Paintings are powerful. This is a well known fact that has been around for centuries and taken to heart by artists across the globe. Whether they were created to make a statement or give the viewer a feeling in order to evoke a specific emotion, there is almost always some underlying motive in the head of the artist as they begin to paint.
Styles of painting have also come and go and continue to fluctuate to this day, but in this particular exhibition we will set our sights toward the beginning of the 17th century and focus on the famous Baroque style of art that began to make a name for itself in Italy during this time. Although Baroque is a loose term used to cover a large expanse of artistic endeavors from music to poetry, there were prominent themes in European painting in particular that are worth noting and will be explored in depth throughout this exhibition. Baroque art often consisted of gorgeous oil paintings that held dramatic, sensory-filled scenes with intense contrast and colors. As a result these elements became widely spread far beyond the borders of Italy where they originated, and they became immensely popular with artists everywhere. These paintings also often held a source of tension between figures that is accentuated through the artist’s particular use of colors and light. Artists used techniques such as Chiaroscuro— ways of painting that involved dramatic light and shading to create volume — within these striking scenes. This would highlight the main subject and guide the viewer’s eyes towards the right places.
This particular exhibition is an exploration of some of the beautiful pieces that came out of the Baroque period that features dramatic scenes of both religion and mythology. Several of the artists mentioned throughout this exhibition were very important players in the Baroque movement itself and it’s expansion out of Italy and across the whole of Europe over the century. In the selected paintings, we will explore the use of color and contrast, dramatic lighting, chiaroscuro, and the clear depiction of an emotional narrative. Though every piece is unique and created in different time periods, the way the previous Baroque elements are exemplified connect them all to one another.
Peter Paul Rubens, Venus and Adonis,
mid 1630s, oil on canvas, 77 3/4 x 95 5/8 in., 37.162
Although Peter Paul Rubens focused on religious paintings for much of his career and had a lot of success in making work for churches, he also explored scenes from iconic mythological narratives such as this one. Taken from the famous poem by Ovid, this painting depicts two lovers in a tense farewell as one of them turns to leave. The way that Rubens chose to paint the strained limbs and the heavy contrast that appears to be taking over the scene from the right gives the narrative the drama and tension. Baroque art thrived with this particular drama, and was famous for the emotional intensity that this brought out of painting. The rich earthy red color of Adonis’ tunic also pairs well with the other warm tones in the scene, and the loveliness of them adds a Baroqueian sense sensuality to the piece as a whole.
Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbien), Samson Capture by the Philistines,
1619, oil on canvas, 75 1/4 x 93 1/4 inch, 1984.459.
In contrast to the mythological narrative seen in Ruben’s piece, this painting portrays a well known biblical narrative and gives viewers a look into the life of Samson. In this scene Guercino was successful in dramatically rendering the limbs of every figure surrounding Samson as they grab at his strained back, giving the painting a heavy sense of drama and confusion that only adds to the story as a whole. The way the light hits the skin on each figure within this painting also gives a very theatrical feeling to the piece, which was another popular Baroque element that was used widely during this time to express dramatic narratives. Deep reds and blues displayed on the tunics of some of the figures also stay true to the Baroque style, as we saw a similar red tunic in Ruben’s previously mentioned painting.
Eustache Le Sueur, The Rape of Tamar,
probably 1640, oil on canvas, 74 1/2 x 16 1/2 in., 1999.121
Eustache Le Sueur was a French artist taught under Simon Vouet and largely focused on religious themes through most of his career. His teacher Vouet was an Italian Baroque artist who played a large part in the Baroque movement itself when it was first beginning in Italy. Sueur painted The Rape of Tamar during a time in his life where he was most influences by Vouet, so the painting reflects many prominent elements of Baroque art. Sueur’s use of the three primary colors in the different cloths within the scene is one element that really stands out in this particular piece, mainly because of the way he creates intense light to shine on them making them almost jump out from the canvas. Colorful tunics and materials in general were also just a popular element used by Baroque artist’s at the time and so this helps put this painting right in line with many similar to it. The figures in this painting are also frozen in motion, adding a Baroque twist to classical figures who almost look as if they where inspired by Greek sculpture themselves.
Caravaggio (Mischelangelo Merisi), The Denial of Saint Peter,
1610, oil on canvas, 37 x 49 3/8 in., 1997.167
Caravaggio was on of the most notable painters of the Baroque style and had a heavy influence on painters like Ruben, Rembrandt, and many more. In this particular painting of his Caravaggio’s love for dramatic lighting and Chiaroscuro really comes through because of his use of heavy contrast and the way he renders the expressions and clothing on the figures. The overall tone of this piece is extremely similar to the other pieces that have been mentioned so far in this collection, in particular with Caravaggio’s use of both color and contrast. The colors are all incredibly deep and rich, and they have an intense contrast when compared to the pitch black the Caravaggio chose to use in this painting. Caravaggio also adds a heavy air of drama to the piece with the way he renders the older man’s expression, for the wrinkles and the way the contrast heightens them adds tension to the scene as a whole.
Johann Liss, Nymph and Shepherd,
1625, oil on canvas, 41 1/8 x 37 3/8 in., 1999.121
Johann Liss was a German painter who was influenced greatly by the work of Caravaggio and it shows through his paintings. In this whimsical scene a wandering shepherd has discovered a sleeping nymph, who is a lovely reclining nude and is the perfect picture of peace. Liss’ use of heavy lighting in this piece shows in the way he focuses most of it on the nymph herself, and the paleness of her body with the added light has an intense contrast with the darkness that surrounds her. This scene is also one of suspended action and tension because of the way the shepherd is holding a rod about the creature’s head as if he is about to hit her. This painting also holds a similar color pallet to the ones that we have seen before, in particular its use of the deep red that surrounds the female nude. This red color is also seen in Sueur’s The Rape of Tamar and acts in a similar way as it helps add intensity to a suspended moment of drama.
Abraham Janssen van Nuyssen, The Dead Christ in the Tomb with Two Angels,
c. 1610, oil on canvas, 45 3/8 x 58 in., 1971.101
Like Rubens, Abraham Janssen van Nuyssen was a flemish painter, and like many before him he was heavily influenced by the Baroque work of Caravaggio. This particular scene of his is a religious one, depicting Christ right after his death on the cross. Once again we see intense dramatic lighting that shines on all three figures in this scene, and the reclining figure of Christ in particular holds so much light on his skin that it looks as if he could be glowing. Chiaroscuro is also used heavily in this piece as the figure of Christ has almost every muscle in his body shaded in a way to create dramatic volume. The Angel’s in the scene are also portrayed frozen in motion, with hands and expressions hinting at their despair over the death of their Christ. Along with the intensity of the light, these things also help add to the drama and theatrical feeling of the painting.
Salvator Rosa, The Dream of Aeneas, 1660-65,
oil on canvas, 77 1/2 x 47 1/2 in., 65.118
This painting is a scene taken from Virgil’s Aeneid and depicts the main hero Aeneas asleep on the Tiber river. The artist Salvator Rosa took the baseline inspiration from this story and used his skills with shading and rendering figures to bring this mythological story to life. The old man in this painting is supposed to be the river Tiber himself, as he whispered words to Aeneas about the beginning of Rome. As a whole this scene is extremely dark, but this only heightens Rosa’s strategic use of light to highlight the figures he wants the viewer to take notice of. The light hits most heavily on the sleeping figure of Aeneas at the bottom of the scene, and the stormy sky that Rosa chose to add above him adds to the drama of the scene and helps place the painting more firmly in the Baroque style from which it comes.
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