Baroque
A Western artistic style flourishing from the early 1600s to 1750s.
The Baroque is a Western style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from the early 1600s until the 1750s. It followed Renaissance art and Mannerism and preceded the Rococo and Neoclassical styles. The style was encouraged by the Catholic Church as a means to counter the simplicity and austerity of Protestant architecture, art, and music, though Lutheran Baroque art developed in parts of Europe as well.
- field
- Architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts
- period
- Early 1600s until the 1750s
- origin
- Rome, early 17th century
- known_for
- Contrast, movement, exuberant detail, deep color, grandeur, and surprise to achieve a sense of awe
Lore & Background
The Baroque style began at the start of the 17th century in Rome, then spread rapidly to the rest of Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal, then to Austria, southern Germany, Poland and Russia. By the 1730s, it had evolved into an even more flamboyant style, called rocaille or Rococo, which appeared in France and Central Europe until the mid to late 18th century. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese Empires including the Iberian Peninsula it continued, together with new styles, until the first decade of the 19th century.
Reader's Guide
The Baroque style used contrast, movement, exuberant detail, deep color, grandeur, and surprise to achieve a sense of awe. In the decorative arts, the style employs plentiful and intricate ornamentation. The departure from Renaissance classicism has its own ways in each country, but a general feature is that everywhere the starting point is the ornamental elements introduced by the Renaissance. The classical repertoire is crowded, dense, overlapping, loaded, in order to provoke shock effects. New motifs introduced by Baroque include the cartouche, trophies and weapons, baskets of fruit or flowers, and others, made in marquetry, stucco, or carved. The style was encouraged by the Catholic Church as a means to counter the simplicity and austerity of Protestant architecture, art, and music, though Lutheran Baroque art developed in parts of Europe as well. Its legacy includes the development of the Rococo style and its continued use in Spanish and Portuguese Empires until the first decade of the 19th century.
Did You Know?
- The English word 'baroque' comes from the French, which originated from the Portuguese term 'barroco' meaning 'a flawed pearl'.
- Baroque churches often used quadratura, trompe-l'œil ceiling paintings that created the illusion of looking up at heaven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Baroque?
Baroque is a Western artistic and musical style that dominated Europe from the early 1600s through the 1750s, spanning architecture, painting, sculpture, dance, poetry, and composition. It emerged directly after the Renaissance and Mannerist periods, taking root in Rome in the early seventeenth century.
What are Baroque's powers/role?
Baroque is defined by its use of dramatic contrast, sweeping movement, lavish ornamentation, rich color palettes, and a sense of theatrical surprise. Its central aim was to overwhelm the senses and evoke a feeling of awe in the viewer or listener.
How does Baroque's story end?
The Baroque era wound down by the 1750s, gradually giving way to the lighter Rococo style and the more restrained Neoclassical movement. Rather than a single decisive ending, it faded as European tastes shifted toward simplicity and classical order.
Why is Baroque important?
The Catholic Church actively promoted Baroque art and music as a vivid, emotional counter to the austere, minimal aesthetic associated with Protestantism. It also shaped Lutheran artistic traditions in parts of northern Europe, making it one of the most influential stylistic movements in Western culture.
Where did Baroque come from?
Baroque originated in Rome during the early seventeenth century, building on the foundations laid by Renaissance and Mannerist artists. From that Italian starting point, the style spread across the continent and into the musical, architectural, and literary worlds.
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