Baroque art falls into the period of Counter-Reformation led by the Catholic church against the Protestants. Much of the Baroque art, especially in Italy, reflects reaction to Mannerism, but also the social turmoil of the time.
According to the Council of Trent and the Catholic church artworks should be a clear, intelligible subject realistically interpreted in order to stimulate piety.This was part of the reason that the artwork turned towards naturalism, becoming emotionally engaging and intense. STYLE strong perspective effects ramatic color dramatic light and dark (chiaroscuro and tenebrism) movement of figures (especially upwards) broken and agitated draperies loose brushstrokes heavy impasto dense and detailed compositions (for emotional impact on viewer) Wofflin's 5 points of the differences between Baroque and Renaissance recessional compositions (not planar) Baroque art has continuous overlapping of figures and elements where the Renaissance and clear defined planes that recede in depth. Baroque art often has a sweeping diagonal element that crosses many planes. painterly instead of linearThe figures in Baroque art are merged better through chiaroscuro that blends the edges of each form.
This creates a mystical union of all the figures/elements. Renaissance art treats each figure in isolation and they appear as discrete objects. Color contrasts, outlines, contours or hard edges contribute to this linearity. open form (not closed form) The figures in Baroque art seem projected out into the viewer's space (so that the viewer becomes involved in the picture). unity rather than muliplicity Baroque art uses light (and other compositional elements) to create meaning instead of for its purely naturalistic effects or to reveal form.
The light sources often are not natural or there are multiple sources. The meaning often emphasizes what will happen in the moment after that depicted. tendency towards unclearness subject matter includes or shows grandiose visions ecstasies and conversions (religious) martydom and death (religious) ephemeral moments and the passage of time intense light powerful psychological renderings (outward emotions, intense contemplation).
