Baroque

Gianlorenzo Bernini, The Ecstasy of St. Theresa, 1645-52

This era of the Western arts was the dominant style between Mannerism and Rococo, with its beginnings in Rome in the late 1500s up until the early 1700s in colonial South America and in Germany. Baroque emerged in reaction to the formula-based Mannerism which had dominated the European art world. Instead, Baroque intended to create a return to spirituality and an art based on direct appeal to the senses. The birth of the Baroque style traces to the Catholic Counter-Reformation in Rome, and was thus encouraged by the Catholic Church as it endeavoured to invoke spiritual passion in the viewer. Baroque did not take firm root in Europe's Protestant countries, but the unfluence was great in predominantly Catholic nations. Some of the greatest names in the history of art are associated with the Baroque period...Caravaggio, Annibale Carracci and Gianlorenzo Bernini, Rubens and Rembrandt.

Bernini is one of the most recognized sculptors of the Baroque period. His fascination with the theatre and sculpture called for the perfect combination sought out by the Catholic Church, which was the main patron of Baroque art. His sculpture The Ecstasy of St. Theresa depicts the story of St. Theresa Avila being pierced through the heart by an angel. The expression on St. Theresa's face and her body language realistically portray the dramatic scene. Dazzling rays from the heavens emphasise the event.

Caravaggio, The Calling of St. Matthew, 1599 - 1602

Caravaggio's The Calling of St. Matthew is a prime example of the drama and passion of Baroque painting. The Catholic Church commissioned the image for the Contarelli Chapel in San Luigi dei Francesi. The event is depicted in an everyday room, out of the ordinary for such holy subject matter. An inconspicuous gold band above one of the character's heads, as well as the dramatic lighting identifies the figure as Jesus. Matthew points at himself, shocked by the enlightening event.

By the 18th Century the emotionally powerful style of Baroque, in response to the growing polite and superficial fashions of the time, gave way to the lightheartedness and elegance of a new style... Rococo.