Baroque: 1600’s

The Baroque art movement arose in Rome at the beginning of the 17^th century, and spread to various other European countries as a reaction against the prescribed Mannerist style that had been at the forefront of the Late Renaissance.

Santi di Tito (1536-1603) had been among the first to develop a simplified artistic style referred to as ‘Anti-Mannerist’, corresponding to The Council of Trent’s encouragement of illustrative lucidity and narrative bearing in religious art. However, it was in the 17^th century when a surge of renewed faith in the Counter-Reformation Catholic Church took place that the Baroque period materialised, highlighting a return to tradition and spirituality with a more realistic and sensitive art form.

Leading artists of the movement Annibale Carracci, Domenichino, Guido Reni and Guercino all demonstrated an interest in the antique world and the High Renaissance, with work of epic stature and synchronised equilibrium reminiscent of Raphael. By comparison, Caravaggio adapted his Classic style with early naturalism, using everyday people for his religious characters and emphasising the spiritual connotations of the narrative with vividly dramatic chiaroscuro.

Baroque Art firmly had its foundations in the Catholic Church and for this reason it soon spread to other Catholic countries within Europe. In Flanders, Ruben accomplished both religious and secular works with equal popularity, whilst religious art in Spain attained new zealous heights. Rembrandt in Holland also became an important artist of the period, as did John Thornhill in Britain.

French Baroque is often perceived to exhibit a certain pomposity and an inflexible Classicism based on principles and guidelines observed in the paintings of Poussin, so it is unsurprising that it is here that the more light-hearted and decorative style of Rococo developed to replace the movement during the 18^th century.