based multiple-choice questions & 10 short-answer questions on the Baroque period in Italy,
Spain, & Flanders. Seven of these questions have been devoted to Bernini & 3 to Caravaggio. The concentration
of questions on Bernini is second only to the collection of questions on Michelangelo. In addition, most tests have 3
multiple-choice question on the Italian, Spanish, & Flemish phase of the Baroque era. Therefore, Baroque art must
be viewed as an essential building bloc in your drive for a 5.
* from Chmiel & Krieger, AP Art History
Characteristics of Baroque Art
The Baroque style began in Rome in the late 1500’s and spread to the rest of Western Europe during the 17 th
century. The term “Baroque” means “irregularly shaped” or “odd,” a negative word that evolved in the 18 th
century to describe the Baroque deviation from the Italian Renaisssance.
2 styles => Baroque & Rococo => Artists intended to involve their audiences emotionally
Baroque art is defined in attitude and relationship to the audience / the role of the viewer changed /
observer’s were meant to have strong personal involvement in artwork / become participants in the
art & space of the work / spectators were expected to be emotionally & intellectually involved in art
General characteristics= manipulation of space, light, mass, volume, & texture to express power
Formal characteristics-heightened realism
-sense of motion
-theatrical spaces
-use of classical elements in emotionally charged settings
-allegorical
-use of irregular forms in its architecture
Patronage & Artistic Life
The Catholic Church still the greatest source of artistic commissions in 17 th century, followed by royalty & autocratic
governments. Huge churches & massive palaces had big spaces that needed to be filled with large painting
commanding high prices. Not just monetary gain, many artists were intensely religious people who were
acting out of a commitment to their faith & art.
CONTEXT:
The Protestant Reformation represented the greatest challeng to the Catholic Church sinece the Roman
persecution during the 3rd century. Led by a series of reforming popes, the Church launched the CounterReformation to halt the spread of Protestantism and reenergize the faithful. The Counter-Reformatin
began in the 1530s and ecteded into the middle of the 17th century.
The Catholic Church commissioned works of at designed to communicate the spirit of the CounterReformation. Know as Baroque, the new artistic style was eventually called “a style of persuasion.”
Painters, sculptors, and architects tried to speak to the faithful by creating dramatic works of art that
involved worshippers by appealing to their emotions
Baroque art has also been described as “the style of absolutism.” Absolute rulers led the Catholic
Church & nation-states of Western Europe. Both the popes and the kings supported the Baroque style,
acting as patrons to artists & using art & architecture to overwhelm their subjects with a sense of awe.
Thus, the characteristic features of the Baroque style were dramatic theatricality, grandiose scale, and
ornate decoration.
By 1650 the increased power & influence of the French kings, first at Paris and then at their capital in Versailles,
shifed the art world to France. While Rome still kept its allure as keeper of the masterpieces for both the
ancient world and the Renaissance, France became the center of modern art and innovation, a position it
kept unchallenged until the beginning of World War II.
AP ART HISTORY
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Chapter 19 – Baroque, Rococo, & Early American Art Comparative Analysis Assignment
Mrs. Lawson
100 Points Total
Key Concepts
 The Counter-Reformation – symbolized Catholic resurgence, finds an artistic parallel in Baroque art of Italy,
Flanders, Spain, & France. Baroque art also flourishes in Protestant Holland, which becomes a countervoice to Catholic art.
 Patrons and their influence on art
How did royal patrons of the arts choose to have themselves portrayed in the art of the seventeenth
century? Comparing the art of painters such as Riguad, Van Dyck, Rubens, and Velazquez will help
visualize the changes that had occurred since the Renaissance. Regional differences should also be noted.
 Naturalism/verisimilitude
The desire of seventeenth-century painters to achieve naturalism in their works marks a shift away from
Classical ideals. The willingness of patrons to be portrayed, "warts and all" (p. 752), is a startling shift from
the trends first seen in the art of the ancient Near East. Caravaggio takes this notion to an extreme, and
was famously persecuted because of it.
 New patrons
The emergence of a middle-class art-buying public in Holland during this period is an extraordinary
development. The Calvinistic mores of that culture need to be closely scrutinized to understand the laces in
their portraits and the oysters in the still lifes of the period (p. 799).
 Baroque artists experiment with different art form- genre painting, landwcapes, & stil lives, and bring them
artistically to the same level as traditional subjects.
 The "Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns" (p. 769).
A series of papers & debates arguing the importance of Classical assethics vs. Modern advances .
Baroque painting is divided into two schools of thought: the Classicits, inspired by the works of central
Italian artists such as Raphael; and the naturalist, imspired by Venetian painters such as Titian. Another
debate was between the importance of color (Rubenistes) & drawing (Poussinistes).
POLITICAL
Political turbulence - complex political developments / Protestantism-Catholicism => Council of Trent (15451563) => Counter Reformation (1563) / wars between Renaissance cities were replaced by wars between
continental empires (the history of Europe could be influenced by battles fought in the North American
wilderness and in India)
-Thirty Years’ War – ended 1648 – Ostensibly started over religion => Counter-Reformation / Also had
political, economic, & social components – succeeded in devastating central Europe so badly, artistic
production ground to a halt for the balance of the 17th century.
-Protestants largely iconoclasts, breaking painted and sculpted images in churches; derided saints; played
down miracles
-Catholics endorsed the place of images in their churches; reaffirmed the communion of saints creating
new ones & glorifying their image; Catholics made miracles visible & palpable
AGE OF POWERFUL WEALTHY NATIONS
Netherlands=> remained divided in two
1) 1600-1640 Spanish dominated =>Catholic = Flanders => religious art / altarpieces - patron =
Church / Monarch - Flemish Baroque => ornate / sensuality
2) 1630-1670 Independent => protestant = Holland => patron = people / prosperous middle-class
merchants => Art = portraits/landscapes/genre scenes- Dutch Baroque => naturalistic/
small scale themes / style = virtuoso / visual accuracy, studies of light
Spain=>1625-1660 - Monarchy / Catholic - court portraits - Spanish Baroque => patrons = monarch / style =
realistic / dignity
France=> 1670-1715 - largest and most prosperous nation / patron => monarch / governed by absolute monarchs
=> Louis XIV- Sun King - ruled by divine right => glorified rulers through art - French Baroque =>
classical landscapes / decorative architecture / style => pretentious / order & ornament
England=> 1620-1690 Foremost maritime power - monarchy rule / patron =>upper class => English Baroque =>
portraits of aristocracy / style = restrained / elegance
Italy=> 1590-1680 Rome & the Vatican dominated art / subjects = Religious works to glorify the Church & improve
Rome / patronage= Church - papal court/ style= dynamic=> drama/ intensity/ movement
AP ART HISTORY
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Chapter 19 – Baroque, Rococo, & Early American Art Comparative Analysis Assignment
Mrs. Lawson
100 Points Total
SCIENCE REVOLUTION - Age of expansion / followed by an age of discovery / its expansion led to further
discovery
Biological sciences = added to the artists’ knowledge of human & animal anatomy & botany =>naturalism in art
=> painters & sculptors aimed to reproduce nature without any improvements = without idealization of the
Classical & Renaissance styles => inspired by interest in natural sciences
Physical sciences = the new conceptions of astronomy and physics by Galileo, Kepler, Newton changed the
concept of space & light / begins an obsession with the space of the unfolding universe => experiment comes to
be accepted as the prime method for getting at the truth of physical nature
Physics -Scientists come to see the physical nature as matter in motion through space & time / the
measurement of motion is made possible by the new mathematics of analytical geometry and the
infinitesimal calculus
-time also pervades the art & literature => time is both instantaneous & infinite / Painters &
sculptures are eager to make action explicit and convincing / depicting it at the very moment it is
taking place
-light now becomes a physical entity / propagated in waves through space (still stands for
inspiration, truth, mystical vision, presence of the Divine) => as a natural phenomenon to be
treated with reason & drama
Psychological Science -artists also explore human nature / function of representational arts is to open the realm
to full view=> a central theme is the conflict of reason with passion
Technical Virtuosity
Artists achieve spectacular technical virtuosity in every medium / painters use the thinnest glazes
to heavy impasto => the quality of the materials becomes important / artists are admired for their
originality of a concept or design => workshops try to keep up with the demand (original is a
modern concept)
Function
Catholic countries => the function of scenes of martyrdom or spiritual life were meant to inspire a renewed
faith
Protestant countries = civic images inspired pride in accomplishment
Key Words and Terms
genre / naturalistic / glazes / impasto / central-plan church / Churrigueresque / baldachin / ignudi / oil / fresco /
allegory / academic / tenebrism / parterres / Caravaggism / glazed / breakfast pieces / etching / drypoint / burin /
school / vanitas / camera obscura / architectural interior / flower pieces / proscenium arch / westwork /
arabesques / cabinet piece / memento mori / pastel / porcelain / chinoiseries / half-timber construction / wattle
and daub / clapboard / adobe / limners
AP ART HISTORY
Page11
Chapter 19 – Baroque, Rococo, & Early American Art Comparative Analysis Assignment
Mrs. Lawson
100 Points Total
ARCHITECTURE
General = Grandeur, elegance, & opulence expressed in a variety of “national” styles
Italy:
Religious architecture served the Counter-Reformation / Complex forms with undulating rhythms & oval
motifs were built on a grand scale
Leading architect = Borromini / St. Peter’s in Rome completed after 120 years of construction
Purposes & Building Types
1. Churches & other religious structures (convents, colleges, etc.) designed to express the power & unity
of the Catholic Church
2. Palaces & other secular building designed in a variety of styles
3. Completion of St. Peter’s, Rome => epitomizes the progression from Renaissance to Baroque styles
Media & Techniques
1. Traditional building methods & materials used, but more lavishly
2. Simple materials (brick) plastered & painted to imitate expensive materials (marble)
Design
Space & light (with illusionistic treatment) were main concerns of architects
1. Space – treated expansively & volumes combined to imply movement
-Undulating facades juxtaposed complex with concave shapes
-Dynamic balance through complex plans & elevations & placement of doors, windows, &
ornamentation replace the static balance & calm of the Renaissance
-Scale & size grand = people made to feel small within a vast, expanding space
2. Light & dark manipulated for emotional impact:
-Shadows & mysterious shapes created with deep recesses, overhangs, & complex geometric forms
-Changing play of light & color against various surfaces used to heighten the theatrical/emotional
effect
3. Implied change – through complex geometric forms (ovals, ellipses, irregular polygonals), multiplicity
of forms, dynamic balance, & theatrical lighting / (Contrasting Renaissance implied permanence
through simple geometric forms (circle, squares, triangles = static balance, clear even lighting)
4. “Classical” language perpetuated- use of Greco-Roman orders & ornamentation
France:
Secular building dominant / Style = Classical Baroque (Classicism of Renaissance combined with
Baroque grandeur)
Purposes & Building Types
1. 17th century architecture predominantly secular, mostly grandiose palaces (Chateaux) for the nobles &
the king
2. Palace of Versailles & design of the surrounding landscape exemplify the elegance of French Baroque
design & the poser & wealth of the French monarchy
3. Set standard for all Europe between 1660-1715
Media & Techniques
1. Stone & marble (often imported at great cost) used lavishly
2. Gold leaf, stucco, mirrors, tapestries, & other expensive ornamentation completed architectural settings
Design – 17th century style = “Classical-Baroque” because the clam & restraint of the Italian Renaissance are
combined with the elegance o& grandeur of the Baroque
1. Italian Renaissance (classical) elements => symmetry & clarity of volumes & masses / Classical design
elements & decoration used
traditionally (Classical orders, centrally-located entrances, spherical domes, 3-story
facades delineated with string courses)
2. Baroque elements => Grand scale & enormous structures / ostentatious use of materials / emphasis on
expansive space & theatrical lighting
3. Traditional French elements => use of pavilion system / grace, elegance & lighter feeling
AP ART HISTORY
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Chapter 19 – Baroque, Rococo, & Early American Art Comparative Analysis Assignment
Mrs. Lawson
100 Points Total
England:
Elegant palaces & churches in style similar to the Renaissance work of Palladio
Leading architects = Jones & Wren
Purpose & Building Types
1. Architecture served the needs of the monarchy, the nobility, & the Anglican church
2. Churches & palaces constructed beginning & end of the century / Civil war limited construction midcentury / The Great Fire of London in 1666 stimulated building in the last quarter of the century
Media & Techniques
1. Stone used for the most important buildings / brick used for other structures
2. Construction methods included Gothic & Italian Renaissance practices
Design
1. Before 17th century made minor concessions to Italian ideas / design & building practices basically
Gothic
2. Inigo Jones – studied in Italy / revolutionized English architecture by introducing Palladian ideas to
England / then spread to America
3. Christopher Wren, (Jones successor) combined Palladian elements from Jones / facades inspired by
French Classical-Baroque / mass & volume influenced by the dynamism of Italian Baroque
4. Renaissance values dominated design => simplicity & clarity of forms / symmetry & static balance /
Intellectual appeal, rational, restrained forms
5. Baroque elements maintained => grand scale & enormous size / elegance & opulence
AP ART HISTORY
Page13
Chapter 19 – Baroque, Rococo, & Early American Art Comparative Analysis Assignment
Mrs. Lawson
100 Points Total
SCULPTURE
Significant in Italy & France - Bernini (the genius of the age) influenced generations of carvers with his
intensely powerful & emotional style
Italy
Purpose & Subject Matter
1. Primarily religious, commissioned by the Catholic Church to counteract the Protestant Reformation
2. A few of Bernini’s subjects taken from mythology
Media & Techniques
1. Combining materials typical – Bernini’s Ecstasy of St. Teresa combines marble with gilt bronze rods
to stimulate rays of light &
paint to simulate a view into Heaven
2. Building & sculptural materials continued to be stripped fr9om ancient Roman monuments (the bronze
for the Baldacchino in St.
Peter’s taken from the Pantheon)
Design
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
A sense of psychological intrusion into the viewer’s space
Violent energy & emotion
Realistic detail
Twisting poses, meant to be observed from all angles, not only the front
Portrayal of on-going motion or action (as opposed to Renaissance works which show repose before or
after an action)
FRANCE
Purpose & Subject Matter
Sculpture was primarily secular / served the purpose of glorifying the king & high officials
Subject matter mainly portraiture & mythology
Media & Techniques
1. Marble & terracotta preferred media
2. Stucco used for preliminary sketches
Design
The officially-approved style was more restrained than Italian Baroque / but were individual variations
1. Coysevox– portrait style close to Bernini’s (when not restrained by official taste)
2. Puget – emotions realism ran counter to the mainstream of official taste (lost court patronage)
3. Girardon – close to Hellenistic examples / highly praised by French Academy (considered ancient art
to be supreme)
AP ART HISTORY
Page14
Chapter 19 – Baroque, Rococo, & Early American Art Comparative Analysis Assignment
Mrs. Lawson
100 Points Total
PAINTING
Each country developed unique expressions of the Baroque – In general = Dynamic – manipulation of
space, light, mass, volume, & texture to express power & optimism dominated era
Italy
Purposes & Subject Matter
1. Church decoration – focused on illusionistic ceiling paintings which gave the observer a “view into
Heaven” / Religious themes with heightened emotional impact were depicted
2. Easel paintings – represented dynamic religious stories emphasizing salvation & ecstasy
3. Palace decoration- emphasized mythological subjects with Christian interpretations / Illusionism
extremely important
4. Landscape settings – various subject paintings began to compete with the figures as the most
important images in the compositions
Media & Techniques
1. Fresco used for ceiling & wall paintings
2. Oil on canvas used for easel paintings
3. Mixed media – combination of various material, typical of Baroque / most often painting & stucco relief
combined for heightened illusionism
4. Imitation of other media & other art forms common = paintings -imitated sculpture / imitated architecture
with elaborate attempts to “open up” ceiling or create tromp l’oeil settings
Design
1. General characteristics of Italian Baroque =
-Dynamic instead of static balance
-Receding compositions with design elements placed diagonally rather than parallel to the picture
plane
-Extreme illusionism in space & light often made wall or ceiling appear transparent (observer
perceived a scene viewed through a window or roofless building
-Emotional response heightened through use of intense colors, exaggerated poses & gestures, &
daring compositions
-Overall compositional effect more significant than the careful rendition of specific details
2. Carracci – established the Bolognese Academy to train painters in the Renaissance manner in a style
which synthesized the form of Michelangelo, the grace of Raphael, & the color of Titian
3. Caravaggio- introduced => tenebrism – a unique shading approach which used extremes of light &
dark for dramatic effects / dynamic compositions –which implied energetic, intense activity & emotion
/ earthy realism – in depicting religious subjects as genre
France
In the first half of the century, Poussin, de la Tour, Claude, Le Nain & others produced innovative works.
With the founding of the Academy of Painting & Sculpture in 1648, & the dominance of Louis XIV over
official taste. Painting became less spirited. At the end of the century, the Academy split into two
antagonistic factions=> Poussinistes versus Rubenistes.
Purpose & Subject Matter
Before 1650 artists worked for a variety of patrons. After mid-century they served the King & decorated the
royal palaces. They produced – religious painting / Grand subjects from history or mythology / Genre /
Landscape / Official portraiture / palace decorations glorifying the king (especially after 1643)
Media & Techniques
1. Oil on canvas (preferred)
2. Individual methods
-Poussin => worked from a miniature stage which he arranged with small, draped wax models to
try out compositions & lighting
-Claude => painted his own landscapes & had assistants paint in the figures (paintings sold better
than pure landscapes without narrative interest)
-Rigaud => painted only the heads of his portraits, gluing them into place after his assistants had
rendered backgrounds, architecture, costumes & other details
Design
1. Called “Classical-Baroque” / Characteristics include => calm, serene compositions in the manner of the
High Renaissance / harmonious color schemes reminiscent of Raphael, Correggio, & Titian /
Preference for “grand subjects” often with a moralistic tone, taken from historical or mythological
narrative
2. Innovators before 1650 include:
-Georges de la Tour – Caravaggiste / noted for austere, simplified compositions & strong tenebrism
-Louise le Nain (& family) – genre paintings which gave dignity to peasants & contrasted rustic virtue
with courtly artifice
AP ART HISTORY
Page15
Chapter 19 – Baroque, Rococo, & Early American Art Comparative Analysis Assignment
Mrs. Lawson
100 Points Total
-Claude Lorrain (Claude) – landscape paintings which borrowed heavily from Italian (Venetian)
Renaissance coloring * composition, but minimized the importance of figures / often considered “father”
of Romantic landscape painting
-Nicolas Poussin – very forma, classical approach to historical, mythological, & religious subjects /
spent most of his life in Italy & was strongly influenced by the Italian Renaissance masters
3. The French Academy
-Founded in 1684 by Charles le Brun, Court Painter to Louis XIV => to train artists in the techniques &
styles approved by the directors / taught an extremely rigid curriculum that perpetuated Poussin’s ideas
& manner / most Academy-trained painter produced works for the King & his court
4. “Poussinistes” versus “Rubenistes” – at the end of the century, the Academy & most other artists
split into two fractions:
-Poussiniste – stressed form, structure, & grand subjects / Classical, intellectual, clam response was
their goal
-Rubenistes – reveled in color, dynamic compositions, energetic brushwork, & emotional impact
Spain
Purpose & Subject Matter
1. Religious painting – continued to dominate
2. Portraiture, genre, landscape, mythology, & other non-religious subjects began to develop under the
influence of Velazquez
3. Velazquez – painted first female nude in Spanish art
Media & Techniques
1. Oil on canvas – preferred medium
2. Techniques included both smooth brushwork & rich impasto
Design
Two opposing trends => mysticism & realism
1. Mysticism – dominated Spanish religious art / illustrated in work of El Greco => elongated figures
influenced by the Byzantine tradition of Greece / Venetian color & lighting from Titian & Tintoretto /
Mannerist devices of ambiguous space & cool colors / Baroque interest in arousing emotion &
expressing a strong sense of movement & energy
2. Realism – illustrated in work of Velazquez => broad range of non-religious subjects treated realistically
(naturally) / interest in depicting common people sympathetically / careful rendition of settings & groups
of figures / subtle color & gradual tonal changes (in mature work) / Baroque illusionism & expansive
compositions
3. Caravaggio’s influence – artists use of tenebrism & earthy realism
Flanders
Purpose & Subject Matter
1. Flemish painters portrayed a variety of subjects for wealthy patrons of many nations
2. Rubens - favorite subject was the human figure presented in the guise of religious, historical, &
mythological subject paintings / most Flemish Baroque painters were students of Rubens & were
strongly influenced by his subjects & style
3. Van Dyck (best known court painter to King Charles I of England) – established basics of English
portrait painting
Media & Techniques
1. Oil on canvas = preferred medium / wood panel also used
2. Rubens – developed rich brushwork which was adopted by his students & influenced later artists
3. The studio method – (of the Renaissance) continued by Rubens / assistants did the preparatory &
preliminary work on paintings of Rubens’ design / many of the artists employed by Rubens became
specialist in landscape, genre, still life, & drapery and were used only for those specialties / Rubens
added the finishing touches
Design
1. Rubens – strongly affected by Italian paining => completed the blending of Italian & Northern traditions
started by Durer
Early style (before 1630) = influence of: Michelangelo – heavy musculature / Tintoretto – high drama /
Caravaggio – strong lighting contrasts (tenebrism)
Later style (after 1630) = influence of Titian – light & colors / retention of dynamic compositions with the
diagonal emphasis / sensuous female figures
2. Van Dyck – influenced English art
Early style = influence of Rubens (his teacher) / elongated figures of Mannerism
Later style = calm & serene poses & expressions / smoother brushwork than Rubens’ / more carefully
defined forms / flattering portraits of English nobility / children often include in adult portraits for
liveliness
AP ART HISTORY
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Chapter 19 – Baroque, Rococo, & Early American Art Comparative Analysis Assignment
Mrs. Lawson
100 Points Total
Holland
Purpose & Subject Matter
1. Protestant & puritanical = religious paintings not needed for church decoration – church interiors were
austere / religious easel & panel paintings ere few, (mostly by Rembrandt) = private patrons
uninterested in such works (Rembrandt treated religious subjects in terms of everyday life) / historical
& mythological subjects very rare (occasionally in genre pictures)
2. Proud of newly-won independence (their country & fellow citizens) – principal art customers were the
middle class burghers, who wanted paintings to decorate their homes & proclaim their status / Paintings
bought & sold on the open market / without the church or the aristocracy to act as patrons, artists were
free to starve for the first time (most survived) / some patronage provided by civic bodies who
wanted group portraits
3. Contemporary Dutch life = main subject / depicted in individual & group portraits, everyday life (genre
pictures) – often showing rowdy behavior, landscape & seascapes, interior scenes of households &
churches, still life (flower arrangements & table settings), Vanitas – a descendant of disguised
symbolism in which still-life objects (such as skulls, burnt candles, watches, etc.) signify that life is short
& earthly pleasures will not last
Media & Techniques
1. Oil used on wood panels or canvas
2. Pictures usually not large – intended for private homes, not public buildings
3. Individual methods
-Frans Hals – one of first to paint alla prima (without underpainting)
-Vermeer – used camera obscura to aid in his composition (arrangement of mirrors & lenses in a box
that focuses a scene onto paper)
4. Etching (a technique originated with the armorers) was perfected in the 17th century for printmaking =>
metal plate covered with an acid-resistant wax / design drawn on the waxy surface with needle,
exposing the metal underneath / wax-covered plate immersed in acid, acid ate into the exposed metal /
wax removed & plate inked and printed in the same way as engraving / Rembrandt best known etcher
of 17th century
Design
1. The Utrecht School – artist were admirers of Caravaggio’s temebristic lighting / School important for
transmitting the Baroque style from Italy to Holland
2. The Haarlem School (Frans Halls) – applied the new lighting methods & color schemes to portraiture
3. Landscape & Seascape – painters used low horizons, emphasizing the sky & clouds / figures small,
insignificant & anonymous / paintings usually made no pretense of storytelling or allegory / One group
worked in an Italian manner, painting Dutch scenes in the golden light of Venice
4. Interior scene painters – used easily distinguished color schemes=> Jan Vermeer – know for cool
tones
5. Dutch genre painter – delighted in animated scenes of boisterousness
6. Portrait painter- showed varying amounts of interest in psychological penetration => Hals – painted
public image of the sitter / Rembrandt – painted private image of the sitter
AP ART HISTORY
Page17
Chapter 19 – Baroque, Rococo, & Early American Art Comparative Analysis Assignment
Mrs. Lawson
100 Points Total
ROCOCO – 1700-1775 (18th Century Art)
A lighter, more specialized phase of Baroque – seen partly as a reaction at all levels of society
(even among kings & bishops) against the “grand manor” of art identified with the formality & rigidity of 17th
century court life / The movement began in French architectural decoration at the end of Louis XIV’s reign
& spread across Europe
The Age of the Enlightenment witnessed advances in science & technology & a belief in
reason, empiricism, & the natural rights of man =>culminating in the American & French Revolutions
(marking the beginning of the modern world)
First developed in France, Rococo style was encouraged by Louis XIV to be more youthful &
lighthearted / The fine & decorative arts reflected the elegance of the aristocracy=> forms were ornate,
sensual, & capricious with a spirit of gaiety & novelty / Compositions used delicate rhythmic lines & patterns
/ The Rococo style broke with academic rules & restrictions to create a distinctive expression
History – The age of Enlightenment, when philosophers & writers attacked tradition & the abuses of the monarchy,
aristocracy, & clergy / Reason & common sense led to revolutions and the emergency of democracy / Louis
XV reigned during the first half of the century in Paris (the social capital of Europe)
Architecture
Rococo style emphasized interior design / The feminine decorative spirit reflects the influence of Madame
de Pompadour & Madame de Barry, who were patrons of the arts / Walls melt into the ceiling & painting &
sculpture are combined in a sinuous design enhanced with gilded moldings and natural motifs / The
luxurious, fanciful design corresponds with the lustrous costumes, ornate furniture, glass, silver & ceramics
Sculpture
Reveals the playful, erotic exhilaration of Rococo
Painting
France
Towards the end of the century the Academy was divided into two factions – Poussinistes & Rubenistes /
The Rubenistes won out when Watteau was elected to the Academy / “Fetes galantes” were popularized
by Watteau & his followers / The light & frivolous style was modified & perpetuated by Boucher & Fragonard
Purpose & Subject Matter
Small easel paintings (replaced large public works)
1. Created for the nobility => Fetes galantes – the pastoral gatherings of lovers (Watteau) / scenes of
erotic frivolity, nudes, & the use of themes from mythology as an excuse to paint flesh / portraits
2. Created for the middle class (Chapter 26, pgs 931-933) => still-life & interior scenes done with
honestly & sympathy by Chardin / Scenes of moralistic sentimentality by Greuse
Media & Techniques
Most artists used oil on canvas – Quentin de la Tour used pastel for portraits
1. Watteau -used a pearly white underpaint, with areas of pink & blue / over this ground he put washes of
blue, green & brown / details were added in impasto, using rose, blue, yellow, & white / Then over the
entire surface he applied glazes in the manner of Titian
2. Boucher- used carefully enameled rich pinks & blues without glazes
3. Fragonard- painted with energetic brushwork (the opposite of Boucher’s painstaking method)
Design
Color was very important / although lighter, more subtle palette / aristocratic paintings often portrayed idyllic
country settings / middle-class works favored simple interiors
1. Antoine Watteau – Flemish artist – brought the late Rubens decorative style to Paris = spacious,
colorful, Venetian-style landscapes with luxuriously dressed lovers & shimmers with aristocratic taste /
figures = delicate and based on triangular shapes / kept a notebook of figure sketches, & many of the
same figures appear several times in his paintings
2. Francois Boucher – portrayed themes of love & erotic mythological frivolity / sensuous female figures
(often nude) cavort in luscious landscapes painted in soft pastel colors / more solid, but not heavy
3. Jean-Honore Fragonard – created luxuriant parks full of colorful flowers bathed in soft light with
graceful, floating aristocratic fingers / portraits are idealized, lively, & confident in expression / more
solid, but not heavy
4. Greuze – figures solid / used stock poses & arranged figures on a narrow “stage” / painted sentimental
subjects with a moralistic tone
5. Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin – portrayed the life of the middle class household in a way
reminiscent of the Dutch masters / still lifes are composed of firmly placed & solidly rendered object that
represent the life of common man / figures similar to Watteau’s in lightness & grace / but were used to
depict household activities rather than leisure & frivolity / portrayed interiors & genre subject in a more
serious style