Baroque Architecture Quiz

Baroque Architecture: A Summary

• Baroque architecture is a highly decorative and theatrical style which appeared in Italy in the early 17th century and gradually spread across Europe.

• It was introduced by the Catholic Church, particularly by the Jesuits, as a means to combat the Reformation and the Protestant church with a new architecture that inspired surprise and awe.

• The High Baroque (1625–1675) reached its peak when it was used in churches and palaces in Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Bavaria and Austria.

• In the Late Baroque period (1675–1750), it reached as far as Russia and the Spanish and Portuguese colonies in Latin America.

• About 1730, an even more elaborately decorative variant called Rococo appeared and flourished in Central Europe.

• Baroque architects took the basic elements of Renaissance architecture, including domes and colonnades, and made them higher, grander, more decorated, and more dramatic.

• The interior effects were often achieved with the use of quadratura, or trompe-l'œil painting combined with sculpture; the eye is drawn upward, giving the illusion that one is looking into the heavens.

• Light was also used for dramatic effect; it streamed down from Cupolas, and was reflected from an abundance of gilding.

• The Early Baroque (1584–1625) was largely dominated by the work of Roman architects, notably the Church of the Gesù by Giacomo della Porta (consecrated 1584) facade and colonnade of St. Peter's Basilica by Carlo Maderno (completed 1612) and the lavish Barberini Palace interiors by Pietro da Cortona (1633–1639).

• The High Baroque (1625–1675) produced major works in Rome by Pietro da Cortona, including the Church of Santi Luca e Martina (1635–50); by Francesco Borromini (San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane (1634–1646)); and by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (The colonnade of St. Peter's Basilica) (1656–57).

• The Late Baroque (1675–1750) saw the style spread to all parts of Europe and to the colonies of Spain and Portugal in the New World.

• A particularly ornate variant, appeared in the early 18th century; it was first called Rocaille in France; then Rococo in Spain and Central Europe.Late Baroque Architecture around the World

• Christopher Wren was the leading figure of the late Baroque in England, with his reconstruction of St. Paul's Cathedral, inspired by the model of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

• In Lithuania, a distinctive Vilnian Baroque architectural style of the Late Baroque was formed in capital Vilnius and spread throughout Lithuania.

• Many of the most extraordinary buildings of the Late Baroque were constructed in Austria, Germany, and Czechia.

• In Spain, political and economic crises in the 17th century largely delayed the arrival of the Baroque until the late period, though the Jesuits strongly promoted it.

• The Baroque style was imported into Latin America in the 17th century by the Spanish and the Portuguese, particularly by the Jesuits for the construction of churches.

• Baroque architecture often used visual and theatrical effects, designed to surprise and awe the viewer.

• Major Baroque architects in Italy include Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Francesco Borromini, and Carlo Rainaldi.

• The most famous Baroque architects in France are François Mansart and Jules Hardouin-Mansart.

• In the Netherlands, Pieter Post and Jacob van Campen were the most important Baroque architects.

• The leading Baroque architect in Hungary was Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, who designed the dome of the church of St. Charles Borromeo in Vienna.

• In Russia, the most famous Baroque architect was Bartolomeo Rastrelli, who designed the Winter Palace and the Smolny Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

• In Turkey, the Baroque style was introduced by the Ottoman Empire's relations with Europe, and the most significant example is the Fountain of Ahmed III in Istanbul.

• The most notable architect in Brazil was Aleijadinho, who was native of Brazil, half-Portuguese, and self-taught.

• Baroque architecture often used visual and theatrical effects, designed to surprise and awe the viewer.

• Plans of Baroque buildings were often irregular, with curved walls, and the buildings themselves were often designed to be viewed from multiple angles.