Topic 19 of 55: Baroque and Rococo
Sat, Aug 8, 1998 (05:48) |
Riette Walton (riette)
The Baroque style was a new direction in art that emerged in Rome at the turn of the 17tth century. The word 'Baroque' is originally a Portuguese word meaning rough or irregularly shaped - and was thus not a complimentary term at the time to apply to art. This new art was committed both to geniune emotion and to imaginatively ornamental works, and came as a reaction to the artificiality of 16th century art. Human drama became a vital part of paintings, and featured rich colour combinations.
The Rococo style developed as a successor to the Baroque, not only in arts, but also including architecture, music, and literature. The emphasis was on lightness, decorations, and elegance. The Rococo style emerged in Paris in the early 18th century, and from there spread to the rest of Europe.
53 responses total.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 1 of 53: Paul Terry Walhus (terry) * Sun, Aug 9, 1998 (07:18) * 16 lines
From Encarta:
Rococo Style, style of 18th-century painting and decoration characterized
by lightness, delicacy, and elaborate ornamentation. The rococo period
corresponded roughly to the reign of King Louis XV of France (1715-1774).
The style began with the interior architectural work of French designer
Pierre Lepautre and with the paintings of French artist Jean-Antoine
Watteau.
Rococo is characterized by architectural decoration based on arabesques,
shells, elaborate curves, and asymmetry; iridescent pastel colors; and, in
painting, light-hearted subject matter. Rococo artisans included French
painters François Boucher and Jean Honoré Fragonard, and Flemish-born
Bavarian architect and designer François de Cuvilliés. From France, the
style spread to other countries, where it was grafted onto baroque modes.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 2 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Sun, Aug 9, 1998 (08:58) * 1 lines
And the first painter whose work I'd like to post here (and will do hopefully by Wednesday) is Caravaggio. He was the first and probably the greatest painter to be affected by the scorn with which the art establishment of the 19th century treated Baroque painting.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 3 of 53: Wolf (wolf) * Sun, Aug 9, 1998 (11:54) * 5 lines
can't wait to see it....you know, i don't know much (obviously) about the different
artistic periods...guess i go more with feeling about paintings or other artwork
that i fall in love with. this doesn't fit in this topic, probably, but i just
love the sculptures of Venus and David (and no, not because they're both naked).
Just something about them that draws my attention.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 4 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Sun, Aug 9, 1998 (12:58) * 1 lines
Oh, if you keep coming back you'll soon be able to tell more or less the differences between art from different periods. But don't worry about it - it is the feeling that counts. And I'll try and find a photo of your Venus and David to post in here.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 5 of 53: Wolf (wolf) * Sun, Aug 9, 1998 (14:30) * 1 lines
woohoo!
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 6 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Mon, Aug 10, 1998 (04:59) * 1 lines
whaa-haa!
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 7 of 53: wer (KitchenManager) * Wed, Aug 12, 1998 (22:18) * 6 lines
The Lute Player
by Caravaggio
94x120cm
c. 1596
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 8 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Thu, Aug 13, 1998 (01:18) * 4 lines
I chose this painting to start this topic off with, because it was done by Caravaggio (1571-1610), who was probably the first great painter to paint in this style. His early works consisted largely of genre paintings, such as the one above:
A boy, painted with colours so full and rich that he can easily be mistaken for a girl. His beautiful, girlish face is framed by seductive curls, his hands are cracful, and cracefully playing the curved lute, his lips are soft and parted - perhaps he is singing? Therefore it is easy to understand why 16th century viewers found this charm frightnening, decadent. It becomes obvious that its painter neither approve nor disapproved of this young man: he presents him as he is, and adds an underlying sadnes
; he is a creature whose favours will fade with time, and whose music will end in a dark room somewhere. The flowers will dry up, and fruit will rot - just so will the young lute player whither too.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 9 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Thu, Aug 13, 1998 (01:19) * 1 lines
DAMN. ..... graceful, and gracefully playing the lute, . . . . that should read. Sorry.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 10 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Mon, Aug 17, 1998 (07:39) * 9 lines
My next contribution is this one by Orazio Gentileschi (1563-1639).
Orazio Gentileschi
Madonna and Child
early 1600's
Afraid alot of paintings before impressionism are religious. But isn't this one just beautiful?
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 11 of 53: Wolf (wolf) * Mon, Aug 17, 1998 (17:44) * 1 lines
it is indeed. and look at the halo around the angel's head, it's so delicate...
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 12 of 53: Autumn Moore (autumn) * Mon, Aug 17, 1998 (18:21) * 1 lines
Mary and Jesus seem so natural in this painting.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 13 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Tue, Aug 18, 1998 (01:22) * 3 lines
Very much so. If more religious art, if more people were as touching as this, so without pretence and hipocricy, then perhaps even I might have been saved!
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 14 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Tue, Aug 18, 1998 (05:36) * 12 lines
Now, here is something with a political theme:
Peter Paul Rubens
'The Apotheosis of Henri IV and the Proclamation of the Regency'
c. 1621/25
391cm x 727cm
In other words, a HUGE painting. I find that the vitality and tenderness of Rubens' paintings make for such an unusual combination that it seems almost unlikely that he became such a success as a political artist. But his genius was immense, and this is an excellent example of why he became so successful.
This one is from a series of paintings commissioned by Marie de'Medici, the widowed Queen Mother of France, who needed artistic help in refurbishing and decorating her Luxembourg Palace.
Although he is depicting a historical event, the painting is set in terms of classical myth - that, I think, is what makes his works so enduring and vibrant. I think he could probably make a mountain of art over any political molehill of fact.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 15 of 53: Autumn Moore (autumn) * Wed, Aug 19, 1998 (14:25) * 1 lines
Henri IV will go down in history as the great conciliator--he converted to catholicism (he was protestant) for the sake of keeping France united and preached religious tolerance. (After Marie de Medici kicked Diane de Poitiers out of the chateau in Chenonceau that Henri had given her, I guess she needed help decorating it.)
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 16 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Thu, Aug 20, 1998 (11:22) * 10 lines
Peter Paul Rubens
'Union of Earth and Water'
1618
222.5cm x 180.5cm
I suppose that with today's attitude towards fat people Rubens' paintings must be fairly unattractive to alot of people. He was defenitely a great painter of the fair and the fat. And how beautiful his women are!
According to my books Rubens was probably one of the most stable, fortunate artists who ever lived. He was handsome, healthy, well-educated, good-humoured, clever, wealthy, twice married, both times with blissful success, and one of the egreatest and most influential artists ever. And on top of all that he was a thoroughly good person. I find this all very evident in his paintings as well. There is just such a sweetness in his work. People in his paintings tend to look at one another with trust, accep
ance and confidence. Another artist I would have liked to have met.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 17 of 53: Autumn Moore (autumn) * Thu, Aug 20, 1998 (18:27) * 1 lines
I love the detail in this one, the fruit, the skin, the water--it's so meticulous.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 18 of 53: Wolf (wolf) * Thu, Aug 20, 1998 (21:43) * 2 lines
i like this. look how she looks at him. y'all did notice the rather muscular cat
trying to get a bit of fruit.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 19 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Fri, Aug 21, 1998 (02:07) * 1 lines
Lucky for them it's obviously vegetarian.....
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 20 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Thu, Aug 27, 1998 (08:44) * 11 lines
Here's something pretty amazing for you.
Jan Brueghel (1568-1625)
'Allegory of Sight'
1670
Oil on Canvas
Jan was the second of the three sons of Pieter Brueghel (c.1525-69) who was the greatest Netherlandish painter and draughtsman of the 16th century. Jan's specialities were still lifes and landscapes, but he worked in an entirely different spirit from his father - using brilliant colours and mythological figures. His elder brother, Pieter the Younger (1564-1638) is best known for his copies an variants of his father's peasant scenes. His other speciality was scenes of fires, which earned him the nicknam
, 'Hell' Brueghel. Pieter Brueghel III (1589-c.1640) - yeah, I know! - was the lesser artist in the family, and never achieved fame or recognition. Poor bugger.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 21 of 53: Autumn Moore (autumn) * Sun, Aug 30, 1998 (15:47) * 1 lines
This one is so rich with detail, I love it. What are they watching on TV, "Angels Among Us"?
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 22 of 53: Wolf (wolf) * Sun, Aug 30, 1998 (20:23) * 1 lines
my goodness, look at all the paintings within the painting!
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 23 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Mon, Aug 31, 1998 (01:18) * 3 lines
ha-ha, Autumn! Suppose they had to watch TV by candle light back in those days, since they had no electricity.
It's amazing, isn't it, Wolf? It's painting like this one that make my illusional bubble of artistic skills burst like it never existed in the first place. And each painting within the painting is just overflowing with detail - not just some vague little suggestions in the backgrounds - they're for real!
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 24 of 53: Wolf (wolf) * Mon, Aug 31, 1998 (12:22) * 3 lines
exactly, and the subject matter is different too. he just put his whole career
into one piece of work! very clever... (you know, at first, the picture on the
table did look like a laptop!)
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 25 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Mon, Aug 31, 1998 (12:36) * 3 lines
Yes, that's just what I thought!!! ha-ha!!
So, how about it, Wolfie. You with your naturalistic skills could do something like that.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 26 of 53: Wolf (wolf) * Mon, Aug 31, 1998 (20:35) * 2 lines
i'm not real good with drawing people or animals. i mean, i try, but the stuff
looks funny to me. think i could just paint skies all the time?
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 27 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Tue, Sep 1, 1998 (01:01) * 2 lines
Sure, why not!? I just paint figures all the time, and nobody ever seems to wonder where the landscapes are! They ASSUME you can do them, because you call yourself an artist! ha-ha!!! But I'm a stern believer in the one golden rule of Art: paint what you're good at, not what you think you ought to be able to paint. I mean, why concentrate on something one is bad at, when you're GOOD at something else already?
And you're not just good at painting skies, the rest of your landscape was very good as well! I shall post Wer my first ever painting effort - an effort at being a naturalist in painting a studen in Caius College, Cambridge. THe poor guy would by seriously offended if he ever saw it, and it's give you a good laugh!
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 28 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Tue, Sep 1, 1998 (01:02) * 1 lines
Damn, sorry for all the mistakes - having a bad flu, and not concentrating so well.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 29 of 53: Wolf (wolf) * Tue, Sep 1, 1998 (10:35) * 1 lines
hope you feel better soon!
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 30 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Wed, Sep 2, 1998 (01:07) * 1 lines
Thanks, Wolf. I'm okay.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 31 of 53: Ray Lopez (ratthing) * Wed, Sep 2, 1998 (10:16) * 4 lines
i hope so! we can't have our Queen Babe Goddess of the Spring feeling
bad!
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 32 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Thu, Sep 3, 1998 (01:08) * 2 lines
Why, gee, what do ya know?? I feel wonderfully invigorated all of a sudden!
Great to see your bear face here, King Hunk God of the Spring!
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 33 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Mon, Sep 7, 1998 (10:35) * 7 lines
Canaletto
'Piazza San Marco'
1735-1740
Canaletto was the most famous view painter of the 18th century. I think this painting demonstrates why.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 34 of 53: Wolf (wolf) * Mon, Sep 7, 1998 (10:45) * 1 lines
wow!
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 35 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Mon, Sep 7, 1998 (15:08) * 1 lines
Or wowl! in your case....
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 36 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Wed, Sep 16, 1998 (15:11) * 13 lines
I'd like to come back to the first artist whose work I posted in this topic, namely Caravaggio. You know, the painter who painted boys so girlishly that his works were considered to be decadent by the public and other artists alike. Now, his religious paintings were ifen more controversial. A good example is this one:
Caravaggio
'The Death of the Virgin'
1605-06
370cm x 244 cm
This painting really drew down condemnation for its uncompromising realism. The Carmelite priests who commisioned it rejected it in the end, saying it was indecent. There was even a rumour that the model for the Virgin had been a drowned prostitute.
I must say I find it a somewhat disturbing picture too; the way the light almost strikes the corpse's plain face as she lies there, sprawled across the bed with the dirty looking pair of feet sticking out quite unromatically. What is disturbing to me is the way he presents death as an event with a great deal of grief; there is no sense of hope in this painting, just this heavy DEAD feeling. But it's the way it should be, I feel. The poor, aged, worn Virgin he painted makes sense to me, as well as the
grief of the Apostles. I mean, this woman was all they had left of Jesus, right? The woman in the forground, I guess, must be Mary Magdalene. I find her very very poignant - she mourns differently from the Apostles; perhaps she mourns for Maria, and they for Jesus. And unlike most other religious paintings mary does not ascend to Heaven gloriously. She is surrounded by scarlet - perhaps a symbol of her Son's blood. I could go on. Basically I just find it an incredible painting.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 37 of 53: wer (KitchenManager) * Wed, Sep 16, 1998 (21:25) * 4 lines
are Carmelites not a Catholic order?
the non-ascension thing strikes me as odd, also...
and, I do like the painting
(maybe my Protestant brainwashing is leaking out...)
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 38 of 53: Autumn Moore (autumn) * Wed, Sep 16, 1998 (22:09) * 1 lines
What denomination, wer? (Methodist here)
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 39 of 53: wer (KitchenManager) * Wed, Sep 16, 1998 (22:15) * 1 lines
Southern Baptist
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 40 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Thu, Sep 17, 1998 (01:03) * 3 lines
Oh, THAT's what they call atheists nowadays!!! Just kidding, Wer, though I shouldn't, because I used to be DUTCH REFORMED before becoming a relativist....
Yes, the Carmelites are catholics. And that is, of course, what made the painting so shocking. So I must be a good thing.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 41 of 53: Wolf (wolf) * Thu, Sep 17, 1998 (15:36) * 2 lines
what is a relativist? (methodist by baptism, but really don't claim any particular
protestant sect)
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 42 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Fri, Sep 18, 1998 (00:54) * 1 lines
I suppose. But I sure don't see myself as a protestant - probably sound like one alot of the time though! More like a person who believes in God, but it's more of a personal thing, and the person doesn't belong to any specific church, protestant or catholic. I figure I've had all the church going I can TAKE as a child. So much so, it turned me into a good atheist for a while - but that's not me either. I need a spiritual life of some sort to be happy, and so now I believe in God as I see Him.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 43 of 53: Wolf (wolf) * Fri, Sep 18, 1998 (15:26) * 2 lines
no, i don't believe God belongs to any specific church. He is ours and we are His.
there are things in both Catholic and Protestant faiths that i don't agree with.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 44 of 53: Autumn Moore (autumn) * Fri, Sep 18, 1998 (16:59) * 1 lines
What faith does Dutch Reformed most closely resemble?
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 45 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Mon, Sep 21, 1998 (21:49) * 1 lines
Oh, Jesus, Autumn, I don't know. But the rightest of right-wing Irish protestant kind of faith is utterly liberal in comparison....
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 46 of 53: Wolf (wolf) * Tue, Sep 22, 1998 (21:34) * 4 lines
so it's like puritan law or something? all i know is i believe. i really don't
like visiting a catholic church and being told that i cannot have communion. so, what, did Jesus only hang out with the people who "belonged"? i don't think so. and communion
means a great deal to me. i was seriously offended. AND i had gone with my mother
(who is Catholic) and SHE was the one who wouldn't let me participate. can you imagine? i think she was too stuck on rules.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 47 of 53: wer (KitchenManager) * Tue, Sep 22, 1998 (23:43) * 4 lines
yeah, 'cause if you don't believe, all that will happen
at communion is that you'll just be eating crackers, bread, etc...
and drinking grape juice, wine, etc...instead of being
a cannibal like everyone else...
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 48 of 53: Kristen Baker (kristen) * Wed, Sep 23, 1998 (00:11) * 1 lines
I spent hours in the Piazza San Marco. The artist captured it perfectly...minus all the annoying Italian guys hitting on me. They never show them in the paintings!!!
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 49 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Wed, Sep 23, 1998 (01:19) * 2 lines
That's because Italian guys never stay with one particular girl long enough to be painted....
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 50 of 53: wer (KitchenManager) * Wed, Sep 23, 1998 (03:16) * 1 lines
good point
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 51 of 53: Ray Lopez (ratthing) * Wed, Sep 23, 1998 (10:06) * 3 lines
lol!
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 52 of 53: Paul Terry Walhus (terry) * Wed, Sep 23, 1998 (10:18) * 1 lines
Stick with Norwegian guys, Kristen.
Topic 19 of 55 [art]: Baroque and Rococo
Response 53 of 53: Riette Walton (riette) * Wed, Sep 23, 1998 (13:37) * 1 lines
Absolutely! Italian guys are ghastly!
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