
The period of the baroque art corresponds itself to 4 main characteristics that are the Tenebrism, Realism, Lines and Hour. Tenebrism In the baroque art, the Tenebrism is the name given to the contrasting light and darkness.
What was the early Baroque was characterized by?
the early baroque was characterized by homophonic texture the middle baroque was characterized by diffusion of the style into every corner of Europe A popular keyboard instrument in which sound was produced by means of brass blades striking the strings was the clavichord affections in baroque usage refers to emotional states or moods of music
What is Baroque characterized by?
The Baroque style is characterized by exaggerated motion and clear detail used to produce drama, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, architecture, literature, dance, and music. Baroque iconography was direct, obvious, and dramatic, intending to appeal above all to the senses and the emotions.
What are the five major characteristics of Baroque art?
Baroque Art Characteristics
- Highly ornate
- Contrast. Artists contrasted light foreground elements with dark backgrounds. ...
- Movement. Subjects of baroque painting and sculpture are depicted while in motion, often with the body twisting.
- Emotion. Baroque art is intended to evoke awe, reverence, or passion in the viewer. ...
What are three words that describe Baroque period?
What three words best describe the Baroque period? Ornate = highly decorative Motion = having a continuous sense of forward motion Contrast = differences between dynamics & texture What does unity of mood refer to? The piece has one basic mood from beginning to end What is the predominant texture of baroque music? polyphonic Basso Continuo

Why is it called baroque?
While there are several possible origins of the term Baroque , it most likely is derived from the Portuguese word "barueco." Barueco means irregula...
What are the major characteristics of baroque art?
The major characteristics of Baroque art are: it evokes a sense of grandeur, reverence and awe; it is highly ornate; it features figures in motions...
What became popular during the Baroque period?
In performance arts, several new forms became popular including opera and suites. In visual arts, C and S-shaped curves and chiaroscuro were popular.
When was the Baroque period?
The Baroque period followed the Renaissance. It began in the late 1500s and endured through the 1740s, ending with Rococo.
What are the characteristics of Baroque art?
The major characteristics of Baroque art are: it evokes a sense of grandeur, reverence and awe; it is highly ornate; it features figures in motions; it uses deep contrasts, especially of light and dark.
What is the Baroque style of painting?
Baroque painting is characterized by vivid colors, deep contrast between an intensely lit foreground images and dark backgrounds, and the depiction of the climactic moment of an event. Common subjects of Baroque paintings include biblical stories, scenes from classic mythology, historic events, portraits and still life. Michelangelo Merisi de Caravaggio is an important Italian Baroque painter known for popularizing chiaroscuro - the technique of contrasting intense light on foreground images with deep shadow in background images, as seen in The Calling of Saint Matthew (1599-1600).
What were the innovations of the Baroque period?
Baroque composers favored the violin, harpsichord, and organ. A major innovation of Baroque music was basso continuo. "Basso continuo" consists of a low-pitched instrument, like a cello, playing a base line while a keyboard instrument improvises a melodic line.
What is the Rococo style?
The later part of the Baroque period is known as rococo. Rococo originated in the 1730s in Paris and is associated not with the power of the Catholic Church, but with the playfulness of the court of King Louis XV and the French aristocracy. King Louis XV moved the French court from Versailles to Paris. Upon their return to Paris, the aristocracy redecorated the rooms of their mansions where they received their guests, known as salons, using the rococo style. Like Baroque art, rococo decoration is very elaborate, but it rejects heavy elements and bold colors. It emphasizes asymmetrical scrollwork consisting of graceful C and S curves. Rococo salons were also decorated using mirrors and paintings that used a pastel color palette, gold gilt and pastoral themes. The rococo style spread from France to the rest of Europe, especially Catholic Germany, Venice, and Russia. It eventually gave way to Neoclassicism.
What is Baroque sculpture?
Baroque sculpture is characterized by dynamic movement. It often features multiple figures that spiral around each other and are designed to be viewed from multiple angles. Sculptures might be created as stand-alone pieces or as a structural or non-structural component of architecture. Even stand-alone sculptures might mix the use of stone and metals or wood. Religious stories, historical figures, and figures from classical mythology are typical subjects.
What is Baroque art?
Baroque art is intended to evoke awe, reverence, or passion in the viewer. It depicts the most imposing, grand view in architecture or the climactic moment of an event illustrated in a painting or sculpture, such as the moment David throws the stone at Goliath in the statue above.
Why was opera important to the Baroque period?
Opera arose during the Baroque period due to the influence of a group of Florence intellectuals known as the Camerata. They believed the beauty of Classical Greek drama was the fact that it was sung, allowing for adequate expression of the passions of human drama. Their experimentation led to the composition of the first full-length music drama, La Dafne, in 1598. The first operas were largely based on classical mythology and were performed privately for the nobility. The first public opera. Andromeda, was performed in 1637 in Venice. One of the most important composers of opera was Jean-Baptiste Lully, an Italian-born composer in the French court from 1662-1687.
What are the characteristics of the Baroque period?
In matters of music, one of the traits that define the music from the baroque period is the connection and expression of the liturgical themes. Since plenty of the most well-known musicians of the time were at the service of the European church, the dominating music style was the sacred music, ...
What is the baroque period?
The baroque, or classic period can be defined as an artistic movement developed during the 17 th and 18 th centuries; it is also an artistic style that uses extravagance and neat details for inducing its works with drama, tension, euphoria and greatness.
Why was the Baroque architecture important?
The baroque architecture also gained some attention during this day and it also served as a way to express the religious message, which only made it to increase in popularity. Resulting from this newfound admiration, there were started to be build plenty of structures with the baroque inspirations of extravagance and religiousness.
What did the aristocracy see in the Baroque house?
The aristocracy saw the theatrical language of the baroque house and its wit as a nice way to astonish the visitors and declare the courage and the tenderness with which the religious tribute was made. With this in mind, there were constructed the baroque palaces around the sequence of the entrances to the courts, with beautiful lobbies, great stairs, reception rooms and more and more displays of magnificence.
What was the main principle of the Baroque art style?
One of the main principles that guided the overall baroque art style was the exuberance ; idea was to make elaborated and dazzling works, filling them with details, making them shine above all and impossible to ignore. During the baroque period, the fame and success of the “extravagance” was supported by the Roman Catholic Church. Also, during the defeat of the Trento Council, the church thought that the arts should retell the religious tales with a direct and emotional participation so this also became one of the baroque period’s main inspirations for the art.
What is the meaning of the word "baroque"?
The term “baroque” comes from an ancient name given to a certain type of pearl, which shape wasn’t rounded, but instead it was unpredictable, elaborated and luxurious. That for, in its colloquial form, the word “baroque” can have such a simple meaning as something that is “elaborated” or complicated, flattered with lots of details.
When did the Baroque period start?
Starting approximately in 1600, during the final moments of the movement known as the mannerism, the memorial of the new art gave birth to what is now known as the baroque period.
Origin of the baroque
For a long time, the baroque referred to the ornate, deceptive and capricious.
Baroque painting
Rubens represents nature giving room to the religious spirit of the scene.
Baroque literature
In the baroque theater satirical comedies of biblical passages abounded.
Latin American Baroque
The Latin American baroque had its climactic point in the 18th century , as it was an inheritance brought to the American continent by the Spanish conquerors and colonizers.
1- It's an art exaggerated
The baroque artists played with the imbalance and tried to impress those who observed with effective and dynamic forms. The distortion of the classical forms, the contrasts of lights and shadows distinguish it.
2- It is realistic
Baroque art was influenced by The time of religious wars in Europe. It is often shocking or even grotesque. A realistic representation of life prevailed, which at times contradicted religion. Developed in an era of economic hardship, man faces the harsh reality.
3- It is syncretic type
Baroque cultural expressions were syncre Ethical , In the sense that each artistic expression was linked to the others.
4- Influence of scientific and geographical discoveries
Galileo Galilei perfected the telescope and Rene Descartes developed rationalism. These discoveries broke the idea of the world that the common man had. That is why the baroque expresses the feeling of fear before the new, of confusion and suspicion.
5 - It had a propagandistic purpose
Absolutism, The church and the bourgeois A Used baroque art To promote your ideas . In response, baroque artists were divided into those who worked for the church or for a monarch and in those who wanted to be independent.
6- The Tenebrism
It is the contrast of lights and shadows thanks to the illumination. Although this concept is mainly applied to Baroque painting, it can be said Baroque theater, sculpture and other genres of visual representation were influenced by this game with lighting.
7- Lack of a central point in his compositions
Unlike Renaissance art, which points to the viewer as The main point of the work , Baroque art was composed of many components each of which represents a story.
What is Baroque architecture?
In many ways, Baroque architecture is a culmination of all the existing styles up until its birth. This is why it can be said that it implies a manifestation of ultimate mastery. To be a baroque artisan means to have absorbed all the lessons of ancient, medieval, and Renaissance art in order to deliver something that has its root in their practices yet surpasses their results. Aesthetically, it is hard to dispute what style is more pleasant. After all, this is up to the viewer. However, Baroque architecture offers visual excitement and wonder.
What are the decorations of Baroque architecture?
This dedication to detail is visible everywhere: on the walls decorated with beautiful wooden, marble, and stone sculptures, on the ceiling often vaulted, arched, and painted, and in the small adorned decorations. Baroque architecture makes use of all available materials. The artists and architects employed materials as appropriately as possible in the sense that they used wood for very intricate designs, stone for elements that had to be durable, and marble for the most expensive pieces. Because now the buildings are seen by architects as a single and coherent mass, the decorations played a crucial role in uniting the different parts of a building. Architectural sculptures and vegetal and ornamental motifs become critical elements for helping the eye of the viewer flow from the floor to the walls and up to the ceiling without perceiving them as dislocated from another.
Why did Baroque architects use curves?
Because Baroque architects wished to do the impossible, namely to create movement in the most static form of art, they resorted to curves. Curves and counter-curves became thus the dominant motif of all Baroque architecture and art. Just as in Renaissance architecture, columns were still the main element for the façade of a building. Because of this, artists like Bernini quickly understood that they should make undulating columns in order to give off a dynamic appearance. Bernini’s famous Baldacchino from St. Peter in Rome is an excellent example of this dynamic effect. To go even further in the pursuit of movement, Guarino Guarini began using an undulating order which stood for a system of undulating elements that would create the final appearance of continuous curving.
Why is Baroque architecture important?
Baroque architecture serves a known purpose, namely that of the aid of the Counter-Reformation. Therefore, it has a clear architectural program that allows for the identification of several characteristics. The main idea behind the baroque is the stimulation of the emotions and the senses. Because the Reformation promoted a rationalized and austere image, the Catholic Church responded by taking the opposite approach. This is why every form and shape from a baroque building targets the engagement of senses and ignites emotions.
Where are some examples of Baroque buildings?
Some of the most notable baroque buildings are, as expected, in Italy. St. Peter’s Square in Rome is a popular and partly baroque attraction. Other examples from Rome include the façade of the Il Gesú, the building of Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza, the well-known San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, and the Trevi Fountain.
Who are the famous baroque artists?
Besides these famous buildings, the names of Italian baroque artists Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Carlo Maderno, Francesco Borromini, and Guarino Guarini ought to be mentioned as they were the trendsetters of this style. Moreover, outside Italy, it is worth noting the works of Austrian architects Johan Bernhard, Fischer von Erlach, and English architect Christopher Wren.
What architectural style thrives in details?
If there is an architectural style that thrives in details, that surely is the Baroque. Baroque architecture made extensive use of details its principal mission. Because of this, baroque buildings are often perceived to be overwhelming and otherworldly. One cannot grasp all the details in one view. Everything is assembled to look as divine as if you stepped into Heaven and left the mundane behind.
What are the characteristics of Baroque music?
An additional characteristic that is important to listen for in Baroque music is sequence and imitation. The word sequence refers to a certain progression of chords during a section of music that usually follows an easily recognisable pattern. It is employed for colour in the music and to sometimes to seamlessly change key. Vivaldi I consider the master of this and he uses it to great effect in many of his works. Imitation in musical terms is as the word suggests; imitative, where you can hear passages of melody pass from one instrument or voice to another sometimes as a perfect copy.
What was the Baroque period?
In terms of Western Art, the Baroque period followed the Renaissance and is broadly agreed to cover the years from 1600 until around 1750 when the Classical period began. What we discover when we look closely at the characteristics of this period of musical history is that flows as a natural progression from the one that came before. Many of the forms, structures and conventions of the Renaissance provide the basis for the new Baroque style and sound. In this article, I will briefly outline some of the key features of the Baroque period of music to give an idea of what to listen out for.
What were the Renaissance dances?
Common Renaissance dances that Baroque composers crafted into instrumental “Suites” would have included the allemande, the courante, the gigue, and the sarabande. Each dance had a contrasting feel and meter. The allemande would be in a moderate four, whereas the sarabande a slow three.
How many preludes did Bach write?
Bach’s most famous keyboard works could be thought of as his 48 Preludes and Fugues. Many of these keyboard works demonstrate the qualities that were common in the period. Bach’s fugues are a highly complex musical form with interweaving melodic lines that create dense and beautiful textures.
Why is baroque music so popular?
Baroque music is a great favourite for weddings and celebratory occasions, for good reason. Many pieces that have endured as our musical favourites from the Baroque period are truly magnificent and mirror the opulence of the period’s architecture and fine art.
Which Baroque composers are considered to be the greatest contribution to these musical forms?
Vivaldi and Corelli are often considered to be two Baroque composers who have made the greatest contribution to these musical forms. Vivaldi is perhaps better known today for his dramatic depiction of the seasons in his “Quattro Stagioni”, or Four Seasons. For Corelli the 12 Concerti Grossi, Op. 6 are amongst the best of the period. Corelli was also a master of the trio sonata that grew from the Renaissance canzona and featured two violins plus a continuo.
What instrument was used in the Baroque period?
Keyboard music became a regular part of the musical diet during the Baroque. Even though the harpsichord itself was a notoriously unreliable instrument that quickly slipped out of tune, numerous pieces were composed for it and its rival, the organ.
When was the Baroque style first used?
In Malta Baroque architecture was introduced during the 17th century. During this period the first structures were built using the Baroque style. The ornamental feature sthat often used decoration (such as the Wingnacourt arch) was among the first Baroque architecture work. After the design of the Jesuits church in Malta, Baroque architecture became popular, and as a result, many churches were built using this style.
What are the unfinished elements of Baroque architecture?
Unfinished elements: A famous element of Baroque architecture is the deliberately unfinished architectural elements that help give the design a unique feature. Lighting: Another distinctive feature of this architectural works is the use of lighting effects as it employs the use of either intense light as well as shaded lights to bring the contrast.
What was the first Moscow Baroque?
That is, the first Moscow Baroque that involved the use of white decoration on the brick walls that were red common with the construction of ancient churches, the second was the advanced Petrine Baroque that was brought from the small countries, and the last phase was the Rastrelliesque Baroque. Kimutai Gilbert June 13 2019 in Society.
What is the best example of Baroque architecture?
Peterhof Palace in Petergof is an excellent example of Baroque Architecture. Baroque architecture is a construction style that began in the 16th century during the Baroque era. This type of construction adopted the Roman way of architecture but instead modernized it to a new fashion with an aim to show the might of the Roman Catholic Church.
What was the first baroque building in Hungary?
The first Baroque building in the kingdom of Hungary was the Jesuit church of Trvana that was built to resemble the Gesu Church in Rome. In Russian sovereignty, Baroque architecture underwent three phases. That is, the first Moscow Baroque that involved the use of white decoration on the brick walls that were red common with the construction ...
What style of architecture was used in Rome?
One of the first structures to be built in Rome was the Santa Susanna church that used the Baroque architectural style.
Why did the Baroque style develop in Spain?
For example, Spain controlled much colonial wealth, and this is the reason the Baroque style developed extensively in Spain. In France, the colonial money led to the construction of palaces and monarchies by powerful people, resulting in economic industrialization.
The Baroque Era Begins
The Baroque Period
- In this article, you will learn about the general characteristics of music in the Baroque Period. The “Baroque” was a period in history relating to or denoting a style of European architecture, music, and art during the 17th and 18th centuries. Often referred to as being very extravagant, complex, and of bizarre tastes, the Baroque Period was brought about by the Catholic Church. This period …
Sculptures in Both The Renaissance and Baroque Periods
- Below are two examples of the sculpture of 'David'. The first is a Renaissance version by Michelangelo. This sculpture has a very calm appearance with the attention of the full nude feature of the human body. The second sculpture is the Baroque version by Bernini. While the attention isn't geared toward the nude, it does bring out the physical appearance of the body. No…
Architecture in The Baroque Period
- Baroque architecture was connected to the Counter-Reformation of the Catholic Church with an emphasis on the wealth of the church. Architects were encouraged to explore new creations of the form using light, shadow, and dramatic intensity. In addition, Baroque architecture displayed complicated shapes, large-curved columns, grand staircases, and high domes. Master Baroque …
Music Characteristics of Baroque Period
- As was with other art forms, we did not appreciate Baroque music until many years after the deaths of the great masters. The study of baroque music ( as well as other art forms) is very complicated and detailed to cover every aspect in an article like this, but outlining the more important points will give one a start to further study. The two major superstars in music during …
Johann Sebastian Bach: One of The World's Greatest Composers
- Born on March 21, 1685, Johan Sebastian Bach was a German composer skilled in performing on the violin and the organ. He was considered by scholars (past and present) as one of the greatest composers of all time. Bach was a very religious man that devoted his life to the church and his music. Bach came from a large family as was the case with most families of the time. In fact, th…
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Definition
History
- The origin of the baroque period remounts itself to the year 1600, in Rome, Italy, and it spread itself to most part of the European continent; this particular time transformed itself in the final moments of the domination of the limiting counterpoint in the era’s music style. For explaining better, the limiting counterpoint referred to the different voices and instruments making echo be…
Characteristics of The Baroque Period
- In matters of music, one of the traits that define the music from the baroque period is the connection and expression of the liturgical themes. Since plenty of the most well-known musicians of the time were at the service of the European church, the dominating music style was the sacred music, designed for special religious occasions, named by the church itself only. Du…
Thoughts
- There are several thoughts, ideas and philosophies that surround the baroque period, made by ancient and contemporary musicians, composers, critics and artists. Many of this views were directed to the baroque music, one of the most popular disciplines back at the time and that has persisted until our days; each composer appeared to have his or her own opinion about what mu…
Composers
- The baroque music forms a significant part of the classic music, that for it is associated with some of the most famous classic composers like Henry Purcell, Antonio Vivaldi, Georg Friedrich Händel, Johann Sebastian Bach, Claudio Monteverdi, Ludwig Van Beethoven, and several more. It is needless to say that the most prominent ones were, for excellence, Bach, Vivaldi, Händel and …
Inspirations in The Baroque Period
- One of the main principles that guided the overall baroque art stylewas the exuberance; idea was to make elaborated and dazzling works, filling them with details, making them shine above all and impossible to ignore. During the baroque period, the fame and success of the “extravagance” was supported by the Roman Catholic Church. Also, during the defeat of the Trento Council, the chur…
Evolution of The Baroque Period
- Starting approximately in 1600, during the final moments of the movement known as the mannerism, the memorial of the new art gave birth to what is now known as the baroque period. For speaking about the differences between each movement, among the paintings the baroque gestures were wider than the mannerism ones. The overall art was less ambiguous, secretive an…
Origin of The Baroque
- For a long time, the baroque referred to the ornate, deceptive and capricious. The baroque was born in Italy during the period known as Seicento. Initially the name was used to refer to a certain ornate, bombastic, excessive artistic style. For a long time it was used in a derogatory way, to refer to something ornate, capricious, deceptive. According to some theories, the name come…
Baroque History
- Baroque is usually divided into three different moments: 1. Primitive (1580 to 1630) 2. Plenary session (1630 to 1680) 3. Late (1680 to 1750) Throughout these 170 years, art gained in refinement and decoration, cultivating a taste for the anecdotal, the surprising, for the effect and illusions. These characteristics are often interpreted as a more raw confrontation between the a…
Baroque Themes
- The baroque emphasized the everyday aspect of life. 1. Emphasis on reality. He paid attention to the mundane aspect of life: the everyday, the ephemeral. This produced a “vulgarization” or worldliness of the religious imaginary in Catholic countries, especially fanaticized. 2. Grandiose vision. He exalted the national and the religious, considering...
Baroque Painting
- Rubens represents nature giving room to the religious spirit of the scene. Painting was one of the most favored artistic expressions in the Baroque and that exhibited the greatest diversity in its different geographical manifestations. Their styles, however, can be classified into two main aspects. Each of these aspects approached another style, although always differing: 1. Naturalis…
Baroque Literature
- In the baroque theater satirical comedies of biblical passages abounded. Baroque literature was largely determined by the Catholic Counter-Reformation. This arose in opposition to Lutheranism and Protestantism, as well as the absolutist values of the monarchical governments of the time. For this reason, a depressed and pessimistic vision o…
Baroque Architecture
- Baroque architecture was characterized by optical games. During the Baroque, architecture assumed much more dynamic forms. A deep sense of theatricality and staging was cultivated, as well as lush and abundant décor. Concave and convex shapeswere preferred over the rigidity and linearity of classicism. Urbanism was given great importance, since kings and po…
Baroque Sculpture
- Baroque sculpture was strongly linked to religion. During the Baroque, sculpture had a behavior similar to that of architecture, especially because together they decorated public spaces, palaces and religious buildings. This means that the sculpture had a dynamic, expressive, ornamental and highly varied personality in the different European countries. In general, it was presented in two v…
Baroque Music
- Baroque music ends with the death of Johann Sebastian Bach. Music was an important expression of the Baroque style , becoming over time the quintessential style of academic music in Europe. This baroque style of music ranges from opera around 1600 to Johann Sebastian Bach’s death in 1750. Baroque music is characterized by the use of tonalities, the continuous ba…
Latin American Baroque
- The Latin American baroque had its climactic point in the 18th century, as it was an inheritance brought to the American continent by the Spanish conquerors and colonizers. Unlike its European roots, the Latin American baroque was gladly mixed with the indigenous and the African. The result was a cultural trend that, although it obeyed the abundance and waste, typical of the Baro…
Baroque Authors and Artists
- A partial list of the main authors of the Baroque includes: Literature 1. Miguel de Cervantes 2. Calderón de la Barca 3. Lope de Vega 4. Tirso de Molina 5. Luis de Gongora 6. Francisco de Quevedo 7. Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz 8. John donne 9. William Shakespeare 10. Laurence sterne Painting 1. Caravaggio 2. Peter Paul Rubens 3. Diego Velasquez 4. Rembrandt 5. Johannes Ver…