Essay on The Baroque Art Style

Music reached its peak of success between the 17th and 18th century. This time period is known as the Baroque period. Countless composers achieved immense success during this point in history, two of the most famous being, Johann Bach and George Frideric Handel. The first opera, oratorio, and cantata occurred during the Baroque period. Amazingly, most of the instruments used during the period, remain in use today. The Baroque period in music obviously played a tremendous role in the growth of music through its numerous successful composers and various types of instruments.

His early paintings had an unconventional, unique, and unfinished look about them. The images were known to everyone in everyday life.

Understanding the various forms of baroque art requires knowledge of its historical context. The 17th century could be called the first modern age. Human awareness of the world was continuously expanding. Many scientific discoveries influenced art; Galileo's investigations of the planets, for example, account for astronomical accuracy in many paintings of the time. BAROQUE STYLE--emphasized movement, contrast and variety as with the painter Caravaggio who used dark' s in background in contrast to lights in the foreground As in his picture " The Three Musicians". The center figure tunes a stringed instrument while the musician on the right sets down his violin to study some sheet music. The assistant on the left is reaching for grapes and the third player in the background holds a flute. All of this dipicts movement in the entire picture and a variety of different figures doing different things. In the 1700's, rulers were anxious to show off their power and wealth. The most powerful of these was Louis XIV of France. Beginning in Louis's court, the Baroque style under went a transformation. First , it changed from bold and dramic to festive and decorative and eventually, to a new, lighter and more graceful art style know as the Rococo Style.

The Night Watch was Rembrandts most famous painting. It was huge, and Rembrandt used effective light and shadow, and the perception of motion in his paintings.

The Baroque chamber orchestra, a type of ensemble today that can vary greatly from group to group, is involved in a type of performance many musicians remain confused about. For a modern musician, the confusion surrounding the Baroque style stems from a notion that spending time learning a style of instrument that is no longer commonplace is something that is not worthwhile or is even detrimental to a modern instrumental career. Much of this stems from the idea that the romantic era of music is the most valid and academic form of music studied and performed. This has to do with the intense exposure that classically trained musicians are given in the field of romantic and modern era music.

Jan Vermeer was a Dutch Baroque artist of the 1500's, His subjects were of domestic scenes but were mainly commissioned from his patron where he gained most of his wealth. It took long months at a time to create a single painting, which contributes to why there are so few. His art shows a great detail in where the light source is concerned, if you look closely you will see how skilled he acquired natural light. Many of Jan Vermeer's art works focus on domestic scenes, including her piece called "The Milkmaid” The picture of a woman in the middle of her work shows his practical performance of figures and objects, and his attraction of light. A lot of Vermeer’s work has a glowing

Baroque art is presented as an art style. Baroque art style is such diversity within in the Baroque period 1600-1770 because of the relationship to the era’s border and intellectual tendencies there was three important effects on the art. Which are, western Christianity, religious tensions, and the division of the Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. The Baroque artist appealed to their viewer in a dramatic way because there were two powerful forces competing with each other in the 17 century.

The Baroque era existed between 1600-1750, it was an era of freedom in composition, improvisation, drama and urgency which was present in many aspects throughout the era.Historical event took place,  such as the thirty year war which occurred between the years 1618-1648, the discovery of New York by Henry Hudson in 1626, building of St. Peter's square in 1656 and the ruling of different kings in this time period. Through the work of Bach,Vivaldi and Handel, the Roman Catholic Church, dramatic aspects and writing for royalty are ideas and influences that make this era distinct from other eras.

The new Baroque style is a energetic art which shows the growth of absolutist monarchies and is suitable to manifest power. Baroque was all about detail and not necessarily about substance. The art and architecture of the era was really fancy. Even baroque music like Bach or Silvius Leopold Weiss is highly ornamental. The Western European world at that time was moving away from the Dark Ages and try to create a new identity for itself. No more plain Roman arches. Baroque is a style in which architects and artists that paints and sculpts search emotion, movement, and variety in their works. The Baroque period have higher volumes, embellish decorations, and more. Sense of movement, energy, and tension are dominant impressions. Strong contrasts

Baroque art was predominantly spiritual in nature, as most art form this era was based on the Christian belief and stories. After this period, there was a lot of political influence on people that steered people away from the spiritual aspect, and the focus became on more realistic ideas and non-spiritual subjects. Neoclassicism started to become popular, so people focused on the more classical aspect of art.

It is interesting how an advance in scientific knowledge can contribute to the world of arts. I was just looking today at a book of computer icons, clip art, I believe they were called that gave me a viewing impression not common to daily routine. Here in sunny Southern California, United States, there are many people who wear less in clothing than in other places, revealing body arts such as tattoos, varying piercings and such, leaving room to ponder if art is advancing or not. Having looked at technical manuals in the past it is interesting consider what certain diagrams such as at http://www.vinetastings.us/electrical/electrical-schematic-symbols may look like to someone, perhaps in some post technological world may view them.

Learning the history of how Baroque era would be major influence on how we see art after many centuries ago. During this era it open many doors for many people and it show us how everything would be linked to each other. Baroque era was really important time because during the Baroque era we had many things that were being accomplished for instance opera, dance and music.

Renaissance art history began as civic history; it was an expression of civic pride. The first such history was Filippo Villani's De origine civitatis Florentiae et eiusdem famosis civibus, written about 1381-82. Florentine artists revived an art that was almost dead, Villani asserts, just as Dante had restored poetry after its decline in the Middle Ages. The revival was begun by Cimabue and completed by Giotto, who equalled the ancient painters in fame and even surpassed them in skill and talent. After Giotto came his followers, Stefano, Taddeo Gaddi, and Maso, uomini illustri all, who, together with notable jurists, poets, musicians, theologians, physicians, orators, and others, made

The painting by Caravaggio that the paper will discuss is "Medusa." He painted it in 1595 making this painting early Baroque. Baroque painting is characterized by serious drama, rich and deep colors. Baroque paintings also have intense lighting and contrast due to the very dark shadows. Baroque art typically captures the most action packed point. Baroque artists paint the most dramatic point of the stories they choose to tell or retell. Baroque art seeks to evoke human emotions, specifically passion and not the calm feelings sought by Renaissance art. Medusa was a Gorgon who was so hideous that she turned whomever looked directly at her into stone on the spot. Medusa was decapitated by Perseus who then used her head as a weapon. He ultimately gave Medusa's head to Athena for her to mount onto her shield.

The Baroque are was an era of extravagance and nowhere in Europe showed this better then France. France was a country ruled by the aristocracy in every way imaginable. This proved to be the monarchies downfall in the end (Fiero, pg. 61). Baroque refers to a style of art that appeared around 1600 C.E. and continued until 1750 C.E. and was named after the Portuguese word barrocco which refers to irregularly shaped pearls further referencing the styles gander (Fiero, pg. 46). The baroque era in France was shown with its art and architecture.