Italian Baroque Art: Architecture and Sculpture
Baroque Art in Italy: Architecture
Baroque art flourished from the early 17th to mid-18th century. It is a grandiose and ornate style, where shapes and movement predominate, creating a sense of theatricality. Often called the art of the Counter-Reformation, it served papal, royal, and bourgeois power. There are two main streams: courtly and bourgeois Baroque, and Catholic and Protestant Baroque.
- Grand and monumental
- Dynamic and unstable
- Use of curves, inbound and outbound lines, and dramatic light and shadow
- Creates effects of surprise and instability
Architectural Characteristics
- Buildings are filled with elements such as moving pediments, often curved or broken.
- Curved lines influence column design; the Solomonic column is a prominent Baroque feature.
- Facades feature multiple levels, creating light and perspective effects.
- Illusionistic techniques, such as mirrors and domes, are used to enlarge space.
- Domes of enormous dimensions are common.
- The giant order of columns is frequently employed.
- Abundant decoration, primarily vegetal, enriches interiors with paintings and gilded altarpieces.
- Emphasis on the building’s relationship to its surrounding space, with huge avenues and squares designed to complement the architecture.
- Elliptical (oval) floor plans are favored.
Italian Baroque architecture can be divided into two periods:
- The first third of the 17th century, characterized by a calmer style more closely linked to the Counter-Reformation.
- The remainder of the 17th century, representing a full expression of Baroque style.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Bernini was a key architect of the second and last third of the 17th century. A skilled planner, sculptor, and painter, Bernini respected classical principles but emphasized creating effects of surprise and elaborate decoration. He utilized materials like marble and bronze.
Notable works include:
- The Baldachin of St. Peter’s
- The facade of St. Peter’s Basilica
- San Andrea al Quirinale
Francesco Borromini
Borromini, a sculptor of the late 16th and early 17th centuries, is known for incorporating inbound, outbound, concave, and convex shapes into his architectural facades, creating dynamism and fantasy. He often used modest materials like brick and stucco, yet his techniques resulted in monumental works. His designs feature a play of concave and convex curves, and he favored oval floor plans, typical of the Baroque style. His works are highly creative, with architecture and sculpture often intertwined.
Most outstanding works:
- Oratory of St. Philip Neri
- San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane
Baroque Art in Italy: Sculpture
Italy experienced a veritable explosion of Baroque sculpture, reaching its peak with the figure of Bernini.
Characteristics of Baroque Sculpture
- Interest in expressing movement, both internal and external.
- Emphasis on drapery and flowing folds, with figures often diagonal and foreshortened to enhance dynamism.
- Dramatic use of light and shadow created by the folds of clothing.
- Showmanship, surprise, and theatricality.
- Expressions of dramatic realism and refined taste.
- Development of the nude form.
- Representation of diverse themes: religious, mythological, and portraits.
- Use of marble and bronze, while painted wood was more common in Spain.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Bernini’s style is characterized by translating drama and intense emotions, capturing a moment in time, emphasizing movement, realism, and detail in representing anatomy, faces, and skin. He employed the linea serpentinata (a serpentine line) to create a sense of instability and movement. His works are theatrical and highly gesticulating, reflecting the quality of materials and a variety of subjects.
Sculptural highlights:
- Apollo and Daphne
- Saint Lawrence
- Ecstasy of Saint Theresa