Monday Morning Museum: Baroque Art

Baroque Art – Europe in the Seventeenth Century

The Baroque (US /bəˈroʊk/ or UK /bəˈrɒk/) is a period of artistic style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, architecture, literature, dance and music. The style began around 1600 in Rome, Italy and spread to most of Europe. – Wikipedia.org

In addition to Gianlorenzo Bernini (see art example below), other artists of the Baroque are Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Annibale Carracci, Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt Van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer and Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez.

The Chair of Saint Peter, circa 1647-1653, by Gianlorenzo Bernini (1598-1680)

Symbolically, the chair Bernini designed had no earthly counterpart in actual contemporary furnishings: it is formed entirely of scrolling members, enclosing a coved panel where the upholstery pattern is rendered as a low relief of Christ giving the keys to Peter. Large angelic figures flank an openwork panel beneath a highly realistic bronze seat cushion, vividly empty: the relic is encased within.[2] The cathedra is lofted on splayed scrolling bars that appear to be effortlessly supported by four over-lifesize bronze Doctors of the Church. The cathedra appears to hover over the altar in the basilica's apse, lit by a central tinted window through which light streams, illuminating the gilded glory of sunrays and sculpted clouds that surrounds the window. – Wikipedia.org

Last Monday’s Art – The Barbizon School
Next Monday’s Art – Byzantine Art

Top of post: “Baroque Art” graphic created by Adrean Darce Brent
Below: “Monday Morning Museum” logo created by Adrean Darce Brent

Monday Morning Museum: Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez

Self-Portrait, circa 1640 by Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez

Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez - Wednesday 6 June 1599 Seville, Spain to Monday 6 August 1660 Madrid, Spain

Spanish Baroque Era Painter

Portrait of a Man, circa 1630-1635

“This is an informal portrait rather than a highly finished work, with the head brought to a higher degree of finish than the torso and pale gray background. Was it conceived as an independent portrait, or was it, rather, painted as a study with a view to including the sitter in the "Surrender of Breda", which contains many portraits? Can the identification of the figure as Velázquez be dismissed out of hand, since in the "Surrender of Breda" he appears as an observer rather than a direct participant in the action and looks out at the viewer in the way often associated with the insertion of a self-portrait? In the absence of documents, the matter remains highly speculative. There is, moreover, the question of his resemblance (or non-resemblance) to bona fide portraits of Velázquez and the fact that in the "Surrender of Breda" he is attired like other members of the Spanish contingent. Under these circumstances, the MMA has retained the title "Portrait of a Man".” – Metropolitan Museum of Art

Last Monday’s Artist – Mark Rothko
Next Monday’s Artist – Ogata Korin

“Monday Morning Museum” logo created by Adrean Darce Brent