European Baroque ArtCHAPTER 11.3 & 11.4

Baroque refers to the 17th century period and style of European art. Artwork was typically exuberant, large, ornate, and filled

with swirling lines and intense color and light.

Artists were highly skilled at drawing and painting the human figure from every possible angle, delighting in theatrical

and extravagant artworks.

VOCABULARY:Tenebrism: The use of strong, exaggerated contrasts of light

and dark in a pictureBaldachin: A canopy of wood, stone or fabric over an altar,

throne or doorway

Baroque in Flanders, Holland and Spain

During the 17th century, Flanders, comprising the southern part of the Low Country provinces, was Catholic and under Hapsburg and Spanish domination. Holland,

the northern part of the Low Country, had gained independence

from Spain and had become Protestant and democratic.

These changes meant that art in Holland was no longer financed by

the church, court or nobility. Dutch artists were mainly supported by middle class

customers who wanted paintings for their homes. Subject matter

changed as well, with artists now painting landscapes, cityscapes,

still lifes and portraits.

Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)

The Lion HuntOil on panel, 1616

97 x 146”Rubens uses the

lances and swords to stabilize the

composition and lead the viewer’s eyes back

to the central area. The low eye level

increases the dramatic upward thrust of the

action. Notice the severe foreshortening,

vivid color and intense lighting.

Peter Paul Rubens

(1577-1640)Allegory of the

Outbreak of WarRubens was the greatest Flemish

painter of the Baroque era. He studied in Italy

for eight years, absorbed the work of

Titian and Michelangelo, and

brought the Baroque style to France,

Flanders and Holland. His pictures are filled with turbulent activity and twisting, turning

bodies of humans and animals.

Peter Paul Rubens

(1577-1640)The Rape of

the Daughters of Leucippus

Oil on canvas 1617 7’ x 7’

Rubens created a spiral

composition, revolving in a

great stream of energy. The solid forms are built up

in color and defined by light.

Peter Paul Rubens

(1577-1640)Henri IV

Receiving the Portrait of Marie d’

Medici1621

Anthony van Dyck (1599-

1641)Portrait of Charles

I in Hunting Dress

Oil on canvas, 16359’ x 7’

This Flemish artist assisted Rubens in his

Antwerp workshop, and

went on to be the court painter for

Charles I of England. Notice

the dramatic foreshortening

where the elbow bends in this

portrait intended to flatter the

subject.

Frans Hals (1580-1666)

“Malle Babbe”Oil on canvas

30 x 25” 1650

Hals was a famous Dutch portraitist. He developed a

painting technique

utilizing very active, energetic,

slashing brushstrokes

which appear to be loose and

spontaneous, but which capture a great amount of

detail, visual texture and character.

Frans Hals (1580-1666)

Yonker Ramp and His SweetheartOil on canvas

41 x 31”Hals shows his friend in a happy scene at a local Dutch tavern.

Notice the strong diagonal thrust from

top left corner to lower right corner, which helps define this composition.

The color palette is limited, but the paint medium is handled in a very exuberant manner—and the sense of light, as well as contrast is

very strong.

Frans Hals (1580-1666)

Hals was able to convey a great

variety of delicate detail using a very expressive brush

stroke and a painterly application

of oil paint.

Notice in this composition how

the negative space balances the active

area where the figure is located.

The artist manipulates light, contrast and focus

to help the man seem to emerge from the picture

plane towards the viewer.

Frans Hals (1580-1666)

Boy with a Skull, 1625

With a few simple brush strokes, Hals

has managed to convey the fluffiness of

feathers in the boy’s hat. Notice

the careful presentation of the boy’s foreshortened

hand, and the specific way the light falls on his

individually defined fingers.

Most of the brightly lit areas appear in

contrast to neighboring dark

passages.

Frans Hals (1580-1666)

Officers of the Haarlem Militia

Company of Saint Adrian

1627The repetition of

white collars, broad-brimmed black hats, and colorful sashes

adorning the men creates a strong

visual rhythm. The composition is

stabilized by the strong central geometrical

presence of the window.

Rembrandt van Rijn(1606-1669)

Self Portrait, Oil on Canvas

Rembrandt lived in Amsterdam, a thriving

Dutch city where he painted portrait

commissions, as well as landscapes and Biblical

subjects. He refined light and shade into fine nuances, expressing

emotion, character and mood. Portraits probed

the human soul.

His work shows the influence of Caravaggio, with the frequent use of

chiaroscuro and tenebrism.

Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) The Syndics of the Cloth Guild, Oil on Canvas, 1662, 75 x

110” During the height of his artistic popularity, Rembrandt received

many important portrait commissions. Each face was treated with individuality and depth of character.

Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) Self

PortraitOil on Canvas As Rembrandt’s

career progressed his work became more painterly, with expressive

brushstokes describing

physical surfaces.

Rembrandt van Rijn

(1606-1669) Self Portrait with

a Palette Oil on Canvas

1660 45 x 37”

As Rembrandt’s career progressed his work became more painterly, with expressive

brushstokes and a very distinctive

golden light.

Rembrandt van Rijn

(1606-1669) The Sacrifice

of Isaac Oil on Canvas 1635 76 x 52”

Although Protestant

Holland did not have the same official church

support for religious painting

as Catholic countries, Rembrandt

continued the tradition of

creating Bible scenes to fulfill

his own personal interests and

beliefs.

Caravaggio (1571-1610) ItalianThe Sacrifice of Isaac, Oil on Canvas

1601 Rembrandt van Rijn(1606-1669) Dutch The Sacrifice of Isaac, Oil

on Canvas 1635 76 x 52”

Contrast and compare these two different treatments of the same subject. Notice how the shape of the canvas changes the visual

drama.

Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) The Night Watch, Oil on Canvas 1641 141 x 173”

Rembrandt van Rijn

(1606-1669) Self Portrait at

Age 52Oil on Canvas 1658 53 x 41”

This painting is in the Frick Museum on 70th St. and Fifth Ave., NYC

Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) Etching on paper Rembrandt’s mastery as a printmaker was probably more responsible for

establishing his outstanding artistic reputation than his paintings: Prints are made in editions

and can be easily distributed.

Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669)

Etching on paper

Etching is a technique in which a metal plate is either directly

drawn into with a sharp tool, or prepared with a wax surface

which the artist draws into with a tool. Once the drawing into the wax is complete, the plate is immersed in acid, which eats

into the metal wherever the wax has been removed by the drawing tool. The part of the

metal plate still covered in wax is not affected by the acid bath.

This process creates an image in the metal plate; after cleaning, it is inked and

pressed into paper on a printing press., which creates a reverse

image. Numerous duplicate images can be created. A set

of duplicate print images is called an edition.

Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) Crucifixion Etching on paper

Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) Christ healing the sick Etching on paper

Jacob van Ruisdael

(1629-1682)The Mill32 x 40”

In Holland, this artist was a master at

portraying the Dutch

landscape and the drama of

the sky, with its ever-changing and powerful

clouds.

Judith Leyster

(1609-1660) Self portrait Oil on Canvas

29 x 26” 1630Judith Leyster was the best-known Dutch

woman painter of the

seventeenth century. Her brushwork is very lively, describing delicate

textural details as well as

conveying a consistent source of

illumination.

Judith Leyster (1609-1660) Self portrait

Boy with Flute 29 x 25” 1635

This is a carefully balanced

composition, with the instruments

on the wall serving as a

counterbalance to the boy sitting on

the chair. The controlled light coming from an

unseen source on the left is an

important part of the picture.

Jan Steen (1625-1679)The Feast of St.

NicholasOil on canvas

1660-166532 x 28”

This Dutch artist painted humorous, cluttered, chaotic

scenes of everyday life.