The document provides an overview of society, economy, politics, and art during the Baroque period in Europe (17th-18th centuries). It summarizes that absolute monarchy was dominant, society was organized into estates, and the economy grew through increased manufacturing and trade routes. The dominant artistic style of the Baroque period was characterized by movement, contrasts of light and shadow, and grand architectural works from artists like Bernini.

1. UNIT 10. THE BAROQUE AGE

2. KEY WORDS FOR THE UNIT
● Absolute monarchy: way of government in which the
monarch holds unlimited power. Asolute monarch believed
this authority came directly from God.

3. KEY WORDS FOR THE UNIT
● Society organised into estates (estamentos)
● Estate: name given to the different social
orders that existed in 17th cntury, which
were either privileged (clergy, nobles) and
non privileged (peasants, workers and
peasants)

4. SOCIETY

5. KEY WORDS FOR THE UNIT
In economy is the age of manfucaturers and
maritime trade routes
Manufacturing: the process of making products
on a large scale in a workshop or factory.

6. KEY WORDS FOR THE UNIT
● Baroque: artistic style that extended
throughout Europe and Latin America
during the 17th and part of the 18th
centuries, which main characteristics are:
– Movement
– Use of Lights and shadows
– Symbolism and realism

8. KEY WORDS FOR THE UNIT
Also, as baroque it could be denominated a
period of time in Modern Age, exactly between
17th and 18th centuries characterised by:
● Absolute monarchy
● Society based on estates
● Thirthy year's war
● Increasement of trade routes and manufacturing

9. 1.ECONOMY in 17TH CENTURY IN
EUROPEThere were a serious economic crisis, which was made
worse with the fall in the quantity of precious metals
arriving from America, by wars and epidemics.
Agriculture worsened because of bad harvests as well as
farming.
● Craftwork also decreased due to the economic crisis. But
two new types of production appeared:
– Domestic system, especially in England and the
Netherlands.
– State manufacturing companies: companies protetcted
by the state were created to manufacture weapons and
luxury products (porcelain, glass objects..)

10. ● Foreign trade grew significantly. The main
trade routes were:
– Precious metals route: silver and gold from
Peru and Mexico to Seville.
– Spice route. Spices from India, circled Africa to
Lisbon.
– Atlantic and Indian Ocean routes: exploited by
the Dutch and the English.

12. The Netherlands created the Dutch East India
Company for trading with Asia and the Dutch
West India company for trading with America and
part of Africa.
The East one imported spices, tea, silk. The west
company took over part of Brazil, where they set
up sugar and tobacco plantations where African
slaves sold by the company worked.

14. ● England founded the English East India
company to challenge the Ducth monopoly
of the spice trade in Asia.
● The English East India company operated
mainly in India, where they imported spices,
cotton or silk.

15. ● The main important ports in Europe were
the ones in the Atlantic Ocean, such as
Lisbon, Seville, Amsterdam and London

16. 2. SOCIETY in EUROPE IN 17TH
CENTURY
The population in Europe stopped growing and even fell due to
wars, famine and plague epidemics. (Look at the graphic in Book
page 141)
● The number of nobles increased because kings sold titles of
nobility to earn more money.
●
The members of the clergy also increased because joining the
Church was a way to guarantee survival in a time of economic
crisis.
● The bourgeoisie was the most influential group in that period
because they enriched with the trade colonies. Also they lent
money to the monarchs, so they obtained the royal protection.

17. Bourgeoisie families painted by
Veremeer

18. The situation of the
peasants got
worse. Some
increased their
income by the
domestic system,
but many others fell
into poverty and
were forced to
become beggars.

19. 3. ABSOLUTE MONARCHY
During the rule of Louis XIV, he established
some institutions which helped him to
govern, such as:
– Intendant: King's representative in the French
provinces, who had political, judicial and fiscal
authority.
– Civil servants: a member of the civil service, the
institution that put the ruler's policies into
practice.

20. 4. THE BAROQUE ART
It's an artistic style developed during 17th century and the
beginning of 18th, in Europe and Latin America.
As opposed to the equilibrium, armony and serenity of
Renaissance art, Baroque is characterised by grandiosity or
dynamism.
The style is very closely linked to the values of the Counter-
reformation. (very influenced by that spirit)
Movement, contrasts in colour and positions or theatricality,
realism or symbolism are the main characteristics in the style.

21. 4. THE BAROQUE ART

22. ARQUITECTURE
● Use of classic elements such as, barrel vault, half
point arch, columns, pediments. However, they
are used in a different way, with more creative
freedom. For example, split pediments, walls
arched.
● A new column is used: Salomonic column: very
large and twisted shaft. (like in spiral)
● Use of domes
● Visual effects in façades, creating Lights-and-
shades contrasts identified with movement
(concav and convex forms) = (entrantes y
salientes)
● Many curves to suggest movement.

23. Salomonic column

24. ● Floor Plans are oval or circular to give the
sensation of movement.
● Buildings rich and abundantly decorated,
especially in interiors. The puropse of this was to
impress the onlooker and demonstrate the
immense power of the Church and the absolute
monarchy.
● Façades rich decorated with many sculptures and
niches (nichos): an artistic element as a tumb into
the wall.
● The most renowned Baroque architects are:
Bernini and Borromini.

25. Floor plans
● S. Peter in Vatican city – Bernini

26. ● S. Charles at the four fountains - Borromini

27. S. Peter's vatican colonnade
● Colonnade: a series of regularly spaced
columns.

28. S. Peter's vatican colonnade

29. S. Charles at four fountains

30. S. Charles at four fountains

31. S. Charles at four fountains

32. Interior Il Gesu - Vignola

33. The secular baroque building most important
was: the Palace of Versailles.
It was built on the orders of Louis XIV to use as his
residence and as the seat of the court. Several
architects designed it. The most features of this palace
are the Hall of the Mirrors and the gardens

34. PALACE OF VERSAILLES

35. Hall of the mirrors

36. SCULPTURE
● Scultpures were made of: marble or bronze.
● Themes: religious and mythological, also
portraits.
● Figures were natural, sometimes the
gestures were exaggerated or figures had
dramatic expressions.
● Figures gave the sensation of movement
(which was sometimes violent)
● Bernini is the most famous sculptor (ecstasy
of St. Theresa, Apollo and Daphne, David...)

37. David by Bernini

38. David by Bernini

39. Ecstasy of St. Theresa - Bernini

40. Ecstasy of
St. Theresa

41. Apolo and Dafne – Bernini

42. The rape of Proserpina - Bernini

43. PAINTING
● Naturalism in the facial features feet and hands..
● Movement in the composition
● Great emphasis on light and shadow using tenebrism: some
parts of the painting were in shadow, contrasting with other
parts full of bright light.
● Figures represented with realism, showing them as they
would appear in real life.
● Landscapes and stilll lifes (an inanimate object, tipically fruit,
flowers) gained importance
● The main painters:
Caravaggio
Rembrandt
Rubens
Veremeer

44. Caravaggio
Calling of St. Matthew
● He was the first paintor in Baroque style. He used and
launched the technique of chiaroscuro: is the use of
strong contrasts between light and dark in painting.

45. CARAVAGGIO: The incredulity of
St. Thomas

46. REMBRANDT – The Night Watch

47. RUBENS
The three graces The rape of the daughters
of Leucippus

48. VERMEER
● He was an specialist in portraits as: The girl
with the pearl and the Milkmaid.

49. SPANISH BAROQUE

50. ARQUITECTURE
● Main Square in Madrid
● Main Square in Salamanca with a Churrigueresque
style, because Churrieguera brothers created it. It's
characterised by excessive ornamentation.

51. SCULPTURE
● Creation of Holy week
pasos. (religious
themes)
● Material: Polychrome
wood.
● Objective: elicit
emotion: gaunt figures,
faces showing pain
and suffering. Bloody
figures.
● Gregorio Fernández is
the most known
spanish sculptor.

52. PAINTING
The golden age of spanish artists
● VELÁZQUEZ
● JOSÉ DE RIBERA
● FRANCISCO ZURBARÁN
● ESTEBAN MURILLO

53. The Drunks - Velázquez

54. The surrender of Breda -
Velázquez

55. The maids of
honour –
Velazquez's
masterpiece

56. José de
Ribera –
Martrydom of
St. Philip

57. MURILLO'S PAINTINGS