The Baroque style, which replaced the Renaissance, appeared in Italy at the end of the sixteenth - beginning of the seventeenth century. At this time, the country lost its political and economic power. Part of its territory was captured by foreign conquerors - the Spaniards and the French. However, Italy continued to be the cultural center of Europe. The Italian nobility and church leaders tried to preserve the illusion of wealth and power. To do this, they had to turn to art. So the baroque style arose.
Instruction manual
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The name "baroque" is borrowed from the jargon of Portuguese pearl fishers and, literally, means a pearl of irregular shape - a pearl with vice. From Italian, "Baroque" is translated as "bizarre", "strange", "artsy", "prone to excesses." Baroque art is distinguished by splendor, exaltation of images; he is characterized by dynamism and the desire to combine reality and illusion.
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Truly unique is the appearance of the architectural structures of the Baroque era. They are distinguished by an abundance of lush decorative ornaments, emphasized theatricality, the prevalence of complex curved shapes. One of the most interesting and unusual baroque buildings is the Roman church of San Carlo alle Cuatro Fontane, designed by Francesco Borromini. A small and extremely uncomfortable site at the intersection of two streets was reserved for her. Apparently, that's why Borromini made the temple quite small. In the corners are 4 sculptural groups with fountains, thanks to which the church got its name. The oval-shaped building is blocked by a dome. Its facade is divided into 2 tiers. The wall of the upper tier is undulating: it either bends or stands forward, as if changing before our eyes.
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The recognized baroque genius is considered to be the sculptor and architect Lorenzo Bernini. His work is distinguished by the dynamics so characteristic of Baroque, the master does not show the state of the characters, but a brief moment of action. These are Bernini’s masterpieces David, Apollo and Daphne, Abduction of Proserpine.
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The main criterion for Baroque painting is beauty, expressed in the deliberate splendor and enlargement of forms. Another important feature of Baroque painting is the transmission of movement. As in sculpture, it shows the action, the process, and not the end result. Oddly enough, the greatest master of painting in the Baroque era was not the Italian, but the Flemish artist - Peter Powell Rubens. Typical Baroque works include Rubens' works such as Self-Portrait with Isabella Brant, also known as Honeysuckle Arbor, and the altar painting Exaltation of the Cross. In painting the altar, the artist, following the Baroque tradition, did not show the crucifix already accomplished, but made the spectator a witness to the execution.
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In Italian, first of all - Venetian - painting of the Baroque era, the genre of urban landscape was very popular. The most illustrious of its authors was Canaletto, capturing the magnificent views of his native Venice.
