| Baroque Painting - The History | | | | Europe, including Netherlands (Dutch), Flemish |
| Baroque was a form of Western Painting that | | | | Region, France, Spain, Italy, and Portugal. Among |
| lasted for over a century, beginning around year | | | | the noted painters of this era were Rembrandt, |
| 1600. It was a successor of Renaissance Art | | | | Johannes Vermeer, Caravaggio, Anthony van |
| Movement. Baroque was influenced by the | | | | Dyck, Nicholas Poussin, Jan Steen, Paul Rubens, |
| socio-political upheaval of the period. This phase | | | | Velázquez, Jan de Beaugrand, and Tiepolo. |
| witnessed the resurrection of church and strict | | | | Baroque Works |
| religious order, limited to the traditional school of | | | | Rembrandt's 'The Night Watch' is one of the most |
| thought. It pervaded afar, and found its followers | | | | outstanding pieces that truly embody the |
| even among the Protestants. Although, some of | | | | signature traits of Baroque Painting. This painting |
| the themes Baroque painters covered were | | | | was created to glorify the victorious Mayor of |
| similar to the earlier styles, they differed in their | | | | Amsterdam, Frans Banning Cocq. This magnificent |
| treatments. | | | | piece is remarkable for its Symbolism and the use |
| The Intricacies | | | | of light. Rembrandt has brilliantly highlighted the |
| Baroque Painting was more dramatic in | | | | protagonist, his lieutenant, and the symbol of |
| representation than its precursor, with a strong | | | | victory (the girl in yellow), against a dark |
| focus on religious, mythological, and historical | | | | backdrop, full of celebrating military personnel. |
| themes. An important attribute of the Baroque | | | | Another distinguishing frame from that genre is |
| painters was that they consciously left out the | | | | 'Crucifixion of Saint Peter' by Caravaggio. This |
| climax of an allegory. They exaggerated the | | | | dramatic painting emphasized the subject (St. |
| emotional force of their work by capturing the | | | | Peter) through a near perfect interplay of |
| juncture before the performance of the 'main' act. | | | | illumination and murkiness. The central figure of St. |
| The color palette of Baroque painting was | | | | Peter is brightly lit and the faces of his executors |
| dominated by deep and rich colors, such as red | | | | are either turned away or poorly lit. Yet another |
| (for sanctity, valor, and gore), blue (for royalty | | | | matchless painted work of Baroque origin was |
| and station), brown (for earthy elements and | | | | Vermeer's 'The Girl with the Pearl Earring,' which is |
| outfits of the downtrodden), black-grey (for night, | | | | famous for its simple subject (a common girl |
| gloom, and mourning), and other nature colors like | | | | wearing a black pearl) wrapped in an arresting |
| green, sky-blue, and white. Light played a very | | | | illustration. |
| significant role in this sect of art, where portrayals | | | | Baroque painting gained momentum due to the |
| were mostly 'dark' throughout the frames, and | | | | talents associated with it, as much as due to its |
| light emphasized the focal points. | | | | techniques and style. No matter which factor |
| Baroque Artists | | | | played a greater role, this genre was one of the |
| Leading Baroque painters hailed from all across | | | | most influential in the history of Western Art. |