Baroque Architecture and Sculpture: Key Features
Baroque Architecture: Characteristics
Baroque architecture, flourishing from the early 17th century to the mid-18th century, is characterized by a dramatic and opulent style. It emerged as a powerful expression of the Counter-Reformation, aiming to inspire awe and convey the power of the Church.
- Emphasis on Contrasts: Baroque architecture is defined by strong contrasts, both in the use of different materials (chromatic contrasts) and in lighting (alternating areas of light and shadow – chiaroscuro). There’s a pronounced interest in movement, evident in both the overall plans and elevations, as well as in individual architectural elements.
- Complex Floor Plans: Traditional building layouts were abandoned in favor of oval, mixtilinear, and other complex shapes. While basilican and central-plan churches were still used, they were now dominated by curved lines, featuring elliptical, circular, and mixed geometries.
- Dynamic Architectural Elements: Walls undulate and curve, pediments and entablatures are broken, and there’s a significant emphasis on curved lines, constant in-and-out movements, and twisted (Solomonic) columns.
- Rich Ornamentation: Decoration plays a crucial role, often multiplying to the point where no surface is left unadorned. There’s a strong visual symbiosis between architecture, sculpture, and painting.
- Materials: Stone is the primary material, but interiors often feature marble of various colors, enhancing the sense of opulence.
- Curvilinear Forms: An extensive repertoire of curves is employed, including ellipses, parabolas, and helices. Columns are twisted into spiraling shapes, pediments are curved and mixtilinear, and walls curve to create new perspectives and lighting effects.
- Integration of Arts: Painting, sculpture, and architecture are unified to create a cohesive whole, blurring the lines between the different art forms.
- Vaults and Domes: Arches, barrel vaults, and groin vaults are used, along with experimentation in star-shaped vaults. Domes are prominent in their external appearance, but are often hidden internally.
- Hidden Structures: Fundamental architectural structures are often concealed by plasterwork and elaborate reliefs, creating an illusion of heavenly spaces.
- Dynamic Facades: Church facades become increasingly dynamic and rich in chiaroscuro, featuring concave and convex walls. These facades are designed to interact with the urban space, considering the angle from which they will be viewed, creating fleeting perspectives and diagonal axes. They are adorned with sculptures, detached columns, and a general sense of grandeur and movement.
- Theatrical Illusion: A strong emphasis on theatricality and illusion is present, achieved through bold perspectives and sculptural decoration.
- Urban Planning: Baroque urban planning aimed to create a sense of wonder and delight for the traveler, enhancing the experience of the city.
- Interconnected Spaces: A strong connection and reciprocity between inner and outer spaces are established, often using curved surfaces to express this dialogue.
- Expansion of Architectural Scope: The scope of architectural design extends beyond the building itself to encompass the surrounding environment.
- Chronology: Baroque architecture is generally placed between 1630, marked by the works of Italian architects Bernini and Borromini, and 1750, when it gave way to Rococo and the first manifestations of Neoclassicism.
Baroque Sculpture: Characteristics
Baroque sculpture, like its architectural counterpart, is characterized by dynamism, emotion, and theatricality.
- Emphasis on Movement: A strong desire to depict movement is paramount.
- Outward Movement: The movement is directed outwards, with the limbs of figures and draperies projecting outwards.
- Dynamic Drapery: Garments swell, their folds multiply and swirl. Sculptors focus on the movement of the cloth to enhance the dynamism of the human figure.
- Painterly Approach: Sculptors sought to represent a more painterly appearance, focusing on visual effects rather than strict realism, and contrasting smooth surfaces with textured ones.
- Emotional Expression: There’s a strong emphasis on expressing intense emotions and theatrical expressions, particularly mystical raptures, aligning with the guidelines of the Counter-Reformation.
- Effective and Impressive: Baroque sculpture aims to be impactful and impress the viewer, especially in funerary art.