This document discusses the characteristics and major artists of Baroque art in 17th century Italy and Spain, including Bernini, Borromini, Caravaggio, and Velazquez. It focuses on their architectural works like St. Peter's Basilica and churches, as well as paintings depicting religious subjects. The Baroque style was influenced by the Catholic church and used dramatic lighting, movement, and emotion to convey religious themes and glorify wealthy patrons.

1. Baroque Art
Italy and Spain, 1600 to 1700
Gardner’s Art Through the Ages, 13e,
Chapter 24
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2. Europe in the 17th Century
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3. Goals
• Identify representative Baroque artists and their works
• Identify representative Baroque architects and their works
• Recognize and cite artistic terminology from this period
• Understand the influence of the Roman Catholic Church on
art and architecture in 17th century Italy and Spain
• Recall hallmark formal devices used by Baroque artists and
architects
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4. Baroque Art
• Recognize the distinctive characteristics of the Baroque style
• Identify representative Baroque artists and their works
• Identify representative Baroque architects and their works
• Compare and contrast the work of Italian and Spanish
Baroque painters
• Recognize and cite artistic terminology from this period
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5. Maderno's design for Santa
Susanna in Rome stands as one
of the first manifestations of
Baroque design. It emphasized
the unique relationship between
this church and the Il Gesù in
Rome, an earlier church, which
proved to be highly influential
for Baroque designs.
CARLO MADERNO,
facade of Santa Susanna,
Rome, Italy, 1597–1603.
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6. CARLO MADERNO, facade of Saint Peter’s, Vatican City, Rome, Italy, 1606–1612.
In the 17th century, the clergy rejected the central plans Bramante designed for St. Peter's during the Renaissance.
Paul V commissioned Maderno to add three nave bays to the nucleus of the basilica because the central plans
are associated with pagan buildings. 6

8. Aerial view of Saint Peter’s, Vatican City, Rome, Italy. Piazza designed by GIANLORENZO BERNINI, 1656-1667.
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9. Aerial view of Saint Peter’s, Vatican City, Rome, Italy, 1506–1666.
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10. Bernini's Baldacchino serves both
functional and symbolic purposes.
It provides a dramatic and
compelling visual presentation for
the interior of St. Peter's. The
columns serve as a symbol that
invokes the past.
GIANLORENZO BERNINI,
baldacchino, Saint Peter’s, Vatican
City, Rome, Italy, 1624–1633.
Gilded bronze, 100’ high.
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11. Bernini was commissioned to replace a
dangerous stairway in the Vatican. He
created a highly sophisticated design that
was dramatic and dynamic. This design
repeated on a smaller scale the grand
processional sequence found in St. Peter's
Scala Regia.
GIANLORENZO BERNINI, Scala Regia
(Royal Stairway), Vatican City, Rome, Italy,
1663–1666.
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12. Bernini's David differs from previous
generations of this depiction. In his
David, the pivoting motion of the figure
seems to be moving through time and
space.
GIANLORENZO BERNINI, David,
1623. Marble, 5’ 7” high. Galleria
Borghese, Rome.
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13. GIANLORENZO BERNINI,
inerior of the Cornaro Chapel,
Santa Maria della vittoria,
Rome, Italy, 1645-1652.
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14. GIANLORENZO BERNINI, Ecstasy of Saint Teresa,
Cornaro Chapel, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome,
Italy, 1645–1652. Marble, height of group 11’ 6”.
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15. Borromini designed the church of San Carlo alle
Quattro Fontane. He created a uniquely dynamic
Baroque church with the counterpoint of concave
convex elements in the façade that emphasized the
three-dimensional effect with deeply recessed niches
that emphasized the sculptural qualities of the
building.
FRANCESCO BORROMINI,
facade of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane,
Rome, Italy, 1665–1676.
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16. FRANCESCO BORROMINI,
plan of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane,
Rome, Italy, 1638–1641.
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17. FRANCESCO BORROMINI,
San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane (view into dome),
Rome, Italy, 1638-1641.
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18. FRANCESCO BORROMINI,
Chapel of Saint Ivo, College of the Sapienza,
Rome, Italy, begun 1642.
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19. FRANCESCO BORROMINI, plan of
the Chapel of Saint Ivo, College of the Sapienza,
Rome, Italy, begun 1642.
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20. FRANCESCO BORROMINI, Chapel of Saint Ivo (view into dome), College of the Sapienza, Rome, Italy, begun 1642.
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21. ANNIBALE CARRACCI, Flight into Egypt, 1603–1604. Oil on canvas, 4’ x 7’ 6”. Galleria Doria Pamphili, Rome.
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22. As part of his training in art,
Annibale Carracci received
instruction in the classical and
Renaissance traditions as well
as anatomy studies and life
drawing resulting in his more
classically ordered style.
His work on the gallery ceiling
in the Palazzo Farnese in Rome
was arranged as framed
easel paintings.
ANNIBALE CARRACCI,
Loves of the Gods, ceiling frescoes
in the gallery, Palazzo Farnese,
Rome, Italy, 1597–1601.
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23. Caravaggio's Conversion of St. Paul
presents the same dynamic emotion
and dramatic religious fervor with the
use of eloquent pictorial devices and
stage lighting in much the same way
as Bernini's Ecstasy of St. Teresa.
CARAVAGGIO, Conversion of St. Paul,
ca. 1601. Oil on canvas, 7’ 6” x 5’ 9”.
Cerasi Chapel,
Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome.
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24. CARAVAGGIO, Calling of Saint Matthew, ca. 1597–1601. Oil on canvas, 11’ 1” x 11’ 5”.
Contarelli Chapel, San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome
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25. CARAVAGGIO, Entombment, from the
chapel of Pietro Vittrice, Santa Maria in Vallicella,
Rome, Italy, ca. 1603. Oil on canvas,
9’ 10 1/8” x 6’ 7 15/16”. Musei Vaticani, Rome.
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26. Artemisia Gentileschi's
work was most influenced
by Caravaggio.
ARTEMISIA GENTILESCHI,
Judith Slaying Holofernes, 1614–1620.
Oil on canvas, 6’ 6 1/3” x 5’ 4”.
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.
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27. QUIDO RENI, Aurora, ceiling fresco in the Casino Rospigliosi, Rome, Italy, 1613–1614.
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28. PIETRO DA CORTONA, Triumph of the Barberini, ceiling fresco in the Gran Salone, Palazzo Barberini, Rome, Italy, 1633–1639.
The ceiling fresco for Gran Salone in the Palazzo Barberini in Rome is a visual eulogy to the family. The papal tiara and keys
seen in the fresco announce the personal triumph of a family member, Urban VIII.
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29. GIOVANNI BATTISTA GAULLI, Triumph of the Name of Jesus,
ceiling fresco with stucco figures in the nave vault of Il Gesù, Rome, Italy, 1676–1679.
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30. FRA ANDREA POZZO, Glorification of Saint Ignatius, ceiling fresco in the nave of Sant’Ignazio, Rome, Italy, 1691–1694.
Fra Andrea Pozzo created the illusion of Heaven opening above the heads of the congregation in the church of Sant'Ignazio
by illusionistically continuing the church's actual architecture into the vault so the roof seems to be lifting off.
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31. José de Ribera was
most strongly
influenced by the
work of Caravaggio.
JOSÉ DE RIBERA, Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew, ca. 1639. Oil on canvas, 7’ 8” x 7’ 8”. Museo del Prado, Madrid.
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32. FRANCISCO DE ZURBARÁN,
Saint Serapion, 1628.
Oil on canvas, 3’ 11 1/2” x 3’ 5”.
Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford
(The Ella Gallup Sumner and
Mary Catlin Sumner Collection
Fund).
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33. DIEGO VELÁZQUEZ,
Water Carrier of Seville, ca. 1619.
Oil on canvas, 3’ 5 1/2” x 2’ 7 1/2”.
Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
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34. DIEGO VELÁZQUEZ, Surrender of Breda, 1634–1635. Oil on canvas, 10’ 1” x 12’ 1/2”. Museo del Prado, Madrid.
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35. Velásquez was the court painter for
Philip IV. He held the titles of First
Painter to the King and Chief
Steward of the Palace.
He accompanied the king to Fraga
during the Aragonese campaign.
While there he painted Philip's
portrait, it is known as the Fraga
Philip. Due to the dynastic inbreeding
in the Hapsburg line, Philip inherited
the Hapsburg jaw. Velásquez
compensates for this "jaw" in the
Fraga portrait by focusing
attention on the cloak and baldric
worn by the king by making them
shimmer.
DIEGO VELÁZQUEZ,
King Philip IV of Spain (Fraga Philip),
1644. Oil on canvas, 4’ 3 1/8” x 3’ 3”.
The Frick Collection, New York.
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36. DIEGO VELÁZQUEZ,
Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor),
1656. Oil on canvas, 10’ 5” x 9’.
Museo del Prado, Madrid.
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