Baroque Art in 17th Century Europe: Painting and Power

Seventeenth-Century Background: Two Types of Power

There were two types of powers in 17th-century Europe:

  • The Papacy: The Catholic Church, after the Council of Trent, sought to counter the growing influence of Protestant nations. The Church’s power was reflected in the wealth of its temples.
  • Royal Power: Absolutism brought about a court and an administration that created a new type of city: the capital of the state. This development enhanced urban planning.

The Baroque style was born as an instrument

Read More

Renaissance Masters: Raphael, Leonardo, Botticelli, and Donatello

Raphael (1483-1520)

Raphael, born in Urbino, was marked by an early start in the art world. The premature death of his father forced him into the profession. His first major work was the painting *The Marriage of the Virgin* in 1504. He gradually absorbed diverse influences, from Piero della Francesca to Leonardo da Vinci. After spending time in Venice and Rome, he returned to Florence, where the presence of Leonardo and Michelangelo persuaded him to stay and learn for four years.

In 1508, Raphael

Read More

Masterpieces of 19th-Century Art and Architecture

Tassel House

Victor Horta

Location: Brussels

Date: 1892 – 1893

Materials: Stone, iron, glass, ceramic, and wood

Style: Art Nouveau


Eiffel Tower

Alexandre Gustave Eiffel

Location: Paris

Date: 1887 – 1889

Materials: Wrought iron, 125mm x 305m height

Architecture of new materials


The Thinker

Auguste Rodin

Location: Musée Rodin, Paris

Date: 1880 – 1900

Description: Freestanding, cast, seated figure, monochrome

Materials: Bronze

Dimensions: 1.98m x 1.29m x 1.34m

Style: Impressionism


The First Cold

Miquel Blay

Location: Originally

Read More

Alfred Hitchcock, The Pawnbroker, The Exorcist, and More: Classic Film Analysis

Alfred Hitchcock: Master of Suspense

  • British, 1899-1980
  • Directed 50 films over six decades
  • Stylistic Trademarks:
    • Camera movement mimicking a person’s gaze, creating voyeurism (e.g., shower scene in “Psycho”)
    • Framing shots to maximize anxiety, fear, or empathy
    • Innovative film editing
    • Often featured fugitives on the run alongside “icy blonde” female characters
    • Twist endings
  • Came to Hollywood in 1939, signed by Selznick to a seven-year contract
  • Worked within the studio system but maintained creative control
  • More
Read More

MVC Architecture and Python Code Examples

MVC Architecture

XML – The view and the controller, via XML, views (forms, lists, calendars, graphs, menus).
Python – Design of the controller (business logic).

  • View Fields: Obtains a list of the fields of the current view, with corresponding parameters.
  • Fields View Get: Shows the XML generated by the current view.
  • Manage Views: Shows a list of the views related to the current view.
  • Edit TreeView, Edit SearchView, Edit Action, and Edit Workflow: These are used to access the editing of the views related
Read More

Spanish Baroque Comedy: Characteristics and Social Impact

Features of the New Spanish Baroque Comedy

New Comedy refers to the type of works that filled the stages of 17th-century Spanish cities. Despite the thousands of texts, some common patterns facilitated the rapid composition of works in compliance with preset molds. This was due to the incessant demand of the public of the time, explaining the huge fertility of 17th-century playwrights, with Lope de Vega at the forefront.

Breaking with Classical Conventions

In contrast to the classical separation of

Read More