Baroque
Style
Baroque Theatre
Sebastiano Serlio’s linear perspective and Italianate staging evolved further:
Wings were painted in
diminishing perspective.
Borders were hung overhead
to complete the frame.
Shutters at the rear of the
stage served as a backdrop
when closed, but could open
to reveal a final scene.
Bibiena Family
Jacques Callot, French. Engraving and etching of
The Combat at the Barrier (1627)
Raked Stages reinforced false perspective.
Proscenium Arch became a permanent structure.
Israël Silvestre the Younger, French. Engraving and etching of
Pleasures of the Enchanted Island By Molière and Lully (1664)
Giacomo Torelli introduced the pole and chariot system to all of Europe.
Paris was the undisputed center of cultural life in
France after 1600…. Opera became solidified as
an artform.
Intermezzo: short musical piece played
between acts of a play
Atys, a lyric tragedy by Philippe Quinault
and Jean-Baptiste Lully (1676)
Characteristics of the Baroque Theatre:
Theatricality: artists use of dramatic gesture and movement in composition.
Break out of the confines of the block in sculpture and architecture.
Technical virtuosity, a characteristic shared with the Mannerist style of the
previous century.
Emotional response in the viewer, in both religious art and in the depiction of
everyday life.
Costume by Jean Berain
(1640-1711)
Court Masque design by Inigo Jones (1573-1652)
Italian Chronology
Classical Baroque and Baroque Style
The Baroque in Italy:
1550-1630: The Catholic Church launches the Counter-Reformation. Explosion of
projects under Papal patronage in Rome. Vignola designs Gesù. The completion of the
façade of St. Peter's. Gian Lorenzo Bernini completes his David.
1630-1675: Bernini's Saint Teresa, St. Peter's piazza, Borromini's San Carlo alle Quattro
Fontane.
French Chronology
Classical Baroque and Baroque Style
The Baroque in France:
1610: Marie de´Medici rules as regent for her son Louis XIII. Cardinal de Richelieu sets
about to increase the power of the Crown at the expense of the French nobility.
1648: the insurrection of both nobility and the populace which attempted to reduced the
king's powers ended in failure, and resulted in the establishment of absolutism under
Louis XIV
1661-1715: Louis embarks on a series of building projects to glorify his personal power,
notably Versailles. Establishment of the Royal Academies of the Arts and Sciences. The
Classical Baroque period.
Barroco - a large, irregularly shaped pearl.
English Chronology
Classical Baroque and Baroque Style
The Baroque in England:
1603: the succession of James I, and extended royal patronage of the arts. Shakespeare
wrote some of his best plays - Macbeth, Othello, King Lear, and The Tempest. Inigo
Jones introduced Renaissance classicism to England. Jones designed the Whitehall
Banqueting Hall and the court masques that were staged there.
1649: the execution of Charles I, civil was and the Commonwealth under Cromwell. The
public theatres were closed.
1660: Charles II returns to England, to reign until 1685. His patronage of the arts was an
imitation of the brilliant court of Louis XIV. Wren rebuilds Saint Paul's Cathedral. The
theatres are reopened to the sparkling wit of the Restoration playwrights.
By the early 17th century
• Opposing Christian Protestant and Catholic positions
• Religious warfare and persecution
Second half of the 17th century - Classical Baroque
• French Baroque style: French Academy system.
• Dominated by France under Louis XIV and his absolutism:
"L'État, c'est moi" (I am the State)
The 17th century also saw further developments in science. The adoption of the
scientific method to explore natural phenomena led to many discoveries about
the natural world.
Isaac Newton (1642-1727) revolutionized thinking about the physical structure of
the Universe and man's place in it.
Italian
Architecture
The patronage of the Papal court spurred by the Counter-Reformation,
accelerated church building and decoration in Italy.
In contrast to the Renaissance ideal of the central plan church, CounterReformation thinking called for long, wide naves to accommodate a swelling
congregation and the elaborate processional entry of the clergy at the
celebration of the Mass.
To answer to the new imperatives, architects developed a domed central plan
with an extended nave and west narthex.
Church of Il Gesù, Rome (1568-84)
By Giacomo da Vignola and Giacomo della Porta
Colossal Order: columns or pilasters extending through two stories - vertically tying
them together
Curvilinear volutes: scroll forms (aid the transition between the wide lower stories
and the narrow upper level)
Church of Il Gesù, Rome (1568-84)
By Giacomo da Vignola and Giacomo della Porta
Enlarged Nave for a swelling congregation
Barrel Vault - Hemispheric Pendentive Dome
Counter-Reformation: Accelerated Evangelization and Decoration
Look to the classical
and dramatic movement
Saint Peter's Basilica, Rome (1607-1615)
By Carlo Maderna (completed façade and nave extension)
Pilasters: flat rectangular columns attached to a wall (colossal columns on the
outside corners)
Saint Peter's
Basilica, Rome
(1607-1615)
Piazza by Gian
Lorenzo Bernini
(1656)
Creating the illusion
of an expanding vista
through reverse
perspective.
This effect of the
contraction and
expansion of space is
the basis of all
Baroque design.
Church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane,
Rome (1638-45)
By Francesco Borromini
Baroque architects pushed the boundaries of
Renaissance classicism using oval domes
instead of circular.
Undulating concave and convex curves.
Chiaroscuro effect of architecture with deeply
recessed niches.
Cartouche
French
Architecture
Post Italianate extravagances of Fontainebleau led to an acceptance of the rules
of classicism pervaded French art, literature and education.
These rules, applied to architecture, were based on mathematical formulae and
the works of Vitruvius and Palladio, and resulted in grand building projects aimed
at promoting the imperial regime of the king, Louis XIV. This pompous style is
known as the Classical Baroque in France .
Royal Academy of Architecture: codifying the principles of design in line with
other arts. Louis XIV set out to form these academies for the youth to provide
them rudiments of greatness:
Painting and sculpture (reformed in 1664), Dance (1661), Inscriptions and Belles
Letters (1663), Sciences (1666), Music (1669)
Palace of Versailles (1665)
By Louis Le Vau
Cour de Marbre: Marble Court
(Central block)
Careful balance of horizontal
and vertical lines
Garden Side redesigned by Le Vau’s successor Jules Hardouin-Mansart (1678)
Rusticated Stone
Arched windows and Ionic Columns
Balustrade (roof line): Railing
Palace of Versailles (1680)
Hall of Mirrors
By Charles Le Brun
True double French windows
(used here for the first time)
Vaulted Ceiling
Classical Baroque: Pompous
Style
Gardens by André Le Notre
(1668-85)
Unified, Visual Whole:
First time architecture, interior
design and landscaping
conformed to the same set of
compositional and aesthetic
principles.
Palace of Versailles - Salle de Gardes de la Reine (1671-81)
By Charles Le Brun
Enfilade [en-fuh-lahd]: rooms connected by doors next to the window wall.
uninterrupted view. (Louis’ control over his nobility.)
Ormolu [awr-muh-loo] :
gilded brass or bronze used
for furniture mounts and
other purposes; also called
gilt-bronze
French Classical Baroque – Walnut Table
André-Charles Boulle (1642-1732) was responsible for much of the furniture that
graced Versailles.
Emphasis was placed on precious surfaces; ivory and ebony, white and black, were
considered "noble" materials. Walnut from the south of France and ebony from
Ceylon were the woods of choice.
Louis XIV
Upholstery played a big role in seating. At the court of Versailles there was a need for
seats of various heights to satisfy the demands of etiquette.
The Bergère: a French upholstered armchair with curved back and relatively wide
seat. space beneath the arm upholstered as well.
^ Cabinet on a Stand
> Armoire (Wardrobe)
By André-Charles Boulle
Boulle Marquetry: a form of marquetry
which worked with brass
English
Architecture
Elizabeth I died in 1603. During this period of turmoil under two successive
Catholic monarchs ended in the Civil War in 1649, and Puritan rule under
Cromwell.
Architecture in England during the first half of the 17th century continued in the
late Renaissance style. Its chief characteristics are a simplified classicism of a
more human scale than in the French Classical Baroque, a continued use of
large windows, and the habit of combining warm brick walls with white stone
door and window trim.
Charles II (1660) brought the exaggerated French fashions, manners, and styles
of his exile to conservative England. However, the English had always prized
moderation and comfort above all things, and architecture and design continued
to exhibit an unmistakable English flavor. This later period in England is called
the Restoration Baroque style.
Banqueting House, Whitehall Palace, London (1630-35)
By Inigo Jones
Puritan rule under Cromwell - Still Late Renaissance: simplified classicism of a more
human scale – based on the work of Palladio
Restoration Baroque: moderation and comfort above all things
Free from Italian embellishment (classical elements: engaged columns/pilasters,
window framing… alternating rounded and triangular pediments. )
Jones built a new Banqueting
House at Whitehall Palace for
James I, to replace a previous
one destroyed by fire. When the
Banqueting House in London
was completed, it bore no
resemblance to anything ever
built in England before.
Banqueting House, Whitehall Palace,
London (1630-35) By Inigo Jones
Court Masque: entertainment of music,
drama and dance to glorify the virtues
and deeds of the monarchy.
Proportions of a double cube: statement
of the neoclassical ideal
(55’ wide, 55’ tall, 110’ in length)
English Influences
Carving and turning were the principle means of ornamentation.
Chair “wings” for privacy.
Scrolled carving, composed of S and C scrolls
Caning: stems which are woven or interlaced to make wickerwork.
Baroque Dress
The Birth of the Consumer Society
Costume went through several stylistic shifts in the 17th century. The most
interesting change is seen in the first half of the century, with the discarding of
the rigid, mannerist styles of the Elizabethan period.
After 1620 the natural body shape reappeared. A gradual return to a more formal
style occurred in the second half of the century, under the highly structured
regime of Louis XIV.
The demand for consumer goods increased with the expanding middle class in
the Baroque period. Much of this demand sprung from a desire of that sector to
participate in the fashion process, a phenomenon that had been heretofore
limited to the affluent elite - the courts, nobility and professionals. It was soon
recognized that stimulating the demand for consumer goods also stimulated the
economy.
Innovation in
Dress
The European spice trade with the Far
East , established in the 15th century,
expanded in the 17th century to include
the importation of cotton from India.
Clothing was made by hired
professional tailors.
The Declaration of Love
By Jean-Francois De Troy (1731)
The technology for producing textiles
did not change radically over the period.
The Men
Rubens, His Wife Helena Fourment and
One of Their Children By Peter Paul
Rubens (England, c. 1640)
1620 to 1650, Men's costume retained the
artificial Elizabethan silhouette - padded
doublet and breeches and the starched ruff for the first two decades of the century.
By 1620 a new, softer silhouette emerged, that
featured a fuller cut of doublet and breeches
and an elimination of padding.
A more relaxed, natural silhouette was evident;
surface decoration was limited to trims, braids
and rows of decorative buttons along seam
lines.
The ruff was replaced by soft, spreading
collars edged with lace.
The Men
Henry II, Duc de Guise By Anthony van
Dyck (England, 1634)
The linen shirt was an integral part of the
costume, with full, gathered sleeves.
Collars spread out over the shoulder and were
edged with fine lace, as were the deep, turnedback shirt cuffs.
The doublet was unstructured, devoid of
padding, and extended below the rather high
waistline to the hip. It was left undone to show
off the shirt.
Breeches were cut full and extended to the
knee, tapering slightly.
Hats were soft felt with wide brims, and
decorated with full, feathered plumes.
The hair was worn long and allowed to curl
naturally.
Cavalier Style
The Men
The Jolly Toper, By Frans Hals
(Dutch, 1627)
Fallen Ruff
Cavalier Hat
Gauntlet : gloves
The gallant gesture of sweeping the hat
from the head to perform a deep bow and
tossing the cape over the shoulder was the
mark of the sophisticated gentleman.
Van Dyke Beard is a style of facial hair
named after 17th century Flemish painter
Anthony van Dyck.
The Men
First Duke of Hamilton by Daniel Mytens
(England, 1629)
Features a doublet with a deep point in the
front and a flared peplum: skirt.
Some details of the Cavalier look were carried
over from the 16th century:
• the vertical slashing in the doublet
• the paned upper sleeve
• the laces or points attaching the breeches to
the doublet at the waist.
• laces are now pure decoration, taking the
form of a row of bows
Ensuite: suit of matching doublet and
breeches
The Men
Louis XIV Receiving Swiss Ambassadors
By H. van der Meulen (French, 1663)
1650-1680, In the early years of Louis XIV's
reign, the trend toward a negligent, layered,
overly effeminate style gained ground.
The loose breeches of the 1630s were
replaced by a wide-legged culotte, known as
petticoat breeches.
Knitted hose reached to the knee and was held
in place with a decorative garter.
Shoes had a high heel, and were tied over the
instep with a wide bow.
Doublet is a short, bolero-style jacket with a
sleeve slashed open to reveal the very full
shirtsleeve.
The king lost his hair due to
illness in 1633 and wore a wig for
the rest of his life (the court
followed suit). These very long,
elaborately curled contraptions
were called full-bottomed wigs.
The Men
Louis XIV and His Family, By Nicolas de Largillière (French, 1711)
From1680, full shirts and lace collars disappeared under a coat cut to the knee, and
breeches returned to a narrower cut and were closed with a tight band below the
knee.
Cravat: Necktie (the
shirt collar is reduced to
a narrow band tied
around the neck).
Baldric: a belt worn over
the shoulder to support a
sword.
Justacorps: long, fitted,
knee-length coat,
replaced doublet… The
sleeve widens to a deep,
turned back cuff.
(adapted from military dress)
The Women
Queen Henrietta Maria By Anthony van
Dyck (England, 1633)
1630 to 1700, Women's silhouette changed as
radically as men's in the third decade of the
century. Male and female costume paralleled
each other in the relaxed lines and relative
simplicity of embellishment.
The wheel farthingale and ruff were replaced
by layers of petticoats and the soft lace-edged
collar copied from the male shirt.
The high-waist jacket with its full sleeves,
extended peplum, and the spreading collar and
lace-edged cuffs are adapted from male
fashion.
The Women
Helene Fourment with Two of Her Children
By Peter Paul Rubens (England, c. 1636)
Hair is naturally loose and curled.
The wide-brimmed, feathered hat is inline with
Men’s fashion along with a simpler elegance
based on the inherent qualities of the fabric
has superseded the complex stiffness and
encrustation of the 16th century.
The Women
Duchesse, Règne De Louis XIV By Nicholas
Bonnart (England, c. 1693) (Fashion Plates)
From about 1660 to the end of the century, a
return to a more structured silhouette
paralleled the same shift in men's clothing.
Once again the corseted torso was to distort
and elongate the natural body shape.
Bodices resumed their restricting shape, and
the triangular inset (stomacher) was recalled
from Elizabethan styles.
The one-piece gown developed a train, and
was looped back to show off a contrasting
underskirt. The commode headress: wig
dressed in towering curls, topped by a
headdress of upright ruffles.
The Women
“Manteau Gown”(French, 1679)
The manteau gown was particularly stylish with
a bodice and decorated panel that ran from
the neckline of the dress to the waist. The
gown would also include the robe, or overskirt,
and petticoat, or jupe. The sleeves would end
below the elbow.
Fontage Hair: a device made of a series of
ruffles held in place with wire supports place
on top of women's hair.
Discussion
Discuss these 3 images in regard to the ELEMENTS OF DESIGN
Donatello’s
David (1430)
Michelangelo’s
David (1501-04)
Bernini’s
David (1623-24)