Baroque vs Romantic Artwork, Essay Example

Artwork from different periods such as Baroque and Romantic illustrates a particular theme in the art. These artists and period styles are represented in their associated pieces.

The Baroque is an early 17^th century in Italy and continued on for almost a century. The Romantic period was a reaction to the Industrial Revolution that took place at the end of the 18^th century. It originated in Europe and the highest peak was from 1800 to 1840.

The first artwork from the Baroque period is The Taking of the Christ. This is a Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio piece. The significance of this painting is the extreme lights and darks used as well as the realism that is shown with the facial features and gestures. The second piece of artwork is Peter Paul Rubens’. It is also from the Baroque period and is titled The Union of Earth and Water. The significance of this artwork is the mythical attributes of this painting. It is clearly not a painting that was commissioned by the church however it is representing that of wealth and beauty.

From the Romantic period, the first piece is Course of Empire – The Consummation of Empire. This is a Cole Thomas painting. The significance associated with this work is the depiction of society as it reaches its peak. It has building and ships, but signs that nature has ceased to exist. The final painting form the Romantic period is The Destruction. John Martin captured civilization as it began to crumble. The significance of this work is how he shows the city being attacked and the tempest rages. The man-made monument falls to pieces killing people as a result.

The Baroque period paintings of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio’s The Taking of the Christ and Paul Rubens’ The Union of Earth and Water have significant stylistic characteristics associated with the. “Caravaggio’s works were so controversial in their own time (and for centuries after) for their utterly innovative, revolutionary style. The intense, dramatic contrasts of light and dark, resolute realism, meticulous attention to naturalistic detail and approachable, life-like models set Caravaggio’s paintings apart from all the masters that preceded him.” (Freedberg) The dark era depicted in Carvaggio’s work is significant with his time. So is the incredible detail that is show as well. Rubens stylistic characteristics were “commissions chiefly consisted of dynamic imagery designed to tempt people away from the sombre Protestantism of the Reformation. It was what the Catholic Church and European royalty required for their propaganda purposes. Drawing upon his Latin education, Rubens produced scores of elaborate altarpieces and allegorical ceilings. He was adept at painting supposedly Christian virtue but giving it a subversive sinuosity; the voluptuous figures of his nudes are deliberately exaggerated to emphasize fecundity and freedom from want.” (Peter Paul Ruben) His work was used for religious purposes however his work was not always for church murals.

The Romantic period paintings of Cole Thomas Course of Empire – The Consummation of Empire and John Martin’s The Destruction have significant stylistic characteristics as well. Thomas has many different styles that are represented in his paintings. In this particular one, “Destruction is the hard-rocking movement, with constantly shifting meters, dynamic extremes, and an overall density of texture, recreating the almost cartoonish anxiety and chaos of the painting. I may have taken the most liberty with my interpretation of Desolation: in representing the emptiness after the fall of civilization, I attempted to produce a musical character that felt other worldly and foreign, yet glimmering with life – the beginning of a new reign of nature.” (Cohen) Martin’s work is also significant religious significance. “They generally garnered the types positive public sentiments Martin’s works had. Yet while these artists painted in a similar style and chose the same biblical story for their subjects, each of the three artists painted different moments from the story and emphasized different ideas in their works.” (The British Institute)

Key issues associated with these artistic are cultural factors as well as religious factors. Both Ruben and Martin’s work is reflective of religious stories, issues or for inspiration. Ruben and Thomas show a darker cultural analysis of society and the issues that go along with such society. These artists are having cultural significance because they represent their era strongly. This is the Romantic and Baroque periods.

Art, regardless of era can address cultural, political, social, and religious issues. These artists told a story to motivate people to see things in the same manner that they do. The religious importance associated depicts how highly religion was seen during these periods, significantly different than other eras we may be more familiar with. The cultural struggles of food and resources for the mass of population are also depicted in more extreme complete and total humanity extinction. No matter how dramatic the artist chooses to show the events as they know them, they are showing the cultural problems as they see them through their paintings.

References:

Freedberg, S. J. Circa “A Revolution in the Style of Italian Painting.” Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press, 1983. Print.

“Peter Paul Rubens 1577-1640” Directart.com. Web.Cohen, Nell Shaw. “The Course of Empire”. 1988. Web. “The British Institution,” London Magazine, September, 1825, 68, Print.