 |
| The Calling of St. Matthew by Caravaggio (ca.1599) |
The baroque period features artwork that is very similar to Renaissance artwork, however it is darker in both colors and themes depicted. In various examples, such as the one above, you will see that people seem a little more distraught in the face, or the overall piece will have a feel of melancholy. It has a theme around people, not unlike the Renaissance period, but this time around I feel it revolves more around the darkness in the individual instead of the general humanism and power of people. It has an aura of mortality.
In Baroque artwork, you will see a lot of biblical references, such as the work from Caravaggio. After the reformation, the Counsel of Trent (also known as the counter-reformation) started encouraging artwork that depicted religion as kind of a propaganda for the Catholic church. Caravaggio, himself, was actually commissioned by a Catholic cardinal. Caravaggio used a style called chiaroscuro, which uses very deep contrasts.
works cited:
Hey Robert, I agree with you about Baroque art being darker in themes and colors. The projected shadows really turn bring the focus towards all the people around the table. The one guy with the back to the viewers is sitting in a unnatural position. Thank you for your post.
ReplyDeleteHey Robert, nice post! I actually chose "The Calling of St. Matthew" as well and it was really cool to read your opinion on it. Baroque art definitely brings in darker themes and colors and that is why I personally don't see a huge similarity towards Renaissance artwork. There is definitely a lot of influence from the church and biblical references in both styles, so I get why you'd see some similarity. I would've loved to hear more of your thoughts on the piece, rather than just what it is! I appreciate your post though :)
ReplyDelete