Baroque Painting Two Centuries of Masterpieces from the Era Preceding the Dawn Modern Art

406 Pages·1999·64.41 MB·English

by  Stefano Zuffi

Two centuries
of masterpieces
from the era
preceding the
dawn
of
modern
art
*'
.
Boston Public Library
BAROQUE
PAINTING
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•
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BAROQUE
PAINTING
Two centuries
of masterpieces
from the era
preceding the
dawn
of
modern
art
BARRON'S
JP BR
ND177
.P5813
1999*
Editor:StefanoZuffi
lconographicresearch:FrancescaCastria
TextsbyFrancescaCastria
(thechaptersonFranceandGreatBritain)
andStefanoZuffi
(thechaptersonSpain,Italy,Flanders,Holland,
Germany,andAustria)
Englishtranslation:MarkEaton,Felicity
Lutz,PaulMetcalfeforScriptum,Rome
Frontcover:
FransHals
TheLaughingCavalier,detail
1624
oiloncanvas,
32%x 26'/2in.
(83x 67.3cm)
WallaceCollection,London
Onthefirstpages:
AnthonyvanDvck
ThreeChildrenoftheDeFranchiFamily,
detail, 1627
oiloncanvas,
86»/4x S9'/2in.
(219x 151 cm)
NationalGallery,London
DiegoVelazquez
LasMeninas,
detail, 1656
oiloncanvas,
122x 108%in.
(310x 276cm)
Prado,Madrid v
Jean-Baptiste-SimeonChardin
GirltilthRacketandShuttlecock,
detail,
oiloncanvas,32x 25'/2in.
(81x 65cm)
Uffizi,Florence
©Copyright 1999byElecta,Milan,Italy
ElemondEditoriAssociati
Englishversion©Copyright 1999bvBarron'sEducationalSeries,Inc.
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyform
byphotostat,microfilm,xerography,oranyothermeans,orincorporated
intoanyinformationretrievalsystem,electronicormechanical,
withoutthewrittenpermissionofthecopyrightowner.
Allinquiriesshouldbeaddressedto:
Barron'sEducationalSeries,Inc.
250WirelessBoulevard
Hauppauge,NY 11788
http://www.barronseduc.com
InternationalStandardBookNumber:0-7641-5214-9
LibraryofCongressCatalogNumber:99-73531
PrintedinItalv
987654321
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This volumepresentsthegreat adventure ofWesternpainting in theseventeenth andeighteenth
centuries through thephases oja rich andcomplexperiodthat can he dc\<nhcdfrom thecultural
standpoint as"Baroque."This adjective is to be understoodhere in thegeneralsense as defining an era
rather thanpinpointing the character ofindividualartists andmovements. It isessential to dismiss the
vaguely negative connotation stillattachedto the word"baroque"in ordinary language andopinion,
when it is usedto indicatesomething excessive, exaggerated, oroverpowering.
On the contrary, the Baroque era wasjormany countriesaperiodofsplendor,"thegolden century"
for culture andthe economy.Theseventeenth andeighteenth centuries witnessedtheformation
andconsolidation ofthestrong andclearlyrecognizable national identities underpinning thepresent
geopoliticalconfiguration ofEurope andAmerica.
Manyfundamentalbreakthroughs in thought andsciencedateback to these two centuries,especially
theconcept ofusing asystematicmethodtogain knowledgeofthe universesurrounding us.The almost
simultaneous invention ofthe telescopeandthemicroscopesymbolizes thedesire togobeyond what can
beseen with the nakedeye, to use newtools to tackle a world that eludesthesenses,but that can be
conqueredby the mind.
As the"art ofthe visible,"painting measures itselfagainst the advances in science andin turnpushes
itselfbeyond the limitsofthe consolidatedrulesandthe harmoniouscanonsofthe Renaissance.While
humanistsandartistshadlong endeavoredto establish therules andcanonsofbeautyandeleganceby
drawing upon classicalantiquity, the Baroque markeda courageousstep beyondthese limitations.An
art ofextreme emotion,often inspiredby the theater, the Baroquestrivesforthe"wonder"ofunexpected
spectacle,but is also readytoplumb the depths ofthe human soulas neverbefore.Asin the tragedies
ofShakespeare, in Baroquepainting magnificent andturbidfiguresfrom thepast become anguished
and unfailingly"modern"images ofhumanfeelings,fear, andmisery.
Maybe thegreatest innovation ofBaroque artliesnot"inside"thepainting itself,but outside it in the
newrole assignedto the viewer.From Caravaggio on, theperson looking at thepainting was no longer
an extraneous"spectator"but an"eyewitness"present at the time andplace oftheevents depicted.
Theprotagonists ofthis volume are among thegreatest mastersofart ofall time,but alongside the
greatfigures, theseventeenth andeighteenth centuriesboast a wholeseriesofimpressiveartists who
contributedtowardforming thefigurative climate andartisticculture oftheirnations.For thisreason,
the volume is organizedin terms ofthe nationalschoolsofthe different countries, with a distinction
madebetween theseventeenth andeighteenth centuries. (It isonlyin thecase ofeighteenth-century
England that wehaveincludedthefirst artistsofthe United States, who receivedtheirtraining at the
RoyalAcademyin London.)We thusseek tofacilitate a knowledge and understanding ofpainting in
which themost extraordinarymasterpiecesarenever thelone, isolatedresult ofa sudden outburst of
creativegenius,but emergefrom a complexclimate,from a historicalandintellectualcontext, which
theythen come to epitomize andsymbolize.The common points ofreference, including thegreat myth
ofRome, the culturalexchanges,andthe travels ofartistsand worksofart, marktheconstant
stimulating cross-fertilization in an era that continues to offernewemotionsanddiscoveries.
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DiegoVelazquez
LasHilanderas
(TheMythofArachne), detail
c. 1653
oiloncanvas, W^<Z
86V2X 116% in.
(220x 289cm)
Prado, Madrid