Baroque Style Essay, Research Paper

The Baroque style was a style in which

the art and artists of the time focused upon details, and intricate designs.

During this time the portraits began to portray modern life, and artists

turned their backs on classical tradition. Buildings were more elaborate

and ornately decorated. These works of art created history and altered

the progress of Western Civilization. The progress has been an uneven

one. Regression and progress often alternated, and shifts in direction

often occurred. Art, architecture, literature, and historical events

shaped the ideas of the era we know today. Architecture such as the

palace of Versailles, and artists like Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and Goya

symbolize these ideas.

The palace of Versailles is a grand building

outside of Paris, which exhibits the characteristics of the Baroque style.

It was elaborately decorated and the final product took 20 years to create.

The fence is covered with a sheet of gold; every room is filled with intricate

carvings and elegant figurines. Each room reflects a certain time

or king by the change in furniture and style. These rooms demonstrate

this with items such as back-less chairs, which were created to accommodate

the clothes of the period. The materials used to create each piece

also distinguish the time period. First generation furniture was

made of sterling silver, and the upholstery was changed with the seasons.

Second generation furniture was very elaborate and made of wood.

Versailles is a perfect example of progression in Western art. The

entire house displays the transition from Medieval to Renaissance to the

Baroque stylings. The palace is like a museum, which shows the progress

of society using art and architecture.

Caravaggio was an artist of this period

who was also a pioneer in art. The artists of this period began to

portray modern life, instead of religious figures. Caravaggio was

a violent man who came to Italy to paint. Rebelling against conventional

ideas- divine intervention, Virgin Mary, and death- he came to create his

own style, forcing civilization ahead, and forcing others to follow his

path. His paintings show pleading through man’s direct knowledge of God.

By revolting against the classical traditions, he created his own style,

which other artists wished to portray also. Thus, he created a forward

movement in the fashion of art and architecture.

Rembrandt was also an artist who wished

to depict art in a new manner. “Rembrandt, although in fact he was

a profound student of the classical tradition, wanted to look at every

episode as if it had never been depicted before, and to try to find an

equivalent for it in his own experience.” (Clark, 203). “?Rembrandt’s paintings

goes beyond that of any other artist who had ever lived.” (Clark, 205).

In paintings such as Bathsheba, Rembrandt uses classical ideas and studies

from nature to achieve balance. He perceived old images in a new

light; transforming them into “the light of human experience.” (Clark,

206). Just as Caravaggio did, Rembrandt created a path in art and others

followed.

Francisco Goya, considered to be “the

Father of Modern Art,” began his painting career near the end of the Baroque

period. As an artist, Goya was far removed from the classicals; in

the greater part of his work a romantic style triumphed. His work

“represented the reaction against previous conceptions of art and the desire

for a new form of expression.” (Keithe, 177). In expressing his thoughts

and feelings candidly, he became the pioneer of new artistic tendencies,

which were to come in the 19th century. Ahead of his time, Goya paved

the way for a new artistic trend.

By the Baroque period, styles turned away

from the classical ideas and reached a new peak in creativity. The

palace of Versailles and artists like Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and Goya were

all explorers in the world of art and architecture. Each of these examples

demonstrates progress in Western Civilization and all helped to shape the

world of art as we know it today.