Unit 10. baroque age

UNIT 10. THE BAROQUE AGE

KEY WORDS FOR THE UNIT

Absolute monarchy: way of government in which the monarch holds unlimited power. Asolute monarch believed this authority came directly from God.


Society organised into estates (estamentos)

Estate: name given to the different social orders that existed in 17th cntury, which were either privileged (clergy, nobles) and non privileged (peasants, workers and peasants)

SOCIETY


In economy is the age of manfucaturers and maritime trade routes

Manufacturing: the process of making products on a large scale in a workshop or factory.


Baroque: artistic style that extended throughout Europe and Latin America during the 17th and part of the 18th centuries, which main characteristics are:Movement

Use of Lights and shadows

Symbolism and realism


Also, as baroque it could be denominated a period of time in Modern Age, exactly between 17th and 18th centuries characterised by: Absolute monarchy

Society based on estates

Thirthy year's war

Increasement of trade routes and manufacturing

1.ECONOMY in 17TH CENTURY IN EUROPE

There were a serious economic crisis, which was made worse with the fall in the quantity of precious metals arriving from America, by wars and epidemics.Agriculture worsened because of bad harvests as well as farming. Craftwork also decreased due to the economic crisis. But two new types of production appeared:Domestic system, especially in England and the Netherlands.

State manufacturing companies: companies protetcted by the state were created to manufacture weapons and luxury products (porcelain, glass objects..)

Foreign trade grew significantly. The main trade routes were:Precious metals route: silver and gold from Peru and Mexico to Seville.

Spice route. Spices from India, circled Africa to Lisbon.

Atlantic and Indian Ocean routes: exploited by the Dutch and the English.

The Netherlands created the Dutch East India Company for trading with Asia and the Dutch West India company for trading with America and part of Africa. The East one imported spices, tea, silk. The west company took over part of Brazil, where they set up sugar and tobacco plantations where African slaves sold by the company worked.

England founded the English East India company to challenge the Ducth monopoly of the spice trade in Asia.

The English East India company operated mainly in India, where they imported spices, cotton or silk.

The main important ports in Europe were the ones in the Atlantic Ocean, such as Lisbon, Seville, Amsterdam and London

2. SOCIETY in EUROPE IN 17TH CENTURY

The population in Europe stopped growing and even fell due to wars, famine and plague epidemics. (Look at the graphic in Book page 141)The number of nobles increased because kings sold titles of nobility to earn more money.

The members of the clergy also increased because joining the Church was a way to guarantee survival in a time of economic crisis.

The bourgeoisie was the most influential group in that period because they enriched with the trade colonies. Also they lent money to the monarchs, so they obtained the royal protection.

Bourgeoisie families painted by Veremeer

The situation of the peasants got worse. Some increased their income by the domestic system, but many others fell into poverty and were forced to become beggars.

3. ABSOLUTE MONARCHY

During the rule of Louis XIV, he established some institutions which helped him to govern, such as:Intendant: King's representative in the French provinces, who had political, judicial and fiscal authority.

Civil servants: a member of the civil service, the institution that put the ruler's policies into practice.

4. THE BAROQUE ART

It's an artistic style developed during 17th century and the beginning of 18th, in Europe and Latin America.As opposed to the equilibrium, armony and serenity of Renaissance art, Baroque is characterised by grandiosity or dynamism. The style is very closely linked to the values of the Counter-reformation. (very influenced by that spirit)

Movement, contrasts in colour and positions or theatricality, realism or symbolism are the main characteristics in the style.

4. THE BAROQUE ART

ARQUITECTURE

Use of classic elements such as, barrel vault, half point arch, columns, pediments. However, they are used in a different way, with more creative freedom. For example, split pediments, walls arched.

A new column is used: Salomonic column: very large and twisted shaft. (like in spiral)

Use of domes

Visual effects in faades, creating Lights-and-shades contrasts identified with movement (concav and convex forms) = (entrantes y salientes)

Many curves to suggest movement.

Salomonic column

Floor Plans are oval or circular to give the sensation of movement.

Buildings rich and abundantly decorated, especially in interiors. The puropse of this was to impress the onlooker and demonstrate the immense power of the Church and the absolute monarchy.

Faades rich decorated with many sculptures and niches (nichos): an artistic element as a tumb into the wall.

The most renowned Baroque architects are: Bernini and Borromini.

Floor plans

S. Peter in Vatican city Bernini

S. Charles at the four fountains - Borromini

S. Peter's vatican colonnade

Colonnade: a series of regularly spaced columns.

S. Peter's vatican colonnade

S. Charles at four fountains



Interior Il Gesu - Vignola

The secular baroque building most important was: the Palace of Versailles.It was built on the orders of Louis XIV to use as his residence and as the seat of the court. Several architects designed it. The most features of this palace are the Hall of the Mirrors and the gardens

PALACE OF VERSAILLES

Hall of the mirrors

SCULPTURE

Scultpures were made of: marble or bronze.

Themes: religious and mythological, also portraits.

Figures were natural, sometimes the gestures were exaggerated or figures had dramatic expressions.

Figures gave the sensation of movement (which was sometimes violent)

Bernini is the most famous sculptor (ecstasy of St. Theresa, Apollo and Daphne, David...)

David by Bernini

David by Bernini

Ecstasy of St. Theresa - Bernini

Ecstasy of St. Theresa

Apolo and Dafne Bernini

The rape of Proserpina - Bernini

PAINTING

Naturalism in the facial features feet and hands..

Movement in the composition

Great emphasis on light and shadow using tenebrism: some parts of the painting were in shadow, contrasting with other parts full of bright light.

Figures represented with realism, showing them as they would appear in real life.

Landscapes and stilll lifes (an inanimate object, tipically fruit, flowers) gained importance

The main painters: Caravaggio

Rembrandt Rubens Veremeer

Caravaggio

Calling of St. Matthew

He was the first paintor in Baroque style. He used and launched the technique of chiaroscuro: is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark in painting.

CARAVAGGIO: The incredulity of St. Thomas

REMBRANDT The Night Watch

RUBENS
The three gracesThe rape of the daughters of Leucippus

VERMEER

He was an specialist in portraits as: The girl with the pearl and the Milkmaid.

SPANISH BAROQUE

ARQUITECTURE

Main Square in Madrid

Main Square in Salamanca with a Churrigueresque style, because Churrieguera brothers created it. It's characterised by excessive ornamentation.

SCULPTURE

Creation of Holy week pasos. (religious themes)

Material: Polychrome wood.

Objective: elicit emotion: gaunt figures, faces showing pain and suffering. Bloody figures.

Gregorio Fernndez is the most known spanish sculptor.

PAINTING

The golden age of spanish artistsVELZQUEZ

JOS DE RIBERA

FRANCISCO ZURBARN

ESTEBAN MURILLO

The Drunks - Velzquez

The surrender of Breda - Velzquez

The maids of honour Velazquez's masterpiece

Jos de Ribera Martrydom of St. Philip

MURILLO'S PAINTINGS

Education

Unit 10. baroque age