Influences During the Baroque Era

Politics

Thirty Year’s War Transcript (PDF)

  • The Hapsburg, Spain and the Holy Roman Empire vs. Denmark, France, Sweden and parts of Germany
  • Religious element to the war
    • Lutherans, Catholics and Calvinists
  • Spain declined in power, France gained in power
  • Tremendous loss of life in Germany
  • More European nations controlling their own population

The Rise of The Netherlands   optional art overview

As for the Art off Painting and affection off the people to Pictures, I thincke none other goe beeyond them, … All in generall striving to adorne their houses … with costly peeces, Butchers and bakers … yea many tymes Blacksmiths, Coblers, etts. [etc], will have some picture or other by their Forge and in their stalle. Such is the generall Notion, enclination and delight that these Countrie Native[s] have to Paintings.   Peter Mundy writing about the Dutch – English – 1640

Holland Transcript (PDF)

  • Freed from Spanish rule
  • Amsterdam — major maritime center and commercial capital of Europe
  • Merchants and tradespeople became interested in the arts

France

The Academy determined what was good art, bad art, and even dangerous art!

The French Academy protected French culture from “corruption” by rejecting avant-garde tendencies among their students and those who submitted to the annual Salon.

Beth Gersh-Nesic  – Thought Co.

French Academy Transcript (PDF)

  • Profound effect upon the arts
  • Codification of art, music and ballet
  • The French Academy – optional
  • Lavish support of the arts
  • Even more support if you were favored by the French Academy

Religion

Religion Transcript (PDF)

The Counter Reformation   – Required

The Council of Trent – 1545 – 1663

Optional videoKhan Academy – Counter Reformation

  • To provide guidance away from the Mannerist style
  • The use of stories to counter the Protestant “threat’
  • Depictions of stories through art that were presented with:
    • Clarity
    • Realism
    • Emotion

Music should be:

  • Accessible
  • Lyrics understood

Literature should promote:

  • Virtues
  • Religious ideals

2 Religious Orders

  • Jesuits
  • Oratorians

The Science  and Technology

The Science  and Technology Transcript (PDF)

The Science of Observation

Anton Van Leeuwenhoek optional  (1632-1723)

  • Discoveries of small things
    • Bacteria
    • Blood cells
    • Sperm

Telescope Transcript (PDF)

Johannes Kepler   optional

  • Furthered astronomy with his laws of planetary motion
  • Study of optics

Galileo Galilei  optional

  • The telescope
  • Confirmed Copernicus’s theory

Architecture – could be used instead of paintings and sculpture

Architecture Transcript (PDF)

Rome

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Rome’s important Baroque Fountains

trevi fountain

Although this fountain was built in the 1700’s it is done in the Baroque style

France

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London

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St. Paul’s Cathedral by Christopher Wren

St._Paul's_Cathedral,_London