Baroque Painting
Baroque is one of the oldest and most dramatic forms of painting, attempting to lure the spectator into the picture. It arose in the 1600s in Italy and Rome as a result of the Protestant Reformation.
The Ecstasy of St. Teresa, by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini, 1652
This artwork depicts St. Teresa's conversion to God after an angel descended and stabbed her with a fiery arrow of holy worship. St. Teresa's face captures the intensity of the moment when she feels the sting of the penetration and the joy of being in ecstasy with God. The dramatic use of light is depicted in the wooden rays lit by the window above highlighting the art itself.
Caravaggio, The Conversion on the Way to Damascus, 1601
A common baroque theme of the meeting of the divine and earthly is used in this painting. Caravaggio dramatically employs the use of light and shadows to elevate the theatricality of the moment of Saul's conversion. The action is brought to the foreground by the light while the man and the horse, who are not part of the experience, are in the background in the shadows.
Rembrandt, Descent from the Cross, 1634
Passion and emotion in this painting are emphasized by the dramatic use of shadows and light. The light gleams on the body of Christ as He is lowered from the cross along with the faithful women. The pain and agony on Christ's face also draw in the viewer to the emotions Christ felt.
Caravaggio, The Crucifixion of Saint Peter, 1601
This painting shows as St. Peter is hung on the cross upside-down so as not to imitate Christ. Light dramatically shines on Peter's face while the shadows conceal the faces of the Roman crucifiers. The men are struggling to lift Peter, somehow a symbol of how great their crime is.
