Baroque and Rococo Art Styles

Baroque Style in Western Europe

• Originally a pejorative term, a French form of the Portuguese "barocco," meaning irregular or imperfect pearl.
• Characterized by irregular shapes, strong perspective effects, diagonal lines, dramatic use of color (especially gold), dramatic light and dark (chiaroscuro and tenebrous), and movement of figures (especially upwards).
• Full of mirrors and action.
• Prominent Italian architects: Bernini and Borromini
• Notable projects: Rebuilding of St. Peter's

Etching

• An intaglio method, using metal plates (often copper), for creating multiple images.
• The plate is covered with a resinous, acid-resistant substance.
• A pointed metal tool (stylus) is used to scratch through the ground to create the image on the plate.

Rococo and the Eighteenth Century

• Ornamentation and use of creamy, pastel colors, asymmetrical designs and curved lines.
• Unlike the more politically focused Baroque style.
• Rococo rooms were designed as total works of art.
• Included elegant furniture, sculptures, mirrors, and tapestries.

Neoclassicism: The Late Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries

• A reaction against Rococo levity in France.
• Characterized by a revival of classical (ancient Greek and Roman) styles.
• Associated with the French Revolution.

Romanticism: The Late Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries

• Important painters: William Blake, Theodore Gericault, Eugène Delacroix, John Constable, and Joseph Mallord William Turner.
• Characterized by emotional intensity, strong dramatic content, and realistic depictions of society.

Nineteenth-Century Realism

• A reaction against contemporary ideas about human rights, resulting conflicts, including political and economic struggles.
• Important figures: Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
• Artists used direct observation of society, nature, political and social satire, in their work.
• An art style that included reportage and the depiction of everyday life in society.

Nineteenth-Century Impressionism

• A late 19th-century painting style.
• Short brushstrokes of bright colors representing the effect of light on objects.
• Captured the fleeting impressions of light and atmosphere.
• Influenced by Japanese prints and photography.
• Popular genre subjects: leisure activities, entertainment, landscapes, and cityscapes.
• Artists included Edouard Manet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet.

Post-Impressionism and the Late Nineteenth Century

• Artists inspired by Impressionism with distinctive brushstrokes and real life subjects.
• Used bright colors and visible brushstrokes.
• Examples include: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

French Sculpture Auguste Rodin

• Rodin focused on conveying the dynamic mental process/or the emotional/psychological content of his sculptures more than simply a detailed visualization/reproduction.

Lithography

• A method of printing using a stone or metal plate with a smooth surface.
• Invented in 1796 by Alois Senefelder.
• A cost-effective method for publishing theatrical works.

Architecture (19th Century)

• Nineteenth-century architects were slow to adopt iron and steel, preferring traditional building materials.
• Examples include the Crystal Palace and the Eiffel Tower.
• The need for more economically efficient use of land led to new construction innovations like skyscrapers.

Explore the fascinating characteristics of Baroque and Rococo art styles in Western Europe. This quiz covers key features, notable architects, and artistic techniques such as etching. Test your knowledge on these significant periods in art history.