baroque period AND ROCOCO

PERIOD

by group 5
saguid,florence
balacdao,lyca
recosana,john lee
• Baroque and late Baroque, or Rococo, are loosely
defined terms, generally applied by common consent to
European art of the period from the early 17th century to
the mid-18th century.
• They are recognized by their opulent decoration and
aesthetically pleasing visuals.
 BAROQUE PERIOD
• Baroque was at first an undisguised term of abuse, probably
derived from the Italian word barocco

• Another possible source is the Portuguese word barroco, with its

Spanish form barrueco, used to describe an irregular or
imperfectly shaped pearl; this usage still survives in the jeweler’s
term “baroque pearl.”
CHARACTERISTICS OF BAROQUE
PERIOD
• The Baroque style is characterized by exaggerated motion and clear detail
used to produce drama, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting,
architecture, literature, dance, and music.
• Baroque music is characterised by:
– long flowing melodic lines often using ornamentation (decorative notes
such as trills and turns)
– contrast between loud and soft, solo and ensemble
– a contrapuntal texture where two or more melodic lines are combined
– terraced dynamics - sudden changes in the volume level, sometimes
creating an echo effect
– the use of harpsichord continuo
 HISTORICAL EVENTS
• 1602-1603
-the Dutch East India Company (a chartered company) was established in
order to seek benefits from the Malukan spice trade, as also to secure their
trade in the Indian Ocean.
• 1603 – Death of Elizabeth-I
-A queen at 25, Elizabeth Tudor, Queen Regnant of England, and Queen
Regnant of Ireland.
• 1607 – Establishment of the Jamestown Settlement in North America
-Situated on the North American mainland, the Jamestown settlement was
the first flourishing English settlement that had been established by the London
Company, called the Virginia company.
• 1610 – Ascension of Louis XIII to the French Throne
-Crowned as the king at the age of 9, Louis XIII became king upon the
assassination of his father in 1610.Louis XIII was engaged to Anne of Austria
which strengthened the ties between France and Spain. At this time of the
Baroque period, there was widespread religious upheaval which the king had to
address to.
• 1618-1648 – The Thirty Years War
-Possibly one of the most apocalyptic conflicts that European history may
have seen, the Thirty Years War happened partially as a result of the ongoing
struggle between the Protestants and the Catholics, but that wasn’t all.
• 1620 – Arrival of the Pilgrims
-The year 1620 was the year of arrival of the settlers at the Plymouth
Colony.The settlers were basically a group of English Separatists.
• 1625 – Reign of Charles-I
-After the demise of his brother, Charles I was the next heir to the throne. He
was not a very able ruler, for there were contant wars during his reign. However,
he was considered a man of good taste, and there were a lot of artistic
endeavors that happened during his time.
• 1626 – Discovery of New York
-It is in 1626 that Dutch explorers are said to have discovered New York.
The man was Henry Hudson, and it was 4 centuries ago that New York was
discovered.
• 1642 – Death of Galileo Galilei
-On the 8th of January, 1642 that the world lost a true genius. Philosopher,
astronomer, physicist, and mathematician, Galileo Galilei died at the age of 77
in Arcetri, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, Italy.
• 1643 – Reign of Louis XIV
-Louis XIV got an early start at the age of 4, though he couldn’t rule since he
was a minor. However, once he did take over in 1661, he ruled like a king truly
should.
• 1660 – End of Commonwealth of England & Return of Monarchy during
English Restoration

• 1667 – Completion of St. Peter’s Square

-Gian Lorenzo Bernini spent long years in the completion of St. Peter’s
Square during this period. The open arena which is directly in front of the St.
Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, the place we all know as the papal enclave, took
from 1656 to 1667 for completion.
• 1689-1694 – Marriage of William III of Netherlands to Mary II
-The son of William II of Orange and Mary Stuart, William III never knew his
father, due to his father’s death because of smallpox before his birth. He rose to
the throne as crowned king on April 11, 1689, with his wife Queen Mary II
(daughter of James II and Anne Hyde), whom he had married in 1677.
• 1643 – Rule of William III and Mary II
-By himself, King William III ruled England all the way until his death in 1702,
but together, King William III and Queen Mary II ruled until 1694, the year of the
death of the queen.
• 1692 – Salem Witch Trials
-An age filled with Puritanism, the Salem Witch Trials are definitely amongst
the more commonly known events from this time period. Between the months of
June to September 1692, at least 19 men and women were labelled for
witchcraft and were hauled for hanging near Salem village.
 CHIEF ARTISTS AND THEIR MAJOR
WORKS
• Caravaggio – Bacchus
-Few people are aware that
Michelangelo Caravaggio, one of the
most influential Baroque painters, was
known during his life for his violent
behavior.
- an italian artist who allegedly
commited more crimes more than
once in his life.
- he died under mysterious
circumstances in Porto Ercole in
Tuscany. “Bacchus” was painted during Caravaggio’s
1595 sojourn with his first patron, Cardinal del
Monte, and represents Caravaggio’s
interpretation of naturalism.
• Rembrandt – Self-Portrait with Two
Circles
- the eminent Dutch painter
- When most people think of the
most significant Baroque artists and
the Dutch Golden Age, Rembrandt
almost universally comes to mind.
This is because his work was truly
significant.

“Self Portrait with Two Circles” is a

mystic piece, painted in Rembrandt’s
later years of life and one of his many
self-portraits.
• Peter Paul Rubens – The Garden of
Love
-known for being “the prince of
painters and the painter of princes,”
-a flamboyant Flemish grand
master of art born in 1577.

“The Garden of Love” was a

symbol of love for his second wife, the
young and beautiful Helena Fourment.
The painting depicts a scene of
flirtation in a utopian garden filled with
Renaissance elements.
• Diego Velázquez – La Venus del
Espejo, “The Rokeby Venus”
-representing the Spanish Golden Age
-one of the best portraitists of his times
and very familiar with italian arts.
-his inspirations initially came from
artists such as Raphael and Michelangelo.
Later during his life, his work inspired the
realists and impressionists.

“The Rokeby Venus” was strongly criticized

by the Catholic Church, yet this painting is
the only surviving piece by Velázquez that
presents nudity.
• Nicolas Poussin – Landscape with
a Calm
-founder of the French Classical
tradition
-His paintings were calm, logical
and at the same time imbued with
philosophical musings.

“Landscape with a Calm” is an image

of silent tranquility. Rather than telling
us a story, the painting seeks to
awaken our imagination.
 ROCOCO PERIOD
• The derivation of the word Rococo is equally uncertain, though its
source is most probably to be found in the French word rocaille,
used to describe shell and pebble decorations in the 16th century.

• Rococo is much more a facet of late Baroque art than an

autonomous style, and the relationship between the two presents
interesting parallels to that between High Renaissance and
Mannerist art.
CHARACTERISTICS OF ROCOCO PERIOD