The Main Characteristics of Baroque Art and Painting Explained

Raphael Rooms in the Vatican Museum. Baroque art.

Painting in Baroque art was one of the most important forms of expression within the artistic world. It was characterized mainly by the use of innovative techniques and the creation of dramatic, emotional and highly ornamented works. The artists of Baroque painting used a wide range of styles and themes in their work, from the representation of religious scenes to the painting of portraits and still lifes. In the following article we are going to explain this artistic style and the main characteristics of Baroque painting in detail so that you are an expert in History of art.

What is Baroque Art?

Baroque art is an artistic style that arose in Europe in the 17th century and which lasted until well into the eighteenth century. His works are characterized by their emphasis on emotion, drama, movement and exuberance, in contrast to the Renaissance style, which focused more on harmony.

The term “baroque” comes from the Portuguese “baroque”, whose meaning is “irregular pearl”. This term was first used to describe the architecture and art of the time, which featured complex and extravagant shapes and designs.

Within the baroque style different artistic expressions are included such as painting, sculpture, architecture, theater and music. Each one of them has its own characteristics such as the chiaroscuro of the painting, the stew of the sculpture, the exaggerated forms of the architecture or the special effects and the emotionality of the theater and music, respectively.

Main characteristics of painting in Baroque Art

Next we are going to focus on the main characteristics of painting in Baroque Art, one of the most important artistic expressions of the time.

Use of chiaroscuro and tenebrism.

Chiaroscuro is a very recognizable technique of Baroque painting. Its purpose is to create light and shadow effects in the work to give the scene a dramatic air, gain depth and be more realistic. For its part, tenebrism used dramatic contrasts to highlight the main figure of the painting.

Representation of the movement.

Baroque artists were also very skilled at depicting movement and action in their paintings with figures in dramatic poses expressing exaggerated gestures. This allowed artists to bring a sense of emotion and drama to their works.

Using perspective

Another prominent feature of Baroque painting is the use of perspective to create an illusion of depth and distance. In this way, a sense of realism was achieved in the work.

Religious and daily life theme

Religious themes were very common in Baroque painting. This type of work presented in the Catholic world of the Counter-Reformation, mainly figures of saints, virgins and other biblical characters in dramatic and emotional scenes. Baroque painters also represented scenes related to everyday life, such as still lifes, portraits, or everyday scenes.

Wide range of tools and materials

Regarding the technique of baroque painting, the artists used a wide range of materials and tools. An example is oil painting or watercolors. In order to create different effects, they used brushes of different sizes and shapes, sponges or spatulas.

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