Both Baroque and Rococo styles used dynamic, undulating forms and complex geometry in their designs. However, Baroque architecture from the 17th century tended to be grander in scale with darker colors, aiming to impress viewers through awe-inspiring designs. Rococo from the 18th century favored lighter, more informal styles seen in secular buildings, using pale pastel colors and asymmetric, playful ornamentation. While both employed frescoes and stucco work, Rococo had a lighter, more graceful aesthetic compared to Baroque's theatrical grandeur.

1. Comparative Analysis:
Baroque and Rococo
Aloyon

2. Plans
Baroque
▼ Basilica of Vierzehnheiligen, Germany
Rococo
The Baroque deviated greatly from the conformist shapes used by the
Renaissance, this was part of the Counter-Reformation propaganda of the Church
to “re-invent” their image. Both styles used plans ranging from the elliptical to
complex geometry.
▼ San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, Rome, Italy

3. Openings
Rococo
▲ The dome of the of the Holy Shroud by Guarini
Baroque
▲ Left Nave of St. Peter’s Basilica
▲ Asam Church in Munich, Germany

4. Walls
Baroque
Rococo
Both architectural
styles display
dynamism or provokes
a sense of
‘’movement”. The
undulating motif of the
Baroque influenced
the latter Rococo style.
Rococo uses more lighter,
pale colors for the façade
and its interiors. The
baroque, on the other
hand has darker tones.
▲ Sansouci Palace, Germany

5. Roofs
Baroque Rococo

6. Columns
Baroque Rococo
Solomonic Column Paired Corinthian

7. Ornaments
Baroque
Frescoe Paintings- also called tromp l’oeil
(trick to the eye), these were illusionary
paintings that used the method of
chiaroscuro (contrast between light and
dark) to bring about a sense of great height
and openness.
• Quadratura – Painted on a horizontal
surface in illusionistic perspective
• Quadro Riportato – Images in
illusionary framing
• Di Sotto in Su – Painted on a ceiling
or dome - upwardly illusionistic
▲ Farnese Palace Galleria, painting done by
Annibale Carracci in Quadro Riportato
► Baroque
style trompe-
l'oeil ceiling in
the Church of
St. Ignazio in
Rome, painted
by Andrea
Pozzo late
17th century.

8. Palazzo Barberini, The Triumph of Divine Providence by Pietro da Corton

9. Ornaments
Spanish Baroque
Churrigueresque- style of elaborate
sculptural architectural ornament which
emerged as a manner of stucco
decoration in Spain in the late 17th
century
▼ Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain
▲ Daraga Church, Albay, Philippines

10. Ornaments
Rococo
Frescoe paintings- much like the Baroque, but with lighter mood and color.
▲ St. Charles Church, Vienna
Asam Church in
Munich, Germany

11. Ornaments
Rococo
Extensive use of stucco- generally executed in
asymmetrical manner. The easily sculpted nature of
the stucco was used by Rococo artisans to its full
advantage. With these they redefined the
Aristocratic secular chateux or palaces creating
playful, odd yet graceful ornamentations.
▲ Detail of the stucco-work by Ludovico Bossi
◄ White Room in the Würzburg Residence by
Balthasar Neumann, Germany.

12. Summary:
Baroque Rococo
• France, Germany and Austria (18th c.)
• Secular Architecture
• Lighter and graceful form; Informal
• Pale, pastel colors
• Asymmetric Ornamentation
• Italy, France, Spain, Germany and
Austria (17th to 18th c.)
• Church Architecture
• Heavy curves & Theatrical
• Darker use of colors
• Symmetric ornamentation
• Styled to awe; impress the viewer
• Rich in detail
• Used Gothic elements like large windows and
vaulting
• Architectural manipulation of light
• Illusion of Space
Both:

13. END