2. Baroque is an artistic style that was born in Italy and was spread to all
Europe, it has a special importance in Spain and Spanish American. The
term Baroque is used to describe the art, sculpture, architecture and music
in the period between the years 1600 to 1750. It is also defined as the
period between the end of Renaissance and the beginning of Neoclassicism,
although between Renaissance and Baroque it was interspersed another
great stylistics stage called Mannerism. Besides, at the end of Baroque
came up another interesting stage, Rococo, connected to Baroque but in an
extreme way, with a lot of interest and care on the characteristics of the
period.
The word Baroque comes from the Portuguese, and means “fake jewellery”
or “irregular pearl”. The term refers to something impure, a deception, and
a caprice of the nature and the extravagance of the thought.
During Baroque, the European Catholic Church needed to react against a
large number of revolutionary cultural movements that caused a new
science and religion dissident inside the dominant Catholicism: THE
PROTESTANT REFORMATION.
It was the aesthetic expression of the Counter-Reformation. On one hand
the Protestant Church constructed buildings for the pray in a sobriety way
and without decoration, on the other hand The Catholic Church use the
baroque’s grandiosity and complexity.
Considering the last point, most of the Baroque’s characteristics were
determined by Religion. The Catholic Church was one of the most important
and more influent sponsors, trying to stop the quick diffusion of
Protestantism and reflect on his works a clear propagation of faith. This
means that the most represented subject was Religion.
Baroque’s characteristics were:
• Sense of movement, with energy and tension.
• Strong contrasts in light, shadows and colours.
• Spirituality is often presented in baroque art.
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3. • Realism is another integral feature on it.
• Use of perspective and volumes.
• The use of the stylistic characteristic known as “clarooscuro”.
During Baroque a large quantity of art was created. It was important at
literature, painting, architecture, music, dance and sculpture. However, I
am going to centre in the last one, SCULPTURE.
BAROQUE’S SCULPTURE
• It have a decorative sense, it isn’t a sculpture to be seen in
isolation but yes as part of a group. It Is omnipresent in
baroque art: squares, fountains,facades,altarpieces…
• Naturalist:exalted expressions.
• Use of a large variety of materials: marble, bronze, alabaster,
polychrome wood, gold, silver…
• It captures very good the moment that Christianity lives: time
of mystics, saints, ecstasy ( eyes closed, mouth open…)
Themes and types : Religious. Mythological, funeral and
portraits scultures.
It had especial importance in Italy, Spain and France.
1-Baroque Sculture in Italy
Principal characteristics: Naturalism (it is hoped to represent things as
they are, so you usually represent feelings). Dynamism (movement has a lot
of importance). Illuminated contrasts (used in order to represent the
quality of the objects).
The used materials in the Italy’s Baroque sculpture are, preferably, bronze
and marble.
Most of the treated themes are religious, although there are also
mythological and funeral ones and portraits.
The principal representative was Bernini, who emphasized in architecture
as in sculpture. He was to the Baroque as Michelangelo to Renaissance.
Characteristics:
• Deep naturalism.
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4. • Search of texture qualities, in skin as in
clothes.
• Movement is the protagonist.
• Impassioned gesture and dramatic
attitude.
Examples:
• Mithological Themes: Apolo y Dafne / David
*Divine love Themes: * Urban themes: Fuente de los Cuatro Ríos
Extasis de Santa Teresa.
* Funeral Themes: Papa Urbano’s VII
Tomb.
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5. * Portraits: Constanza Buanorelli
2- Baroque Sculpture in Spain
• Religious themes are predominant on it. Religious images are made to
be the object of the popular devotion.
• Realism. Hairpieces, such as, real hair, real crowns, crystal eyes and
tears, are used in order to represent a clear realism. In some cases
sculptures are wearing real luxurious clothes.
• Employ of the polychrome wood as the excellent material.
• The most important sponsors were in first place The Church and
then the Courts. It hardly exist official statuary, we can only cite
the
equestrian statues of Philip III (Mayor Square in Madrid) and Philip
IV ( at the East Square). Neither of them were constructed in Spain.
• The works decorated altarpieces and were shown during the holy
week.
• A decline is produced in the funeral sculpture.
• The general characteristics are a feeling of movement, energy,
tension, asymmetric composition with predominance of the diagonals
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6. and the foreshortening, strong contrasts of light and shadows that
enhanced the scenographic effects and the naturalism.
• Figures are represented of individualized form, with their own
personality. The artists search the interior feelings representation,
the passions reflected on the characters’ faces.
We can talk of two clear great schools:
The Castilian School
Centred in Valladolid and Madrid, it presents an exaggerated and pathetic
realism, full of pain and blood, with a deep dynamism and very expressive
faces.
The most known sculptor was Gregorio Fernández, creator of iconographic
types with a great success: reclining or crucified Christs, Pietás, and
Blessed Virgins.
Characteristics: Great pathos and an excessive naturalism that was
achieved through hairpieces such as crystal tears, hairs, injures or drops
of blood.
Works: The Mayor Altarpiece at Plasencia Cathedral and Christ’s Baptism.
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7. Andalusian School
It is spread along Seville, Granada and Malaga. The realism is not so
exaggerated, searching the beauty without refusing the spiritual content.
The realism is idealized, predominate the serenity and the beautiful and
equilibrated images with a soft model.
Martinez Montañes was the creator of the Seville’s School. His production
was almost all of it religious. He represents a calm baroque, so his works
show calmness and balance. His Blessed Virgins and Christs are more
humanize than the ones of G.Fernandez.
Works: Clemency Christ, Altarpiece of Santiponce with Saint Jeronimo,
The Adoration of the Shepherds.
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8. Juan de Mesa became was the disciple of Montañés, he developed a very
personal style in which he mix the balance and the pathos, for example;
Suffering Christ.
The crucifix is the most frequent theme in his production, overcoat,
Christ’s images before the death.
The zenith of his dramatic quality is in the Great Power Jesus, situated in
Seville
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9. Alonso Cano is the principal representative of the Andalusian School in
Granada, he is characterize by the classicism, clemency and gentleness, like
it shows The Blessed Virgin of Granada.
He was a complete artist, painter, sculptor, and architect. His production
passes along three moments at Seville, at Madrid and at Granada.
At Seville he produces the Altarpiece of the Church of Our Lady of Oliva
of Lebrija.
For the Granada´s Cathedral, he makes a Blessed Virgin.
Pedro de Mena was his disciple.
He was the great master of the sculpture in
Granada, and he was collaborator of Alonso
Cano. He likes the stillness, centring the
attention in the head and in the hands. He
runs away from the pain exaltation. Faces are
slightly stylized, his figures are usually
languid and contemplative.
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10. Two of his best statues are Saint Francisco in the
Cathedral in Toledo, and Penitent Magdalena in
Madrid. The last one is a juvenile figure, full of
anguish. It holds with strength with the left hand a
crucifix, and with the right hand she touches her
heart. The point with most expressivity is on the
face that shows a very high suffering and proclaims
her self-controlled emotion of a remorse.
The sculpture in Murcia : Francisco Salzillo
Principally author of Holy Week sculptures, complex groups more than
isolated figures, that in a sequence way tell Christ’s Passion to the
faithful. In his work it is possible to appreciate clear Italian influences,
overcoat in his classic balance, and it is evident the fashion rococo in
Europe during the 18th century.
The Prayer in the Garden. The Prendimiento
3- Baroque Sculpture in France.
The 17th French sculpture, like architecture, has above all an official and
courteous character, in which prevailed the exaltation of the sovereign and
the great architects of the French monarchy. The religious work went into
the background and was replaced by portraits, statues and memorials to
perpetuate the work of the sovereign and the main figures of France
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11. during Baroque. In addition, the palace architecture flourishing required of
sculpture numerous commissions for interior decoration and the immense
parks and gardens surrounding the main buildings. Its main representatives
are Girardon François, Antoine Coysevox, and above all, Pierre Puget.
Apolo atendido por las ninfas, of François Girardon
Portrait of Luis XIV, de Antoine Coysevox
Milón of Crotona, of Pierre Puget
CONCLUSSION
The Baroque Art, and more precisely Baroque Sculpture was born in Italy
and then spread through Europe between 1600 and 1750. It had special
importance in Spanish territories.
Most of the works made during this period express movement, and all of
them have a very clear realism. One of his main sponsors is the Catholic
Church because they wanted to stop the Protestant Reformation, and due
to that most of Baroque art represents Religious themes and acts.
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12. It could be distinguish between three great cultural countries during
Baroque, Italy, Spain and France. In Italy the main representative was
Bernini, who was also known in Architecture, he represent a deep
naturalism, are well-known Bernini’s works such as David, and Fount of the
four rivers.
In Spain, the most treated theme is the religion. The most sculptures are
to decorate the altarpiece and Holy Week images. You could distinguish two
clear schools:
*Castilian School: Main representative Gregorio Fernández.
Exaggerated naturalism and a great pathos are its characteristics. Main
works: Christ Baptism, Mayor Altarpiece in Plasenza.
*Andalusian School: Representatives such as Martinez
Montañés in Seville, Alonso Cano in Granada. The main characteristic are:
idealized realism however not too exaggerated, formal beauty, and
equilibrated balance.
Francisco Solzillo in Murcia also had great importance.
And the last one is Baroque Sculpture in France. Its main representatives
are François Girardon, Antoine Coysevox and Pierre Puget. Religion was not
so important, and monarchy became in the destination of art, monarchs
were represented in Portraits or Statues. Sculptures were made in interior
settings or in parks and gardens.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Wikipedia
• www.arteguias.com/esculturabarroca
• http://almez.pntic.mec.es/~jmac0005/Bach_Arte/barroco/escultura
_barroca1.htm
• http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Arts/scultpurePlastic/Sculptu
reHistory/BaroqueSculpture/BaroquePeriodArt/BaroquePeriodArt.ht
m
• http://www.contraclave.org/hdelarte/Historia
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13. INDEX
• Baroque Art………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1
• Baroque Sculpture in Italy……………………………………………………………………… 2
• Baroque Sculpture in Spain………………………………………………………………………4
Castilian………………………………………………………………………5
Andalusian………………………………………………………………… 6
Murcian……………………………………………………………………… 9
• Baroque Sculpture in France………………………………………………………… 9
• Conclussion ……………………………………………………………………………………… 10
• Bibliography ……………………………………………………………………………………. 11
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