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Baroque Architecture: Everything You Need to Know 

By Katherine McLaughlin

For those that love a performance, perhaps no building style is more theatrical than Baroque architecture. “The origins of the word ‘Baroque’ are not entirely clear, but it is generally associated with irregularity in forms as well as opulence,” says Laura Foster, an architectural historian and professor at John Cabot University whose research focuses on Baroque architecture. Born in Italy in the late 16th century and flourishing throughout certain parts of Europe, the style was characterized by grandeur and a distinct dramatic flair. In this guide from  AD, learn just how Baroque architecture came to be, discover famous examples of the style, and study what exactly makes the look different from other ornamented aesthetics. 

What is Baroque architecture? 

Strictly speaking, Baroque architecture refers to an opulent architectural style born in Italy in the late 16th century. “It’s a very broad term used for European architecture of the 17th and early 18th centuries,” Foster explains. As  Merriam Webster defines it, the building style “is marked generally by use of complex forms, bold ornamentation, and the juxtaposition of contrasting elements often conveying a sense of drama, movement, and tension.” The architectural style is the structural manifestation of a larger movement in art and design—commonly called the Baroque period—which also included similarly elaborate and dramatic work in the visual arts and music. 

Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in A Coruña, Spain

Often, Baroque architects would employ elaborate motifs and decorations in their work with an emphasis on organic, curving lines and bright colors. “The term Baroque was initially used as an epithet to describe buildings whose design strayed from the principles established during the Renaissance,” Foster adds. The style spread primarily throughout the 17th century in Europe, with particular prominence in Germany, and even made its way to colonial South America. Late Baroque work, which emerged in the mid to late 18th century, is often referred to as Rococo style—or Churrigueresque in Spain and Spanish America. This iteration of the style was even more ornamented and elaborate. 

History of Baroque architecture

Unlike other architectural styles, Baroque aesthetics didn’t come to be just because of a change in cultural tastes or ideologies. Rather, the catalyst for the emergence of Baroque buildings was the ongoing tension between the Catholic Church and Protestant Reformers. “The origins of Baroque architecture are often associated with religious conditions beginning in the late 16th century,” Foster says. At this time, Protestant believers had rejected the authority of the Roman Pope and disavowed many Roman Catholic teachings. This was known as the Protestant Reformation.

Known as the Counter-Reformation, Baroque architecture was part of the Church’s campaign to entice congregants back into Catholic worship. By constructing churches to inspire awe and emotion, Catholics believed they could attract parishioners back to them. The church commissioned architects to reimagine many of the elements of Renaissance architecture—like domes and colonnades—and make them grander and more dramatic. Inside, almost all design decisions were made to entice visitors to look up, with the goal to make worshipers feel as if they were looking into heaven. Quadratura or  trompe-l’oeil paintings on the ceilings or winding columns that evoked upward movement were often employed as part of this. 

Karlskirche in Vienna 

Early Baroque architecture was largely contained to Rome, later spreading to more Italian cities before making its way across other European nations. Some of the earliest completed works in the Baroque period were the Church of Gesu, in 1584, and the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica, designed in 1612. As the style took hold, it wasn’t just churches that were crafted in the aesthetic, but secular buildings too. One of the most famous examples of this—commissioned by Louis XIV of France—is the Palace of Versailles. 

“The Baroque style overlapped with Neoclassicism in the 18th century, which largely replaced [Baroque architecture] by the end of the century,” Foster says of the style’s end. “Its disappearance partly had to do with religious associations made with the Baroque style as well as identification of it with monarchy and absolutism.”  

Defining elements and characteristics of Baroque architecture

The Palace of Versailles in Paris

By David Sokol

By Chelsea Hodson

By Sarah Archer

According to Foster, there are three main elements that define all Baroque buildings. “First, there is a sense of monumentality even when the space is actually small,” she says. This can be seen throughout many Baroque structures, though she says the façade of Francesco Borromini’s Church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane is a particularly good example. Next, Baroque design exemplifies a desire to create embodied experiences of architectural space. “This was done by creating theatrical forms through the manipulation of the classical orders, curvature in walls and façades, and the dynamic sequencing of spaces,” she explains, citing Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Church of Sant’Andrea al Quirinale as a good example. Lastly, light plays a vital role in Baroque work. “Its use is often through reflective or glimmering surfaces, such as the extensive use of gold in interior church and palace decoration,” she says. 

To better understand the style of architecture, consider the elements and characteristics of Baroque architecture. Though not exhaustive, many Baroque buildings will make use of the following: 

• Vaulted cupolas
• Twirling and swiveling colonnades
• Rough stone and smooth stucco used throughout walls and doorways 
• Frescoes and ornately painted ceilings 
• Trompe l’oeil paintings—French for “deceives the eye”—on the ceilings and walls. This style included hyperrealistic subjects, like painted windows, which would give the viewer the perception that windows actually existed  
• Use of complex form and less focus on strict rigidity or order
• Gilding on the interior and exterior 
• Elaborate and highly decorative interior design 

Famous Baroque architecture examples and architects 

Consider the following list of notable architects and buildings from the Baroque period: 

Facade of Church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane

Commissioned in 1634 and built between 1638 and 1646 (the façade was later added in 1677),  this Roman church was designed by Francesco Borromini as a monastery for a small group of Spanish monks. Though it is constructed in a relatively small plot, it’s a prime example of the way Baroque architecture emphasizes the feeling of monumentality. The curved, undulating façade was also frequently referenced in later Baroque work.  

 The main nave and altar within Jesuit Church Il Gesù

One of the most cited examples of Baroque architecture, Jesuit Church Il Gesù is the mother church for Jesuits. Featuring a single aisle, side chapels, and a large dome over the nave and the transepts, the layout became a standard for many Baroque churches. The fresco on the nave,  The Triumph of the Name of Jesus by Giovanni Battista Gaulli, is considered one of the most pristine examples of Baroque art.  

The cupola of Chiesa di Sant’Andrea al Quirinale

Commissioned by Cardinal Camillo Francesco Maria Pamphili, Church of Sant’Andrea al Quirinale was the third Jesuit church in Rome. Gian Lorenzo Bernini was said to have been incredibly proud of the structure and considered it one of this best works. The heavily gilded dome is representative of the ways Baroque churches encouraged visitors to look upwards. 

The Quire inside St. Paul’s Cathedral

As the seat of the Bishop of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral is one of the most celebrated Baroque buildings in England. It’s considered a more restrained version of the Baroque style, and the large dome of the cathedral remains one of the most recognizable parts of of the London skyline.  

The Hall of Mirrors inside the Palace of Versailles

Executed in the French Baroque style, the Palace of Versailles is often cited as one of the most notable royal residences in the world. Commissioned by Louis XIV, every element of the structure is designed to glorify the king. The highly extravagant Hall of Mirrors is likely the most famous room in the building. 

What is the importance of Baroque architecture?

Like any aesthetic period, understanding Baroque architecture helps tell the human story. Not only does it serve as a lasting reminder of an important moment in history, but studying its impact explains the desires and ideals of Europeans at that time. It was also one of the first architectural styles to spread globally and a prime example of the way architecture is used to convey cultural messages. 

Additionally, the Baroque period has long represented a creative peak for Western civilization. As modernist architect  Harry Seidler explained in a lecture at University of New South Wales in 1980 on the links between Baroque and modern architecture, the Baroque style was one of the last great examples of a truly new aesthetic. “The Baroque has been called the last great creative and innovative period before our own; there have only been revival periods in between us,” he said. “The fact remains that both eras [modernism and baroque] were born of fresh thought.”  

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By Laura Begley Bloom

By Danine Alati

By Amir Capogrossi Badreddine

Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History Essays

Baroque rome.

The Denial of Saint Peter

Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi)

Bust-Length Portrait of a Woman (recto); Bust-Length Study of a Girl (verso)

Agostino Carracci

Harpsichord

Michele Todini , designer

Barberini Cabinet

Galleria dei Lavori, Florence

Bacchanal: A Faun Teased by Children

Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Cardinal Scipione Borghese (1577–1633)

Giuliano Finelli

The Abduction of the Sabine Women

Nicolas Poussin

The Coronation of the Virgin

Annibale Carracci

The Preaching of John the Baptist

Bartholomeus Breenbergh

Marcantonio Pasqualini (1614–1691) Crowned by Apollo

Andrea Sacchi

Saint John the Baptist Preaching

Mattia Preti (Il Cavalier Calabrese)

Queen Esther Approaching the Palace of Ahasuerus

Claude Lorrain (Claude Gellée)

The Fall of the Giants

Salvator Rosa

The Lamentation

Domenichino (Domenico Zampieri)

Holy-water stoup with relief of Mary of Egypt

Giovanni Giardini

Pope Alexander VII (Fabio Chigi, 1599–1667; reigned 1655–67)

Melchiorre Cafà

The Martyrdom of Saint Cecilia (Cartoon for a Fresco)

Pope Innocent X

After a composition by Alessandro Algardi

Jean Sorabella Independent Scholar

October 2003

In the seventeenth century, the city of Rome became the consummate statement of Catholic majesty and triumph expressed in all the arts. Baroque architects, artists, and urban planners so magnified and invigorated the classical and ecclesiastical traditions of the city that it became for centuries after the acknowledged capital of the European art world, not only a focus for tourists and artists but also a watershed of inspiration throughout the Western world.

Urbanism and Architecture Although Rome gained in magnificent buildings and monuments during the Renaissance , it also suffered the attacks of Reformation theologians and invading armies; although home to major centers of religious pilgrimage and venerable remains of Imperial Rome, the city’s haphazard street system impeded circulation and diminished spectators’ vantage on its monuments. To remedy this situation, Pope Sixtus V (r. 1585–90) promoted his vision of “Roma in forma sideris,” that is, Rome in the shape of a star. He engaged Domenico Fontana (1543–1607) and other planners to lay out processional avenues linking the great basilicas, such as Santa Maria Maggiore and San Giovanni in Laterano, with other strategic points; routes emanated like the rays of a star from focal piazzas marked with Egyptian obelisks brought to Rome in ancient times.

Today the papacy controls only the small zone known as Vatican City, but its domain in former times was not so restricted, and papal patronage transformed the entire city. Three energetic popes, Urban VIII (r. 1623–44), Innocent X (r. 1644–55), and Alexander VII (r. 1655–67), charged the versatile talents of Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598–1680), Francesco Borromini (1599–1667), and Pietro da Cortona (1596–1669) with commissions meant to monumentalize and beautify areas all over Rome. Bernini executed several projects at the Basilica of Saint Peter, the center of papal authority: he created the superb bronze baldacchino (canopy) over the high altar for Urban VIII, and for Alexander VII he designed the sculptural adornment of the chair of Peter in the apse and the sweeping round colonnades that frame the facade. Nearby, Bernini designed the Ponte Sant’Angelo, a bridge across the Tiber embellished with angels carrying the instruments of Christ’s passion, which eased movement between the Vatican and the important commercial area across the river.

All the popes used the official residence in the Vatican, but they also lavished attention on their own palaces in other parts of the city. Innocent X, for example, developed the Piazza Navona, commissioning Borromini to design facades for the Church of Sant’Agnese in Agone and for his palace next door, and engaging Bernini to create the spectacular Fountain of the Four Rivers, whose gushing waters, colossal sculpture, and crowning obelisk form the centerpiece of the square. The introduction of fountains and monumental stairways throughout the city induced pedestrians not only to move easily from place to place but also to linger in beautified transitional spaces. A prime example is the Spanish Steps, a symmetrical system of landings and curving staircases that connect two neighborhoods formerly divided by an impassably steep hill. Although several artists proposed solutions to the problem, the Steps were finally built to the elegant design of Francesco De Sanctis and completed in 1726.

The Building and Embellishment of Baroque Churches Throughout the seventeenth century, churches were constructed along Rome’s newly cut thoroughfares, and existing buildings were modified in keeping with Baroque taste. Borromini designed innovative churches, such as Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza and San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, in which complex harmonies of curved and rectangular forms create surprising, sculptural interiors. Borromini also remodeled the ancient basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, incorporating stuccowork by Alessandro Algardi, gilding, and an abundance of colored marbles, materials lavishly applied in many other Roman interiors. At the Cornaro Chapel in the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria, Bernini used sculpture, architectural elements, and hidden light sources to transform a family chapel into a theatrical re-creation of Saint Teresa of Ávila ecstatically receiving an angel with an arrow of divine love. As a result of Pietro da Cortona’s new convex facade for Santa Maria della Pace, the little church seems to swell into the piazza outside and beckon to the viewer turning down the street in front.

Painters also embraced the challenge to create integrated environments ( un bel composto ) meant to heighten religious experience. By 1600, in three famous paintings illustrating the life of Saint Matthew, Caravaggio made the light represented within each picture consistent with the actual illumination of the chapel where the pictures were to hang. In the 1640s and 1650s, Pietro da Cortona adorned the vaults of Santa Maria in Vallicella with spectacular portrayals of the Trinity in Glory and the Assumption of the Virgin, in which monumental groups of figures seen from below enact heavenly events as though occurring in the viewer’s own experience. Pietro’s ceiling frescoes set the standard for many later masterpieces, including the radiant Triumph of the Name of Jesus (1676–79) in Il Gesù, the principal church of the Jesuit order, painted by Giovanni Battista Gaulli, and Andrea Pozzo’s Glory of Saint Ignatius (1691–94) in the Church of Sant’Ignazio, where the ceiling seems to open to reveal the saint ascending into heaven over a hovering assembly of angels and personifications.

Painting and the Decorative Arts The concentration of willing patrons in Rome attracted artists from all over Europe, and painters continued to argue the primacy of technique based alternatively on drawing ( disegno ) or coloring ( colorito ) . Among the artists hailed for reconciling the two approaches was the Bolognese-born Annibale Carracci (1560–1609), who applied his gifts as both draftsman and colorist to the emerging genre of landscape as well as traditional religious subjects; his Coronation of the Virgin ( 1971.155 ), for instance, combines a compositional scheme derived from Michelangelo with subtle lighting in the spirit of Titian . In a famous public debate probably conducted in 1636, Andrea Sacchi (ca. 1599–1661), whose Marcantonio Pasqualini Crowned by Apollo ( 1981.317 ) displays his reliance on drawing, made claims for compositions with few figures and pure contours, while Pietro da Cortona opposed him, advocating instead great assemblies of figures and freer brushwork. Sacchi’s influence is visible in the work of the French painter Nicolas Poussin (1594–1665), who made his career in Rome, painting scenes from biblical and classical history; in his Abduction of the Sabine Women ( 46.160 ), he uses bold colors, sharp contours, and figures derived from Greco-Roman sculpture , all characteristic of his art.

The exuberant theatricality of seventeenth-century projects on an urban scale also animates smaller examples of sculpture and decorative art. Bernini’s early Bacchanal ( 1976.92 ) includes figures in characteristic twisting poses in a composition different from every point of view. Giovanni Giardini’s holy-water stoup ( 1995.110 ) depicts Saint Mary of Egypt in a concave silver panel framed in lapis lazuli, and Michele Todini’s harpsichord ( 89.4.2929 ) carried by tritons of gilded wood is conceived as the centerpiece of a mythic musical contest.

Sorabella, Jean. “Baroque Rome.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/baro/hd_baro.htm (October 2003)

Further Reading

Barberini, Maria Giulia, et al. Life and the Arts in the Baroque Palaces of Rome: Ambiente Barocco . Exhibition catalogue. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999.

Brown, Beverly Louise, ed. The Genius of Rome, 1592–1623 . Exhibition catalogue. London: Royal Academy of Arts, 2001.

Haskell, Francis. Patrons and Painters: A Study in the Relations between Italian Art and Society in the Age of the Baroque . 2d ed. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1980.

Krautheimer, Richard. The Rome of Alexander VII, 1655–1667 . Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1985.

Additional Essays by Jean Sorabella

• Sorabella, Jean. “ Pilgrimage in Medieval Europe .” (April 2011)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ Portraiture in Renaissance and Baroque Europe .” (August 2007)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ Venetian Color and Florentine Design .” (October 2002)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ Art of the Roman Provinces, 1–500 A.D. .” (May 2010)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ The Nude in Baroque and Later Art .” (January 2008)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ The Nude in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance .” (January 2008)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ The Nude in Western Art and Its Beginnings in Antiquity .” (January 2008)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ Monasticism in Western Medieval Europe .” (originally published October 2001, last revised March 2013)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ Interior Design in England, 1600–1800 .” (October 2003)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ The Vikings (780–1100) .” (October 2002)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ Painting the Life of Christ in Medieval and Renaissance Italy .” (June 2008)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ The Birth and Infancy of Christ in Italian Painting .” (June 2008)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ The Crucifixion and Passion of Christ in Italian Painting .” (June 2008)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ Carolingian Art .” (December 2008)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ Ottonian Art .” (September 2008)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ The Ballet .” (October 2004)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ The Opera .” (October 2004)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ The Grand Tour .” (October 2003)

Related Essays

• Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) (1571–1610) and His Followers
• Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598–1680)
• Nicolas Poussin (1594–1665)
• The Nude in Baroque and Later Art
• The Rediscovery of Classical Antiquity
• Annibale Carracci (1560–1609)
• Antonio Canova (1757–1822)
• Architecture in Renaissance Italy
• Art of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries in Naples
• The Byzantine City of Amorium
• Domenichino (1581–1641)
• The French Academy in Rome
• Gardens of Western Europe, 1600–1800
• The Golden Harpsichord of Michele Todini (1616–1690)
• The Grand Tour
• The Idea and Invention of the Villa
• Images of Antiquity in Limoges Enamels in the French Renaissance
• Mannerism: Bronzino (1503–1572) and his Contemporaries
• The Papacy and the Vatican Palace
• Poets, Lovers, and Heroes in Italian Mythological Prints
• The Reformation
• Roman Copies of Greek Statues
• Still-Life Painting in Southern Europe, 1600–1800
• Venetian Color and Florentine Design
• Violin Makers: Nicolò Amati (1596–1684) and Antonio Stradivari (1644–1737)
• Anatolia and the Caucasus, 1600–1800 A.D.
• Balkan Peninsula, 1600–1800 A.D.
• Central Europe (including Germany), 1600–1800 A.D.
• Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, 1600–1800 A.D.
• Florence and Central Italy, 1600–1800 A.D.
• France, 1600–1800 A.D.
• Great Britain and Ireland, 1600–1800 A.D.
• Iberian Peninsula, 1600–1800 A.D.
• Low Countries, 1600–1800 A.D.
• Rome and Southern Italy, 1600–1800 A.D.
• Venice and Northern Italy, 1600–1800 A.D.
• 17th Century A.D.
• 18th Century A.D.
• Ancient Egyptian Art
• Ancient Greek Art
• Ancient Roman Art
• Architectural Element
• Architecture
• The Assumption of the Virgin
• Baroque Art
• Central Italy
• Christianity
• Classical Period
• Classical Ruins
• Deity / Religious Figure
• Gilded Wood
• Lapis Lazuli
• Musical Instrument
• Mythical Creature
• Oil on Canvas
• Plucked String Instrument
• Preparatory Study
• Religious Art
• Renaissance Art
• Saint John the Baptist
• Sculpture in the Round
• Southern Italy
• Virgin Mary

Artist or Maker

• Algardi, Alessandro
• Amati, Andrea
• Amati, Nicolò
• Bernini, Gian Lorenzo
• Bernini, Pietro
• Breenbergh, Bartholomeus
• Cafà, Melchiorre
• Carracci, Agostino
• Carracci, Annibale
• Carracci, Ludovico
• Domenichino
• Finelli, Giuliano
• Francesco Del Tuppo
• Gentileschi, Artemisia
• Giardini, Giovanni
• Lorrain, Claude
• Luti, Benedetto
• Onofri, Basilio
• Pietro da Cortona
• Poussin, Nicolas
• Preti, Mattia
• Reiff, Jacob
• Rosa, Salvator
• Sacchi, Andrea
• Solimena, Francesco
• Todini, Michele

Online Features

• Viewpoints/Body Language: “Bacchanal: A Faun Teased by Children”

• Corrections

9 Characteristics of Baroque Architecture (16th-18th Century)

Baroque architecture flourished in Europe from the 16th to early 18th centuries. It appeared as a result of the Counter-Reformation and aimed to impress the viewer with its breathtaking structures.

Baroque architecture originated in late 16th-century Italy. This architectural style developed until the 18th century in regions such as Germany and colonial South America. The baroque style was created with a clear purpose, namely to aid the Catholic Church in winning back the adepts of the Reformation. Because the teachings of most reformed Protestants aimed for a minimalist and clean architectural style, baroque architecture did precisely the contrary. Baroque architecture proposed a rich, fluent, impressive, and dramatic style to visually oppose reformed churches. The buildings take architecture to the next level, both visually and technically, and aim to introduce the viewer to a fantastic realm that evokes the sights of Heaven.

1. Key Elements To Look For In Baroque Architecture

Baroque architecture serves a known purpose, namely that of the aid of the Counter-Reformation. Therefore, it has a clear architectural program that allows for the identification of several characteristics. The main idea behind the baroque is the stimulation of the emotions and the senses. Because the Reformation promoted a rationalized and austere image, the Catholic Church responded by taking the opposite approach. This is why every form and shape from a baroque building targets the engagement of senses and ignites emotions.

Engaging with the viewer’s emotions is no easy feat; therefore, architectural plans tend to rely on complex shapes: often an oval base and various oppositions of materials and forms that give the building a dynamic aspect. The combination of different spaces is a favorite way of emphasizing motion and sensuality. If the feeling of a building is grand, dramatic, full of contrasting surfaces, a multitude of curves, twists, and gilded statuary, it is likely a baroque building. The interior, in most cases, has a ceiling that is heavily painted, making the viewer believe there is no actual ceiling but rather that the roof is connected to the sky or a divine realm. These characteristics will be discussed in detail in the following points.

2. Famous Baroque Buildings And Artists

Some of the most notable baroque buildings are, as expected, in Italy. St. Peter’s Square in Rome is a popular and partly baroque attraction. Other examples from Rome include the façade of the Il Gesú, the building of Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza, the well-known San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, and the Trevi Fountain.

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From around Europe, some notable examples are the Belvedere Palace, Schönbrunn Palace, and St. Charles Church in Vienna; the Cathedral Santiago de Compostela and Plaza Mayor in Spain; and the Cathedral of St. Paul in London.

Besides these famous buildings, the names of Italian baroque artists Gian Lorenzo Bernini , Carlo Maderno, Francesco Borromini, and Guarino Guarini ought to be mentioned as they were the trendsetters of this style. Moreover, outside Italy, it is worth noting the works of Austrian architects Johan Bernhard, Fischer von Erlach, and English architect Christopher Wren.

3. Everything Flows In Baroque Architecture

With architectural plans that go beyond traditional geometric shapes and often use other inspirations such as letters or combinations of forms imitating a natural element, Baroque architecture is very diverse. Because of the complexity of the plan, there are more opportunities for the architects to play with shapes and forms, all for the sake of visual movement.

Because Baroque architects wished to do the impossible, namely to create movement in the most static form of art, they resorted to curves. Curves and counter-curves became thus the dominant motif of all Baroque architecture and art. Just as in Renaissance architecture , columns were still the main element for the façade of a building. Because of this, artists like Bernini quickly understood that they should make undulating columns in order to give off a dynamic appearance. Bernini’s famous Baldacchino from St. Peter in Rome is an excellent example of this dynamic effect. To go even further in the pursuit of movement, Guarino Guarini began using an undulating order which stood for a system of undulating elements that would create the final appearance of continuous curving.

4. Step Into The Heaven Of Color 

Not all historic architecture comprises stone and dull elements, which is especially true for Baroque architecture. Color and painting played an influential role in the complex realization of a building. If Renaissance artists began painting ceilings for patrons, the Baroque took it to another level. During the Renaissance , this was an optional feature; for the Baroque movement, it became a standard. However, painting wasn’t the only type of ceiling decoration used. Wooden ceilings were still in use from the Renaissance but now featured painted or gilded cavities, becoming lacunar ceilings as they would feature an interplay of empty and filled spaces.

When the ceiling was not made out of wood, a rich variation of stuccoes would be used to offer depth. Stucco was made out of plaster with finely powdered marble and which was then modeled and applied on the ceiling, creating a tri-dimensional aspect. Stuccoes were often highly decorated with wreaths of different leaves and plants, geometric forms, and occasionally some human figures such as cupids. What must be stressed here is that the Baroque was a very diverse style that didn’t mind combining different techniques in order to obtain the desired effect. Therefore, a painted ceiling will most likely feature wooden and stucco decorations.

5. The Devil Lies In The Details 

If there is an architectural style that thrives in details, that surely is the Baroque. Baroque architecture made extensive use of details its principal mission. Because of this, baroque buildings are often perceived to be overwhelming and otherworldly. One cannot grasp all the details in one view. Everything is assembled to look as divine as if you stepped into Heaven and left the mundane behind.

This dedication to detail is visible everywhere: on the walls decorated with beautiful wooden, marble, and stone sculptures, on the ceiling often vaulted, arched, and painted, and in the small adorned decorations. Baroque architecture makes use of all available materials. The artists and architects employed materials as appropriately as possible in the sense that they used wood for very intricate designs, stone for elements that had to be durable, and marble for the most expensive pieces. Because now the buildings are seen by architects as a single and coherent mass, the decorations played a crucial role in uniting the different parts of a building. Architectural sculptures and vegetal and ornamental motifs become critical elements for helping the eye of the viewer flow from the floor to the walls and up to the ceiling without perceiving them as dislocated from another.

6. The Keyword Of Baroque Architecture: Illusion 

Grandeur is the universal word that can describe any baroque building, which brings us to another key feature: illusion. To bring the divine into one’s palace or church, one has to have ample funds that can cover the most expensive materials. However, not everyone could cover the expensive costs of constructing grand Baroque monuments. This is where illusion would come into play: it was a feature that could cut some of the expenses and thus make construction somewhat more budget-friendly. There is a reason why Baroque is jokingly considered among art historians to be a sort of kitsch.

Marble, gold, silver, pearls, and so on were expensive materials one couldn’t always afford to invest into a building. Baroque architecture is highly ingenious as it uses illusion to give the impression of costly materials. For example, at the main altar of a baroque church, there would most likely be a set of grand columns. At a closer look, the viewer would think that they are made out of marble, but in truth, the columns would actually be made out of wood and painted over to offer the visual illusion of marble. This was done so skillfully that the viewer was easily and quite often fooled. Elements of decorations were painted in gold color to give the appearance of real gold, ceilings had painted frames that would give the impression of authentic tri-dimensional frames, and so on. The Baroque played with one’s sight and senses.

7. Trompe L’Œil And Life-Like Appearances

The set of illusions discussed above wouldn’t be enough if the person viewing them would see them as such. Painting techniques, such as trompe l’œil , were used to fool the eye to the point that the person viewing them would wonder: are my eyes deceiving me? The effect of the illusion is absolute if the affected person cannot be certain that what they are looking at is an illusion or not. Indeed, this was the desired outcome. How to win over a guest if not by presenting him with something that will most likely fascinate and baffle him?

The technique of trompe l’œil was a continuation of the Renaissance fascination with perspective. By mastering perspective and developing it to its full potential, painters could uncover new methods to create illusions. The meaning of the technique itself translates to: to deceive the eye . The human figures depicted in a scene using the trompe l’œil technique will offer the sensation that they are getting out of their painting. Trompe l’oeil painting is the type of painting that depicts an object and makes the viewer want to touch it to see if it’s real. Combined with a high interest in life-likeness, the Baroque movement used painted decorations to make buildings become open spaces that reached the heavens.

8. Playing With Light

In theater, light plays an essential role. It can indicate to the spectator if the setting is joyous or ominous, depending on how it is set. Baroque architecture made no exceptions as the style aimed at a dramatic delivery in all of its art forms. How to obtain a dramatic character if not by the manipulation of light?

But how can one direct light in a building? After all, light is not a static painting nor a sculpture. It could be done by the juxtaposition of strong projections, which are complemented by abrupt and deep recesses. Another way of doing this would be by breaking the surface, making it irregular. The main architectural elements that aided in this were the small carved decorations that would shelter both light and shadow in their carvings, giving off from afar the sensation of movement. Another way of accomplishing light manipulation would be by the simple combination of different materials that would create the breaking of surface. Each material takes on light and shadow differently. Therefore, through the use of multiple materials, the architect could create a play of light and shadow with high contrast, just like a Caravaggio painting .

9. Baroque Architecture: Mastery Of Everything 

In many ways, Baroque architecture is a culmination of all the existing styles up until its birth. This is why it can be said that it implies a manifestation of ultimate mastery. To be a baroque artisan means to have absorbed all the lessons of ancient, medieval, and Renaissance art in order to deliver something that has its root in their practices yet surpasses their results. Aesthetically, it is hard to dispute what style is more pleasant. After all, this is up to the viewer. However, Baroque architecture offers visual excitement and wonder.

If words are not enough to convince, then the artworks themselves will do it. It is enough to look at the works of Bernini, both in architecture and sculpture, to understand what true mastery means. The Baroque artist can use materials to their utmost potential, becoming a true master of technique. The artistic products of this period make you wonder whether something is genuinely made out of stone or actually alive.

Baroque: An Art Movement as Luxurious as it Sounds

By Anisia Iacob MA Art History, MA in Philosophy Anisia Iacob holds an MA in both Art History and Philosophy at Leiden University. She holds a BA in Art History where she focused on 17th century Dutch vanitas painting and a BA in Philosophy where she researched fashion and embodied cognition. With a keen interest in anything and everything, her research interest goes from history to neuroscience, attesting to her curious personality. Besides studies, she works as a contributing writer. Anisia looks forward to finishing her two MAs and starting a PhD in Philosophy.

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26 Baroque Architecture

The highly theatrical Baroque architectural style dominated Italy in the 1600s.

Learning Objectives

Define the characteristics and examples of Roman Baroque architecture

• Baroque architecture was linked to the Counter-Reformation, celebrating the wealth of the Catholic Church. It was characterized by new explorations of form, light and shadow, and dramatic intensity.
• Bernini was the master of Baroque architecture in Rome; St. Peter’s Square was one of his greatest achievements.
• Carlo Fontana became Rome’s leading Baroque architect following Bernini’s death in 1680.
• Other influential Baroque architects in Italy included Carlo Maderno, Pietro da Cortano, and Francesco Borromini.
• Counter-Reformation : The period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) and ending at the close of the Thirty Years’ War (1648); considered a response to the Protestant Reformation.
• Baroque : A period in western art from c. 1600 to the middle of the 18th century, characterized by drama, rich color, and extreme contrast between light and shadow.

The Baroque Period in Italy

The Baroque period of architecture began in the late 16th century in Rome, Italy. It took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and the absolutist state. It was characterized by new explorations of naturalism, form, light and shadow, and dramatic intensity.

Whereas the Renaissance drew on the wealth and power of the Italian courts and was a blend of secular and religious forces, the Baroque was – initially at least – directly linked to the Catholic Counter-Reformation, a reform movement in response to the Protestant Reformation. Baroque architecture and its embellishments were on one hand more expressive of the emotions, and on the other, a visible statement of the wealth and power of the Catholic Church.

Architectural Accomplishments

A number of ecclesiastical buildings of the Baroque period in Rome had plans based on the Italian paradigm of the basilica with a crossed dome and nave (cruciform plan), but the treatment of the architecture was very different than earlier examples. One of the first Roman structures to break with the previous conventions was the church of Santa Susanna, designed by Carlo Maderno. The dynamic rhythm of columns and pilasters, central massing, and the protrusion and condensed central decoration add complexity to the structure. There is an incipient playfulness with the rules of classic design, but it still maintains a level of rigor. Look for movement toward the viewer in Baroque architecture in the façade and ornamentation.

Pietro de Cortona

The same concerns with plasticity, massing, dramatic effects, and shadow and light are evident in the architectural work of Pietro da Cortona, illustrated by his design of Santi Luca e Martina (construction began in 1635) with what was probably the first curved Baroque church façade in Rome. These concerns are even more evident in his reworking of Santa Maria della Pace (1656– 8). The façade of the building, with its half-domed portico shadowed with chiaroscuro, and concave side wings, closely resembles a theatrical stage set and projects forward so that it substantially fills the tiny trapezoidal piazza. The conceit of the theater is one of the recurring motifs to look for in Baroque architecture.

Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Other Roman ensembles of the Baroque and late Baroque period are likewise suffused with urban theatricality and provide points of focus within the surrounding cityscape. Probably the most well-known example of such an approach is Saint Peter’s Square, which has been praised as a masterstroke of Baroque theatre. The piazza, designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, is formed principally by two colonnades of free-standing columns centered on an Egyptian obelisk. The oval colonnades extend the façade of St. Peter’s and enclose the piazza in the embrace of Mother Church. Bernini’s own favorite architectural achievement was his oval church of Sant’Andrea al Quirinale, decorated with polychome marbles and an ornate gold dome. His secular architecture included the Palazzo Barberini (based on plans by Maderno) and the Palazzo Chigi-Odescalchi (1664), both in Rome.

Francesco Borromini

Bernini’s rival, the architect Francesco Borromini, produced designs that deviated dramatically from the regular compositions of the ancient world and Renaissance. His building plans were based on complex geometric figures, his architectural forms were unusual and inventive, and he employed multi-layered symbolism in his architectural designs. His iconic masterpiece is the diminutive church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, distinguished by a complicated plan that is partly oval and partly a cross, giving it complex convex-concave wall rhythms. The oval is to Baroque what the rational circle was to the Renaissance. Both Bernini and Borromini make expressive use of the oval in their designs.

Carlo Fontana

Following the death of Bernini in 1680, Carlo Fontana emerged as the most influential architect working in Rome during the Baroque period. His early style is exemplified by the slightly concave façade of San Marcello al Corso. Fontana’s academic approach, though lacking the dazzling inventiveness of his Roman predecessors, exerted substantial influence on Baroque architecture both through his prolific writings and through the number of architects he trained, who would disseminate the Baroque idioms throughout 18th-century Europe.

Spanish Architecture in the Baroque Period

A particular strand of Baroque architecture evolved in Spain and its provinces and former colonies in the late 17th century.

• Identify characteristics of Spanish Baroque architecture, its most famous examples, and how it differs from the art of Northern Europe in the 17th century.
• In contrast to the art of Northern Europe, the Spanish art of the Baroque period appealed more to the emotions rather than seeking to please the intellect.
• Some of the most notable examples of Spanish architecture from the Baroque period include the façades of the University of Valladolid (1719) and the western façade of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (1750).
• Herrerian : A style of architecture developed in Spain during the last third of the 16th century under the reign of Philip II (1556–1598) and continued in force in the 17th century, transformed then by the Baroque current of the time.
• Moorish : Of or pertaining to a style of Spanish architecture from the time of the Moors, characterized by the horseshoe arch and ornate, geometric decoration.
• Baroque : A period in western art from c. 1600 to the middle of the 18th century, characterized by drama, rich color, and dramatic contrast between light and shadow.
• Obelisk : A tall, square, tapered stone monolith topped with a pyramidal point, frequently used as a monument.

The Development of Baroque in Spain

Spanish Baroque is a strand of Baroque architecture that evolved in Spain and its provinces and former colonies, notably Spanish America and Belgium, in the late 17th century. As Italian Baroque influences spread across the Pyrenees Mountains, they gradually superseded in popularity the restrained classical approach of Juan de Herrera, which had been in vogue since the late 16th century.

For example, by 1667, the facades of Granada Cathedral (by Alonso Cano) and Jaén Cathedral (by Eufrasio López de Rojas) suggest the artists’ fluency in interpreting traditional motifs of Spanish cathedral architecture in the Baroque aesthetic idiom. In Madrid, a vernacular Baroque with its roots in Herrerian and in traditional brick construction was developed in the Plaza Mayor and in the Royal Palace of El Buen Retiro, which was destroyed during the French invasion by Napoleon’s troops. Its gardens still remain as El Retiro park. This sober brick Baroque of the 17th century is still well represented in the streets of the capital in palaces and squares.

Notable Examples

One examples of the most eye-catching creations of Spanish Baroque is the energetic western façade of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (Fernando de Casas y Novoa, 1750). In this example, as in many others, the Churrigueresque design involves a play of sculptural and decorative elements with little relation to structure and function. The focus of the florid ornamentation is an elaborately sculpted surround to a main doorway. If one removed the intricate maze of broken pediments, undulating cornices, stucco shells, inverted tapers, and garlands from the rather plain wall it is set against, the building’s form would not be affected in the slightest.

The Royal Palace of Madrid (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Palace_of_Madrid) deserves special mention. It was constructed in a sober Baroque international style, often mistaken for neoclassical, by the king Philip V.

English Architecture in the Baroque Period

English architecture during the 17th century can be characterized by its use of Palladian, Jacobean, and English Baroque styles.

• Define the architecture of 17th century England.
• Inigo Jones is known for introducing Palladian architecture to England, a highly symmetrical style based on the principles of formal Classical temple architecture of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
• Popular during the early 17th century, the Jacobean style can be classified by its adoption of decadent and detailed Renaissance motifs such as columns and pilasters, round arch arcades, and flat roofs with openwork parapets, as seen in Hatfield House.
• The architect Sir Christopher Wren was responsible for the genesis of the English Baroque style; after the Great Fire of London in 1666, he rebuilt many of the city’s churches, such as St. Paul’s Cathedral.
• English Baroque architecture can be characterized by heavy structures adorned with elaborate decoration; compared to the contemporary Baroque of the European continent, however, it tends to be relatively plain, with more Classical subtleties.
• arcade : A row of arches.
• parapet : Part of a perimeter that extends above the roof.
• pilaster : A rectangular column that projects partially from the wall to which it is attached; it gives the appearance of a support but is only for decoration.

English Architecture in the 17th Century

The architecture in England during the 17th century saw a continuation of the use of Classical forms, which eventually gave way to a uniform style, derived chiefly from Italy and exemplified predominantly in the work of Inigo Jones. Jacobean architecture was prominent in the first quarter of the 17th century, and English Baroque architecture, a distinctly English take on the Italian Baroque style, became prevalent during the later part of the 17th century following the Great Fire of London.

Inigo Jones and Palladian Architecture

Palladian architecture is highly symmetrical and based on the principles of formal Classical temple architecture of the ancient Greeks and Romans. It was a style seen during the 17th century in England and became truly prominent in the 18th century. Inigo Jones, one of the first significant English architects, is known for introducing the Italian Renaissance style to England. He is responsible for the Queen’s House at Greenwich (1635) and the Banqueting House in the Palace of Whitehall (1622), which he designed based on the work of Palladio, an influential Italian Classical-style architect; its ceiling was painted by Peter Paul Rubens.

Jacobean Architecture

The second phase of Renaissance architecture in England is termed the Jacobean style. This style was popular during the first quarter of the 17th century during the reign of King James I. Chronologically following the Elizabethan style, the Jacobean style can be classified by its adoption of decadent and detailed Renaissance motifs such as columns and pilasters, round arch arcades, and flat roofs with openwork parapets. These classical motifs were, however, not strictly applied (as they were by Inigo Jones) but used rather freely and synthesized with elements of Elizabethan style architecture. Architectural examples of the style include Hatfield House, Knole House, and Holland House by John Thorpe.

English Baroque

The later 17th century saw Baroque architecture come to prominence in a style that is termed English Baroque. It was the architect Christopher Wren, one of the most acclaimed English architects in history, who was responsible for the genesis of the English Baroque style. When the Great Fire of London in 1666 forced much of the city to be rebuilt, Wren was hired to replace many of the churches. His most ambitious construction, St. Paul’s Cathedral, was a magnificent piece of architecture and is the only English cathedral in the Classical tradition.

Characteristics

Popular from 1666 to about 1715, English Baroque architecture is characterized by heavy structures adorned with elaborate decoration; compared to the contemporary Baroque of the European continent, however, it tends to be relatively plain, with more Classical subtleties. Baroque country houses, such as Chatsworth House by William Talman and Castle Howard by Vanbrugh and Hawksmoor, began to appear in the 1690s. The most significant architects after Wren were Sir John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor, who built Castle Howard (1699) and Blenheim Palace (1705).

French Architecture in the Baroque Period: Versailles

The Palace of Versailles was built during King Louis XIV’s reign and contains 700 rooms, extensive gardens, and lavish decoration.

• Identify the most impressive features of Versailles and those artistically responsible.
• The Palace of Versailles was executed in the French Baroque style, characterized by its large curved forms, twisted columns, high domes, and complicated shapes.
• The architect for the palace was Louis Le Vau, the interior decorator was Charles Le Brun, and the landscape designer was Andre Le Notre.
• Interior design from this period is known as Louis XIV style. Originated by Le Brun, it is characterized by richly woven red and gold fabrics or brocades, heavy gilded plaster molding, large sculpted side boards, and heavy marbling.
• The gardens at Versailles cover nearly 2,000 acres of land and were executed in the French formal garden style, or jardin a la francaise .
• Notable features of the palace include the Hall of Mirrors and the Grande Canal.
• parterre : A garden with paths between flowerbeds.
• brocade : A thick, heavy fabric into which raised patterns have been woven.
• molding : A plane or curved narrow surface, either sunk or projecting, used for decoration by means of the lights and shades upon its surface and to conceal joints, especially between unlike materials.

Overview: Versailles

The Palace of Versailles is an opulent palace built by Louis XIV that contains 700 rooms, extensive gardens, and lavish decoration. Initially, a small hunting lodge built by his father, Louis XIV transformed Versailles with four intensive building campaigns over his reign. The formal aesthetic of the palace was meant to glorify France and show the power and greatness of the self-proclaimed Sun King, Louis XIV. The architect for the palace was Louis Le Vau, the interior decorator was Charles Le Brun, and the landscape designer was Andre Le Notre. These three artists had worked together previously on the private Chateau Vaux le Vicomte for the king’s minister of finance before he was imprisoned. In 1682, Versailles was transformed into the official residence of the king, and such notable features of the palace as the Hall of Mirrors and the Grande Canal were built.

The Architecture: Louis Le Vau

The Palace of Versailles was executed in the French Baroque style by architect Louis Le Vau, a French Classical architect who worked for King Louis XIV. French Baroque architectural style is characterized by its large curved forms, twisted columns, high domes, and complicated shapes. In comparison to the Baroque architecture of the rest of Europe, it is commonly thought to be more restrained and characterized by its mixture of lavish details on symmetrical and orderly buildings.

The Interior Design: Charles Le Brun

Charles Le Brun was the interior decorator for the Palace of Versailles, as well as first painter to the king. Louis XIV declared Le Brun the “greatest painter of all time,” and Le Brun worked on such notable features of the palace as the Halls of War and Peace, the Ambassadors’ Staircase, and the Great Hall of Mirrors. Interior design from this period is known as Louis XIV style, originated by Le Brun, and was characterized by richly woven red and gold fabrics or brocades, heavy gilded plaster molding, large sculpted side boards, and heavy marbling.

The Hall of Mirrors is the central gallery of the Palace of Versailles and is one of the most famous rooms in the world. The main feature of this room is a series of 17 mirrored arches that reflect 17 arcaded windows overlooking the gardens. Each arch contains 21 mirrors. The arches are fixed between marble pilasters upon which bronze symbols of France are embedded.

The Gardens: Andre Le Notre

The landscape design at the Palace of Versailles is one of the most extravagant in history. Headed by Andre Le Notre, the gardens at Versailles cover nearly 2,000 acres of land and were executed in the French formal garden style, or jardin a la francaise . This style is characterized by its meticulously manicured lawns, parterres of flowers, numerous fountains, and sculptures.

A common feature of sculpture and decoration at Versailles is the use of classical mythology as allegory. The Bassin de Latone (Basin of the Pool) was designed by Le Notre and sculpted by Gaspard and Balthazar Marsy between 1668–1670. (https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier:Bassin_de_Latone_2016.jpg)

This fountain depicts scenes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, chosen as allegories to revolts during the king’s reign. The Bassin d’Apollon is another fountain that depicts the sun god driving his chariot to light the sky. The Grotte de Thetys is a freestanding structure with an interior decorated in elaborate shell-work to represent the myth of Apollo.

The Grande Canal is a notable feature of the gardens, with an impressive length of 1,500 x 62 meters. King Louis XIV ordered the construction of “little Venice ” on the Grand Canal, which housed yachts, gondolas, and gondoliers received from Venice. It also served a functional purpose by gathering the water that drained from the fountains and redistributing it to the gardens by horse-powered pump.

Introduction To Art Copyright © by Muffet Jones is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Baroque Art and Architecture

Summary of Baroque Art and Architecture

In 1527 Europe, religious dominance had the power to direct and inform the content and climate of society's artistic output. At the time, a backlash against the conservative Protestant Reformation was compelled by the Catholic Church to re-establish its importance and grandeur within society. Artists followed suit by reviving Renaissance ideals of beauty, infusing into the era's artwork, music, and architecture a revived nod to classicism further enhanced by a new exuberant extravagance and penchant for the ornate. This highly embellished style was coined Baroque and became marked by its innovative techniques and details, delivering a lush new visual language into what had been a relatively toned down period for art. Baroque disseminated throughout Europe, primarily led by the Pope in Rome and Catholic rulers in Italy, France, Spain, and Flanders. It was further disseminated by powerful religious orders through their extensive network of monasteries and convents. The style spread rapidly to France, northern Italy, Spain and Portugal, then to Austria and southern Germany.

Key Ideas & Accomplishments

• Baroque brought images for religious worship back into the public eye after being banned for their glorification of the ethereal and ideal. The movement's leaders professed that art should be easily understood and strongly felt by common people with the effect of encouraging piety and an awe for the church.
• Baroque churches became a pivotal example of the invigorated emphasis on the glory of Catholicism with their designs that incorporated a large central space with a dome or cupola high overhead, allowing light to illuminate the space below. The dome was one of the central symbolic features of baroque architecture illustrating the union between the heavens and the earth. Extremely intricate interiors, rife with ornamentation, allowed for a feeling of being fully immersed within an elevated and sacred space.
• The defining characteristics of the Baroque style were: real or implied movement, an attempt to represent infinity, an emphasis on light and its effects, and a focus on the theatrical. A number of techniques were introduced, or further developed, by Baroque artists to accomplish these effects including quadro riportato (frescos that incorporated the illusion of being composed of a series of framed paintings), quadrature (ceiling painting), and trompe l'oeil techniques. This allowed for a blurring of the boundaries between painting, sculpture, and architecture that was signature to the movement.
• Baroque ushered in a new era for European sculpture, led largely by the work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini , which emphasized sensual richness, dramatic realism, intense emotion, and movement. In Baroque sculpture figures assumed new importance, often spiraling outward from a central vortex, reaching into the surrounding space, meant to be seen in the round from multiple perspectives.
• The use of chiaroscuro , in which the treatment of light and dark in an artwork helped to create dramatic tension, was a key component in Baroque artwork. It was further evolved by Baroque master Caravaggio into tenebrism , which used the intensification of contrast within dark atmospheric scenes to spotlight particular elements.

Key Artists

Artworks and Artists of Baroque Art and Architecture

The Calling of St Matthew

Artist: Caravaggio

This work shows a dark tavern where a number of men dressed in contemporary clothing have turned to face Christ, his right arm pointing toward St. Matthew. The light, creating a diagonal that follows Christ's gesture, highlights the expressions and gestures of the men, conveying a sense of the dramatic arrival of the divine. The figures are depicted realistically, their strong muscled calves and thighs in mid-movement. The man at the end of the table is slumped over counting coins. This work was one of three paintings that the artist created in a commission to depict the signature moments in the life of St. Matthew. Employing chiaroscuro , the intense contrast of light and dark, the work exhibits the direct realism and intense sense of psychological drama that distinguished Caravaggio's work. His technique involved using ordinary people as models and painting them directly, leaving out the drawing stage, and, as a result, as art curator Letizia Treves said, he "made these Biblical stories so vivid, he brought them into his own time - and he involves you, so that you don't just passively watch. Even today, you don't need to know the story...to feel involved in the drama." In the early 1600s, noted artists including Rubens, Velázquez, Rembrandt, and the Caravaggists throughout Europe were widely influenced by Caravaggio's style. He also influenced lesser-known artists like Dirck van Baburen, Gerrit van Honthorst, and Valentin de Boulogne. By the end of the century, his work fell into obscurity displaced by a rising emphasis on classicism, and wasn't revived until the mid-20 th century with a major exhibit in Milan in 1951. His work has again become influential, for example, upon photographer David LaChappelle, the artist Mat Collishaw, and filmmaker Martin Scorsese. Scorsese said of his work, "You come upon the scene midway and you're immersed in it ... It was like modern staging in film: it was so powerful and direct."

Oil on canvas - San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome

Le debarquement de Marie de Médicis au port de Marseille le 3 November

Artist: Peter Paul Rubens

This painting depicts the arrival of The Queen of France Marie de' Medici, dressed in resplendent silver, accompanied by the Grand Duchess of Tuscany and the Duchess of Mantua, as she disembarks on a red parapet. A soldier in a blue cloak patterned with gold fleur-de-lis to signify France, opens his arms to greet her. Above her, a mythological winged figure, representing Fame with two trumpets, heralds her arrival to marry King Henry IV. The diagonal of the red parapet that extends from the gold prow of the ship creates a sense of movement and it also divides the painting into two different worlds; the elegant and refined world of nobility above, and the classical mythological scene below. Three Greek Naiads, goddesses of the sea who ensured safe voyages, fill the lower frame. To their left, Neptune with a gray beard holds out his arm to calm the sea, while next to him, the god Fortune leans against the boat while steering it. These mythological figures lend grandeur and allegorical meaning to the Queen's arrival, but, at the same time, the three nude Naiads overshadow the event with their dynamic sensuality. Rubens' masterful compositions that combined a wealth of history and allegory with depictions of signature moments in scenes of visual exuberance were much in demand with the nobility. The unabashed sensuality of his full-figured female nudes was also innovative, and so distinctive they are still dubbed as "Rubenesques." As art critic Mark Hudson wrote, "He imported the proto-baroque painting of Titian and Michelangelo and the gritty realism of Caravaggio into Northern Europe, fusing them into a physically gigantic, sensually overloaded, triumphantly Catholic art." This was one of 24 paintings commissioned by Marie de' Medici in 1621, after the assassination of her husband Henry IV, to create a cycle to immortalize her life. She may also have been motivated to portray her rightful standing, as tensions between the ruling factions in France and a "foreign" queen had led to her banishment from the court in 1617. Rubens, the most famous painter in Northern Europe, was drawn to the commission as it gave him permission to explore a secular subject, and one that he could inform with allegorical and mythological treatments. Art historian Roger Avermaete wrote of the work, "He surrounded her [Marie de' Medici] with such a wealth of appurtenances that at every moment she was very nearly pushed into the background. Consider, for example, the Disembarkation at Marseilles , where everyone has eyes only for the voluptuous Naiads, to the disadvantage of the queen who is being received with open arms by France." Ruben's work was influential upon artists like Velázquez and informed the Rococo artists that followed including Antoine Watteau and Francois Boucher. He also influenced Eugène Delacroix, Paul Cézanne, and Pablo Picasso. Though less known, his landscapes also influenced J.M.W. Turner, John Constable, and Thomas Gainsborough. As Mark Hudson wrote, "From Rembrandt, Watteau and Delacroix to Cézanne and Picasso, the Rubenesque sensibility runs strong and deep through Western art."

Oil on canvas - Musée du Louvre, Paris

Judith and Holofernes

Artist: Artemisia Gentileschi

This dynamic painting depicts the Biblical story of the pious widow Judith and her attendant Abra as they behead the struggling Assyrian general Holofernes. When Holofernes besieged and threatened to destroy her city, Judith adorned herself and went out to meet him on the pretext of offering information. Intending to seduce her, he invited her into his tent for dinner but as the Bible says, "was so enchanted with her that he drank far more wine than he had drunk on any other day in his life." Taking a sword, Judith beheaded him and returned with his head in a basket to the city, where she was acclaimed as a hero. Unlike traditional depictions which emphasized Judith's beauty and delicacy and portrayed Abra as an observing witness, this work innovatively emphasizes the women's strength, their expressions conveying determined resolve, as they work together, sleeves rolled up, to do a difficult but necessary task. The intense physicality and violence of the depiction, as art historian Esperança Camara wrote, "to this day...strikes its viewers with both revulsion and awe at the skill of the artist who so convincingly transformed paint into blood." This particular subject was popular in Renaissance Florence, as seen in Donatello's statue Judith and Holofernes (1460). In the Baroque period, it became identified with the Church Militant, an expression of the victory of Christianity. But Gentileschi's portrayal took on a unique immediacy as it was informed by a personal traumatic experience. She portrayed herself as Judith and Holofernes resembles the artist Agostino Tassi, her art tutor who raped her. In 1612 he was put on trial (although it was Gentileschi who was tortured to ascertain her truthfulness), found guilty, and spent eight months in prison before being pardoned early into his sentence. Even though he had been convicted of rape previously and suspected of having murdered his wife, Tassi benefited from both the gender privileges of the era and the protection that powerful patrons extended to artists. Pope Innocent X said, "Tassi is the only one of these artists who has never disappointed me," meaning because he never pretended to be a man of honor. As art critic Jonathan Jones wrote, "she communicated a powerful personal vision," that "fought back against the male violence that dominated the world she lived in." Perhaps as a result of that intense personal vision, her work was later hidden away. By the 1700s it was viewed as 'too violent.' In her own time, as Jones wrote, "the visceral power of her paintings made her one of the most famous artists in Europe." Feminist artists, including Judy Chicago and the Guerilla Girls in the 1970s, subsequently rediscovered her work.

Oil on canvas - The Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Artist: Gian Lorenzo Bernini

The Barberini family of Pope Urban VII commissioned this Baldachin, or ceremonial canopy, for the site of St. Peter's tomb in the Vatican City. It is made of four helical Solomonic columns that twist upward towards four monumental angels who gather beneath a gleaming gold cross resting on an orb in a classic symbol of the triumph of Christianity. The dynamic energy of the columns, named for the ancient Temple of Solomon, metaphorically connect the past to the present to convey the continuing authority of the church. A dramatic and awe-inspiring effect is created, towering over the high altar. Innovatively combining sculpture with architecture, the structure meditates between the vast scale of the basilica and the human scale of the gathered worshippers, while also framing and leaving open the view to the Chair of St. Peter, also designed by Bernini. Bernini's elaboration of surfaces with symbolic details pioneered the High Baroque's emphasis on the ornate. The plinths, or marble bases, are carved in eight escutcheons, showing the Barberini coat of arms with bees, a tiara with the keys of St. Peter, a satyr's head, and a woman's head. The woman's facial expressions dramatically change and are replaced in the last plinth with the face of a cherub causing a number of scholars to have dubbed it the "childbirth sequence." Moving higher up the columns, olive and laurel motifs, small cherubs chasing bees, and an occasional lizard proliferate, creating both an organic vitality and symbolic meaning. These details are so precisely observed and realistic that a legend spread that Bernini had covered a living lizard to cast it. In his Montage and Architecture (1940) the great filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein described the sequence as "one of the most spectacular compositions of that great master Bernini," with the coats of arms as "eight shots, eight montage sequences of a whole montage scenario."

Bronze, gilded, marble - St. Peter's Basilica, Rome

The Night Watch

Artist: Rembrandt van Rijn

This painting depicts a militia company (basically a civil guard unit) as it prepares to move out to protect the city. Employing light and shadow to center on the figure of Captain Frans Banning in black and his lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburch, wearing the shimmering yellow of victory. To the left of Banning, a single girl dressed in luminous fabric may symbolize the company. Her belt contains two clues: a pistol and the talons of a dead chicken, which represented the clauweniers , or the Dutch name for this company of harquebusiers , (men armed with long guns.) A sense of dynamic anticipation is conveyed by the facial expressions and gestures of the company: a man beats a drum on the right but no one appears to be paying attention; another man awkwardly tries to load his musket; and a man wearing a helmet with oak leaves has just fired off his own. As a result, Rembrandt captures the comedic, boisterous, purposeful, and individualistic humanity of the group. The Militia Company of District III commissioned the group portrait in 1639, meant for exhibition in the new Kloveniersdoelen (Musketeer's Meeting Hall). Rembrandt's piece accomplished the traditional representation of every individual yet compositionally presented something new; as art critic Maaike Dirkx wrote, "Rembrandt did something very different: in his Night Watch not the sitters but the action is the focus of attention and where other civic guards paintings are static, his is all about movement." Although in later life, Rembrandt's career went into decline and his work was generally forgotten, his work was rediscovered in the 1800s and he influenced a number of artists including Auguste Rodin, Max Liebermann, and Vincent van Gogh. Now one of the world's most recognizable paintings, this piece has enjoyed continual cultural presence evoked by philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Jean-Luc Godard's film Passion, The Night Watch (1982), and Peter Greenaway's film Nightwatching (2007).

Oil on canvas - Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba

Artist: Claude Lorrain

This work presents an imagined and idealized city drenched with a feeling of calm grandeur, enhanced by the work's poetic emphasis upon light. It references the biblical story of the Queen of Sheba's visit to King Solomon in Jerusalem, yet focuses primarily on the landscape with the sun and its rays vertically intersecting the canvas. Classical buildings frame both sides of the view, creating a strong sense of composition, informed by a precise linear perspective. The columns on the left mirror the ship's masthead, intersected by its diagonals of sail and prow. On the right, the columns of the building draw the viewer's attention down to the group around the Queen descending to a launch boat. Claude innovatively chose the moment of the Queen's departure, rather than the traditional depiction of her meeting with King Solomon, allowing him to focus on a harbor scene, a subject he pioneered. His innovative explorations of light made him the most noted landscape painter of his day. Though French, he trained in Rome and subsequently, worked in the city for noted patrons, including the Duc de Bouillon, a general in the Papal army, who commissioned this work as part of a pair depicting joyful Biblical scenes. The other painting, Landscape with the Marriage of Isaac and Rebecca (1648) makes the landscape itself the subject, as the only reference to the Biblical story is a small inscription on a tree painted in the idealized pastoral. Claude's work greatly influenced J.M.W. Turner who painted Dido Building Carthage (also known as The Rise of the Carthaginian Empire ) (1815), echoing this painting. Turner felt this was so important to his oeuvre that initially his will requested he be buried wrapped in the canvas. He later amended his will to request that the painting be shown, paired with his Sun Rising through Vapour, Fishermen Cleaning and Selling Fish (1807), along with Claude's pair of paintings.

Oil on canvas - The National Gallery, London

Ecstasy of Saint Teresa

Artist: Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini

The colorful interior of Bernini's Cornaro Chapel located in the Santa Maria della Vittoria Church is highly embellished. Within it on the right, we see a statue of St. Teresa in a state of ecstasy. Above her on the left, a male angel smiles down upon her, holding the spear that he will plunge into her heart. The marble seems to swirl and fall emphasizing Teresa's swoon as the sculpture is lit from a ray of golden light from above. St. Teresa of Avila was canonized in 1622. To portray her mystical encounter, Bernini followed the Spanish nun's autobiographical account in The Life of Teresa of Jesus (1515-82). He managed to radically transform a spiritual vision into a sensual and physical image, as art critic Irving Lavin noted, the work "becomes a point of contact between earth and heaven, between matter and spirit." Part of Bernini's innovative strategy was to position the main figures of the narrative within a vivid theatrical setting. The sculptures are illuminated within the backdrop while at the same time the richly colored framing columns and niches place the nun and angel within a separate, otherworldly space. Theatre boxes, visible on the left and the right, containing life-sized sculptures of the Cornaro family in animated conversation, heighten the effect. The contrast of the human figures in white marble with the colored marble of the settings subtly conveys an underlying identification between the vision of the saint and the vision of the papal family. As art historian Rudolf Wittkower wrote, "In spite of the pictorial character of the design as a whole, Bernini differentiated between various degrees of reality, the members of the Cornaro Chapel seem to be alive like ourselves. They belong to our space and our world. The supernatural event of Teresa's vision is raised to a sphere of its own, removed from that of the beholder mainly by virtue of the isolating canopy and the heavenly light." Other noted mystics were to describe spiritual union with God in physical even sensual terms, and Bernini's interpretation emphasized the sensual by the positioning of the saint's body and her facial expression, leading his biographer Franco Mormando to write, "Certainly no other artist, in rendering the scene before or after Bernini dared as much in transforming the saint's appearance." This innovative blending of spirituality and sensuality made his works influential, but his greatest innovation was combining painting, sculpture, and architecture to create a unified environment, so that the viewer literally steps into the embodiment of his artistic vision.

Marble, stucco, paint - Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome

Las Meninas

Artist: Diego Velázquez

This iconic painting, which translates to "Maids of Honor," presents a sumptuous scene in which the five-year-old Infanta Margarita, the heir to the Spanish throne, is surrounded by her ladies in waiting and other attendants in Velazquez's spacious painting studio. She is the daughter of King Philip IV, of whom Velazquez was court painter, and his second wife, Mariana of Austria. The large seven by ten feet painting also reveals Velazquez himself, standing behind a large canvas on the left side. The strongly foreshortened wall on the right has three rows of artwork, which help to establish the space. More than half of the space is dim, dark, and empty around the figures. The royal couple is shown as a reflection in a mirror on the back wall. Two court dwarves, and a large dog linger in the bottom right hand corner. Behind the dwarves, two women, a nun, and a lady's guard are in conversation while the queen's quartermaster is seen on the stairs at the rear in front of an open sunlit door. Technically, the work is a testament to Velazquez's brilliance with composition. Here, he employed astute observation to create compelling portraits, but the real focus of the work, utilizing real space, mirror space, and pictorial space, is its almost modern play upon perception itself. He utilized strategic placement of his subjects to create multiple visual planes and diagonals, which draw the eye to various areas of the room in a balanced fashion. We are led not only to witness the activity in the room, but also to ponder what is outside the frames of what we can see. Las Meninas is considered to be one of Velazquez's most famous masterpieces, representing the sum total of a career's worth of genius, intelligence, and technical mastery. It is also lauded, even 300 years later, by artists and viewers alike as a seminal example of the art of painting. Velazquez's influence lasted into the 21st century and Édouard Manet called him the "painter of painters." Picasso's 58 paintings in his series Las Meninas (1957) reinterpret the Spanish artist's work, and Dalí painted his Velázquez Painting the Infanta Margarita With the Lights and Shadows of His Own Glory (1958).

Oil on canvas - Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid

Church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane

Artist: Francesco Borromini

This façade of the Church of San Carlo in Rome innovatively employs convex and concave bays to create an undulating effect. On the lower level, the two outer bays are concave, while the center is convex, thus emphasizing the importance of the entrance. Smaller columns frame niches filled with carved scenes and figures, creating a sense of elaborated depth. A cluster of three statues, depicting St. Charles Borromeo, patron saint of the church, and St. John of Matha and St. Felix of Valois who were also part of the Trinitarian order that Borromeo founded, preside over the central portal. Creating a contrasting vertical energy, four tall columns rise to a curved entablature, from which the four upper columns continue to another curved, but sectioned, entablature. A large oval in the center of the upper entablature, held by two angels that are asymmetrically placed, emphasizes the curvilinear flow of the structure. Borromini's interior was equally innovative, as his plan used a complex interweaving of zones: an undulating lower zone, a middle zone in a traditional Greek cross, and an oval dome that appeared to float above the interior. Rather than depicting images, the dome had a complex but symmetrical geometric pattern that combined unequal hexagons, Greek crosses, and circles with octagonal molding. At its base, clear windows let natural sunlight into the building, and the oculus, too, was clear glass, as the light unified the space with a predominantly white interior. The building site was challenging, as the church was located at the corner of an intersection, and had an adjoining cloister on one side that the architect also designed. Cardinal Francesco Barberini commissioned the church in 1634 and it was the architect's first major commission, though due to various financial difficulties and changes of patronage, it was not completed until after the architect's death. As art critic Olivier Bernier wrote, "based... on geometry... in the handling of form, volume and light... his buildings, although they unmistakably belong to their century, often have a startlingly modern look. Constantly playing with rounded forms - concave and convex cylinders are extensively used - Borromini gives his facades amazing animation without ever relying on mere decoration."

Marble, stone - Rome, Italy

Apotheosis of Saint Ignatius

Artist: Andrea Pozzo

This fresco depicts the triumph of St. Ignatius, founder of the Jesuits, shown left of center in his grey cassock extending toward Christ, who holds a cross in the middle. All the light in the fresco comes from Christ, emphasized both by the golden swirling center and the gradually darkening color palette in the figures at a greater distance. The ray then breaks into four diagonal rays, representing the light of Christianity reaching the four continents of the world, and symbolizes the missionary work of the Jesuits. Also depicted are many Biblical warriors with their foes including David and Goliath, Jael and Sisera, Samson and the Philistines, and Judith and Holofernes. This innovative choice of subject matter reflected the militant Catholicism of the Counter-Reformation and the apostolic zeal of the Jesuits, seeing themselves as "warriors" for the faith. Pozzo, a brother in the Jesuit order, said his intent was to visually embody Christ's statement, "I am come to send fire on the earth," and St. Ignatius's directive to his order, "Go and set everything aflame." The work is an innovative masterpiece of quadratura , as the viewer in the nave looking up would see a lofty dome, when in actuality the church's ceiling was flat. To achieve this effect, the artist employed extreme foreshortening, painted architectural motifs, and strict perspective, while emphasizing a dramatic swirling movement. A metal disk was placed in the floor of the nave, marking the spot where the viewer should stand to see the work with full effect, as the artist said, "To deceive the eyes, a certain fixed point" is needed. The rich colors, swirling draperies, and excited gestures convey a feeling of a greatly impassioned crowd within a vast space. The work became a standard for ceiling paintings in Jesuit churches throughout Europe, as art historian Filippo Camerota wrote, his "perspective inventions represent the art of quadrature on its highest level. The illusory power of his fictive architecture was so strong that it forcefully conditioned the perception of space."

Fresco - Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola at Campus Martius, Rome

Beginnings of Baroque Art and Architecture

The term: baroque.

The origin of the term Baroque is a bit ambiguous. Many scholars think it was derived from the Portuguese barrocco , meaning an imperfect or irregularly shaped pearl. And some, like the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau thought it was derived from the Italian barocco , a term used to describe an obstacle in formal logic in the medieval period. In growing usage the term originally contained negative connotations, the artwork within its cadre viewed as bizarre and sometimes ostentatious. But in 1888 Heinrich Wölfflin's Renaissance und Barock (1888), the term was officially used as a simple descriptive to denote the distinct artistic style.

The Counter-Reformation

Rather than having a single moment of inception, the Baroque period brought together a number of innovative developments in the late 1500s as it was informed by the different and rival painting styles of Caravaggio, the Bolognese School led by Annibale Carracci , and the architecture of Giacomo Della Porta. A deciding factor in the formation of the movement's intensity and scope was the patronage of the Catholic Church's Counter-Reformation.

Following the 1527 Sack of Rome, and in efforts to oppose the growth of Protestantism, the Counter-Reformation sought to re-establish the Church's authority. In 1545, Pope Paul III convoked the first Council of Trent, which gathered church dignitaries and theologians to establish doctrine and to condemn contemporary heresies. The Council held 25 sessions under the leadership of Pope Paul III and his successors, Pope Julius III and Pope Pius IV, until 1563. Visual art and architecture became part of the reform campaign, as the Council established guidelines for art that included depicting religious subjects like the Immaculate Conception, the Annunciation, and the Assumption of the Virgin that were exclusive to Catholic dogma, in order to reposition the church's importance in the public eye. However, these guidelines also meant that artists could be called to task if any church official deemed their works depicting religious subjects as offensive. One of the earliest examples occurred when Venetian Renaissance painter Paolo Veronese was brought before the Inquisition to defend his Last Supper (1573), for which he was accused of including "buffoons, drunken Germans, dwarfs and other such scurrilities." When the piece was renamed The Feast in the House of Levi , alluding to a Gospel setting where sinners were present, the work was considered acceptable.

The Protestant Reformation was opposed to the use of images for religious worship, but the Counter-Reformation argued that such art had a didactic purpose and called for a new kind of visual representation that was simple but dramatic, realistic in depiction, and clear in narrative. The movement's leaders professed that art should be easily understood and strongly felt by common people with the effect of encouraging piety and an awe-inspiring sense of the church. While the church and its dignitaries had been notable art patrons since the Gothic era, a new program of patronage was intentionally spurred throughout Europe. New religious orders that were part of the reform movement like the Jesuits, the Capuchins, and the Discalced Carmelites, were officially encouraged to become important patrons of art. This new Baroque style spread throughout Europe, primarily supported by the Catholic Church led by the Pope in Rome and Catholic rulers in Italy, France, Spain, and Flanders. It was further disseminated by powerful religious orders through their extensive network of monasteries and convents.

Giacomo Della Porta

The architect Giacomo Della Porta came from a family of Italian sculptors and was a student, and later collaborator of both Michelangelo and the leading Mannerist architect in Rome, Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola. He worked with Barozzi on the building of the Church of the Gesù (1584) and, following the older man's death in 1573, completed the project with a reinterpreted design. His façade both reduced the number of architectural elements, while simultaneously clustering those elements that remained around the entrance. As a result the façade conveyed a feeling of dynamic tension that the visitor would feel before being enveloped by the vast space of the interior. Though the architect's façade was relatively simple in comparison to the much more ornate Baroque churches that followed, the church launched the Baroque style and also became the model for Jesuit churches throughout the world into the 20 th century.

Bolognese School

In painting, the works of the anti-Mannerist Bolognese School led by Annibale Carracci were the first to be promoted as part of the Counter-Reformation. Carracci along with his brother Agostino and Ludovico, their cousin, had launched the Accademia dei Desiderosi , a small art academy that emphasized prior Renaissance aesthetic ideals of proportion, the use of figure drawing, and precise observation to create realistic but heroic figures in emotionally compelling scenes. His work attracted the attention of the noted art patron Cardinal Odoardo Farnese who called him to Rome and commissioned him to paint the Palazzo Farnese's gallery ceiling to celebrate the wedding of the Cardinal's brother.

The resulting fresco ceiling Loves of the Gods (1597-1601) influenced the Baroque movement, as Carracci pioneered the quadro riportato technique that framed each scene as if it were an easel painting arranged on a ceiling. He also employed quadratura , or painting illusionistic architectural features, as seen in his painted figures of Atlas and classical male nudes, which resemble sculptures. The work influenced Giovanni Lanfranco, Guercino, Pietro de Cortona, Carlo Maratta, and Andrea Pozzo, all of whom became noted quadrature and trompe l'oeil ceiling painters. Carracci also had a noted influence upon future landscape and history painting as seen in the works of the French painters Claude Lorrain and Nicolas Poussin , and the French Baroque style.

Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio

Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio, known simply as Caravaggio, has sometimes been dubbed "the father of Baroque painting" because of his pioneering approach. Trained in Milan in the dominant Mannerist style, he quickly evolved his own technique using chiaroscuro , dramatic contrasts of light and dark, and tenebrism , intensifying the contrast into dark atmospheric scenes with some elements highly lit as if by a spotlight. His mastery of tenebrism , meaning "dark, mysterious," was such that he was often credited with inventing the technique. His radical realism, by which he painted his subjects as they actually were, flaws and all, was equally innovative and made his works controversial, as did his preference for disturbing subjects.

Caravaggio became the most famous artist in Rome with his paintings of the Martyrdom of Saint Matthew (1599-1600) and the Calling of Saint Matthew (1599-1600), commissioned for the Contarelli Chapel. He was subsequently given a great number of religious commissions, though a number of them, including his Conversion of Saint Paul (1600-1601) and Death of the Virgin (1601-1606), were subsequently rejected by patrons who found his realism too shocking. Nonetheless his work became so influential that subsequent generations that adopted his style were called Caravaggisti or tenebrosi . His work influenced many great Baroque painters, including Peter Paul Rubens , Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini , Jose Ribiera , and Rembrandt van Rijn .

High Baroque

Marked by grandeur and an emphasis on movement and drama, the High Baroque began around 1625 and lasted until around 1700. Gian Lorenzo Bernini led and dominated the era, defining the Baroque style in sculpture. His patron, Cardinal Scipione Borghese, was one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in Rome, and Bernini's early sculptures were created for the Cardinal's Borghese Palace. Works like his The Rape of Proserpina (1621-22) and his Apollo and Daphne (1622-1625) emphasized dramatic realism, intense emotion, and movement, and as art historian Rudolf Wittkower wrote, they "inaugurated a new era in the history of European sculpture."

When Cardinal Scipione Borghese later became Pope Urban VIII, Bernini also became the most important architect in Rome, as seen by his being named Chief Architect of St. Peter's in 1629. His Baldachin and the colonnade he designed around St. Peter's Square (1656-1667) exemplified the High Baroque style in architecture. As art historian Maria Grazia Bernardini wrote, he was "the great, principal protagonist of Baroque art, the one who was able to create undisputed masterpieces, to interpret in an original and genial fashion the new spiritual sensibilities of the age, to give the city of Rome an entirely new face, and to unify the [artistic] language of the times."

Bernini's chief rival in architecture was Francesco Borromini, whose Church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane (1624-1646) employed undulating walls, an oval tower, and a radically innovative oval design for the church beneath an oval dome. Ceiling painting, employing quadratura and trompe l'oeil , also became a noted feature of the High Baroque and was exemplified by Giovanni Battista Gaulli's The Triumph of the Name of Jesus in the Church of Gesù (1669-1683) and Andrea Pozzo's Apotheosis of Saint Ignatius (1688-1694), both in Rome. Pozzo also authored Perspectiva Pictorium et Architectorum ( Rules and Examples of Perspective Proper for Painters and Architects ). Published in two volumes, first in 1693, then 1698, it influenced artists and architects throughout Europe into the 1800s.

Baroque Art and Architecture: Concepts, Styles, and Trends

Spanish baroque.

Spanish Baroque was noted for its distinctive style, as a somber and, even sometimes, gloomy mood prevailed in Spanish culture. The Eighty Year War (1568-1648) where the Spanish sought unsuccessfully to maintain control of the Netherlands, and the Anglo-Spanish War (1585-1604) where the Spanish Armada, attempting to invade England, was defeated, drained Spanish finances and created an economic crisis. At the same time, Catholicism was informed by the severity of the Inquisition. In architecture the grandeur and wealth of the church was emphasized, as the Jesuits, an order noted for both its intellectual advocacy for the Counter-Reformation and its Christian proselytization, evolved an extreme use of ornament to accentuate religious glory. An early noted example was Pedro de la Torre's San Isidro Chapel (1642-1669), which combined an ornamented exterior with a simple interior that used light effects to convey a feeling of religious mystery. The emphasis upon Baroque decoration became even more dominant as seen in Fernando de Casa Novo's Obradoiro (1738-1750), or the façade of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostelo. The façade became influential throughout Europe and the Spanish colonies in Latin America, as the Cathedral, a revered place of pilgrimage for centuries, was the most famous church in Spain.

Gilded altarpieces were a noted element of Spanish Baroque architecture, as seen in José Benito Churriguer's altarpiece of Church of San Esteban in Salamanca (1693), which employed helical columns and an extensive use of gold in an extremely elaborated surface. The resulting style, emphasizing a surface in motion, was called "entallador" and was adopted throughout Spain and Latin America.

In contrast to the architectural emphasis on Catholic splendor, Spanish Baroque painting emphasized the limitations and suffering of human existence. It was noted for its focus on realism based upon precise observation and was less interested in theatrical effects than a compelling sense of human drama. Caravaggio was an early influence on artists like Francisco Ribalta and Jusepe Ribera, though most Spanish artists took chiaroscuro and tenebrism as a departure point and evolved their own style. Ribera's later work emphasized a layer of silver tones overlaid with warm golden tones as seen in his The Holy Family with St. Catherine (1648).

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo developed the estilo vaporiso , or vaporous style, that used a delicate palette, softened contours, and a veiling effect of silver or golden light. His works were both religious subjects like The Immaculate Conception (1678), and genre paintings, where he often depicted street people, as in The Young Beggar (1645). His work was very popular, due to its elegance and sentimentality, and he cofounded the Seville Academy of Fine Art in 1660. After his death Juan de Valdes Leal became the leading painter of Seville, though his work focused on the dramatic such as The End of Worldly Glory (1672), an allegory of death, which made his work a kind of early precursor to Romanticism . Francisco de Zurbaran was dubbed "the Spanish Caravaggio" for his religious subjects like The House of Nazareth (1630), though his compositions were more severe and restrained and often focused on a solitary ascetic figure.

The leading painter of the Spanish Baroque was Diego Velázquez whose work included a number of subjects: genre works like Old Woman Frying Eggs (1618); historical paintings of contemporary events like The Surrender of Breda (1634-1634); religious works like Christ Crucified (1632); noted portraits like Portrait of Innocent X (1650) and Las Meninas (1656); and one of the few Spanish nudes, The Rokeby Venus (1644-1648), a subject which was discouraged in Catholic Spain. While he began by employing tenebrism , he evolved his own masterful technique, which employed a relatively simple color palette but emphasized tonalities and varied brushwork.

French Baroque and French Classicism

Architecture was the dominant expression of the French Baroque style. Called Classicism in France, it rejected the ornate in favor of geometric proportion and less elaborate facades. While Louis XIV invited Bernini to France to submit a design for his Palace of Versailles in 1661, the King instead chose Louis Le Vau's classical design with Charles Le Brun as decorator. As the director of the Gobelins tapestry, Le Brun's work became influential throughout Europe. The Galerie des Glaces (Hall of Mirrors) (1678-1686) at Versailles included Le Brun's paintings and became the standard for royal French interiors. Similarly the gardens, arranged in geometric grids to echo and emphasize the architecture, were another notable element of Versailles.

In painting, French artists also moved toward a more classical restraint. Claude Lorrain , known simply as Claude, and Nicolas Poussin , were the most important French painters, though both worked in Rome. Claude's work emphasized landscape and the effects of light, and his subjects, whether religious or classical themes, were simply the occasion of the work but not its focus. While Poussin began painting in a Baroque style, by his mid-thirties he had begun to develop his own style, as works like his Landscape with Orpheus and Eurydice (1650-1651) conveyed a calm rationality that became influential in the later development of Neoclassicism .

Other French artists, most notably Georges de La Tour , were influenced by Caravaggio's tenebrism but turned away from dramatic action and effects. Painting primarily religious subjects, he innovatively explored nocturnal light, employing geometric compositions and simplified forms to convey a calm and thoughtful spirituality. La Tour's work was influential in his time, as King Louis XIII, Henry II of Lorraine, and Cardinal Richelieu were patrons of his work. Genre painters like the Le Nain brothers also innovatively applied the Baroque style. Louis, Antoine, and Mathieu Le Nain collaborated on most of their works, and their genre scenes emphasized the realism of everyday labor, as seen in their The Blacksmith at His Forge (c. 1639) and Peasants' Meal (1642).

Russian Baroque

Russian Baroque is also called Petrine Baroque, named in honor of Peter the Great who promoted the style in rebuilding St. Petersburg, when he named it the new Russian capital in 1712. He had been inspired by French Baroque following his 1697-1698 visit to Versailles and the Chateaux of Fontainebleau. The Menshikov Palace (1711-1727) became a notable early example of Russian Baroque. Architects like Andreas Schluter, Gottfried Schadel, and Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond were leading architects of the style. Following Peter the Great's death, the style continued but became more luxurious and ornate as designed by the leading architect, Bartolomeo Rastrelli. The style was then called Elizabethan Baroque in honor of Empress Elizabeth Petrovona and famous examples were the Smolny Cathedral (1748-1764) and the Winter Palace (1754-1762).

Flemish Baroque Painting

Painting was the distinctive component of the Flemish Baroque, and its particular character originated in historical and cultural forces. In 1585, Spanish Catholic forces recaptured Antwerp in Flanders, or modern day Belgium, and the Catholic region was split off from the Protestant Dutch Republic. As a result, Flemish artists painted both Counter-Reformation religious subjects and landscapes, still lifes, and genre works that still drew upon the Northern European tradition.

Peter Paul Rubens led the development of Flemish Baroque painting. His High Baroque style, known for its rich color, sensual exuberance, and movement informed both his religious painting as in Descent from the Cross (1614) and his non-religious subjects like the Judgment of Paris (1636). His female nudes of mythological and Biblical women were particularly renowned and influential, as they combined sensuality with a complexity of allegory and allusion. Rubens' most noted student was Anthony van Dyck who became famous later primarily for his portraits, marked by a courtly elegance. In 1630 he was appointed court painter to the Princess of Orange in 1630 and, due to royal connections, became the painter for the English court and was knighted by Charles I, the King of England, in 1632. Flemish artists also painted genre scenes, and the best known were Adriaen Brouwer, Jacob Jordaens, and David Teniers the Younger.

The Dutch Golden Age

The Dutch Golden Age was the only example of the Baroque style employed in a Protestant area, and, as a result, took a very different approach in both architecture and painting. The Dutch Golden Age began around 1648 with the end of the Thirty Years War, as the Dutch Republic, which had seceded from Spain in 1588, finally achieved independence. In the decades that followed the Republic, fueled by its domination of world trade, became an economic powerhouse with a rising middle class. Dutch Baroque architecture primarily drew upon the works of the Venetian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio (often referred to as Dutch Palladianism), while retaining some Gothic elements to create a restrained monumental style. Dutch painting emphasized scenes of everyday life, secular subjects, and pioneered developments in landscape, still life, and genre painting. Religious subjects were most often depicted in printmaking to illustrate Biblical texts. At the same time, a number of Dutch leading artists, including Rembrandt , Johannes Vermeer , and Salomon van Ruysdael painted in the Baroque style, employing chiaroscuro and tenebrism . This can be seen in Rembrandt's Night Watch (1642).

Later Developments - After Baroque Art and Architecture

The Baroque period came to an end with the emergence of Rococo in Paris around 1720. Some scholars refer to Rococo as "Late Baroque," yet it took on a very light-hearted and entertaining style bound to courtly life. Nonetheless Baroque artists continued to be influential in the Rococo period, as Rubens influenced Jean-Antoine Watteau , François Boucher , and Jean-Honoré Fragonard .

As the Rococo period was followed by the Neoclassical style within fifty years many Baroque artists became obscure and overlooked. Rubens and Rembrandt were rediscovered in the 1800s, as Rubens influenced the Romantics Théodore Géricault , and Eugène Delacroix , and Rembrandt influenced the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. Claude's landscape paintings influenced J.M.W. Turner , and Velázquez was a significant influence upon Édouard Manet , Pablo Picasso , and Francis Bacon .

Caravaggio, too, was rediscovered, but not until the mid-1900s, and his work has subsequently influenced photographers, filmmakers, and artists. A revival of interest in Bernini's architectural work is noted by a number of contemporary architects, including I. M. Pei , Richard Meier , and Frank Gehry . Gehry called him, "one of my greatest influences." Similarly, contemporary artists including Jenny Saville , Lisa Yuskavage , and John Currin , reflect the continuing impact of the works of Rembrandt and Rubens.

Useful Resources on Baroque Art and Architecture

• Bernini's Transformation of Rome Our Pick Metropolitan Museum

• Baroque Art and Architecture By Rolf Toman
• Art and Architecture in Italy 1600-1750, Vol. 1: Early Baroque Our Pick By Rudolf Wittkower, Jennifer Montague, and Joseph Connors
• Bernini: The Sculptor of the Roman Baroque By Rudolf Wittkower and Pino Guidolotti
• Bernini By Anna Coliva and Andrea Bacchi
• Caravaggio: The Complete Works Our Pick By Sebastian Schütze
• Velázquez: Complete Works By José López-Rey and Odile Delenda
• Rubens: Metamorphosis By Stefan Weppelmann and Jochen Sander
• Rembrandt's Eyes By Simon Schama
• Annibale Carracci: The Farnese Palace, Rome (Great Fresco Cycles of the Renaissance) By Charles Dempsey
• More Savage than Caravaggio: the woman who took revenge in oil Our Pick By Jonathan Jones / The Guardian / October 5, 2016
• Rubens and his Legacy, Royal Academy, review: 'fascinating' Our Pick Mark Hudson / January 19, 2015
• Borromini's Rome By Olivier Bernier / New York Times / December 22, 1991
• Lost Baroque Work Is a Spectacle Again By Elisabetta Povoledo / New York Times / June 14, 2008
• Bernini and the Art of Architecture By T.A. Marder / 1998
• The Gesù, mother church of the Jesuits John O'Malley and Linda Wolk-Simon

Related Artists

Related movements & topics.

Content compiled and written by Rebecca Seiferle

Edited and revised, with Summary and Accomplishments added by Kimberly Nichols

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English baroque architecture: seventy years of excess

I n 1660, the Stuart court that returned from the continent with Charles II brought more than restoration, merriment and a yearning for the old ways. It brought a taste for Dutch and French architecture. The English Renaissance, begun haltingly under Queen Elizabeth, reborn under Inigo Jones but repressed during the interregnum, now found its feet.

It was not easy. The mannerist classicism of the Jacobean era was still associated with "old England", largely in decoration. Medieval halls and gabled roofs were still being erected or adapted by landed gentry into the 1660s. But people who had spent two decades in the palaces of Paris and The Hague returned to estates that had seen little renewal in half a century. The zest for the new was irresistible.

First off the blocks was the Earl of Craven, who built ostentatious Ashdown House in the Berkshire Downs for Charles I's sister. A tall, symmetrical building, with wide eaves and a cupola – utterly Dutch. It was a style that came to be known variously as Restoration, William-and-Mary and Queen Anne.

Charles II was determined to match his French counterpart, Louis XIV, in extravagant ambition. In addition to royal palaces already built or under construction at Richmond, Whitehall and Greenwich, new ones were planned for Kensington and, Charles's answer to Versailles, Winchester. Where the king built, his court expected to follow.

Charles's presiding genius was the mathematician, scientist and polymath Sir Christopher Wren. Wren was already planning the rebuilding of the gothic St Paul's Cathedral when, in 1666, it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. His design for its replacement illustrates the ambivalence of the English Restoration: a classical Renaissance base topped by mildly baroque west towers and dome, designed to float across the rooftops of London.

By then, sumptuous court mansions were dotting the English countryside, either new (such as those at Belton, Dyrham, Eltham and Uppark) or conversions (such as Ham on the Thames near Richmond). These houses, while big, were domestic in character. They respected the understatement of their Dutch models. It was as if the Restoration could not quite shake off the puritanism of the Commonwealth.

Greater flamboyance came from France. At Boughton (1678) in Northamptonshire, the Duke of Montagu converted a medieval hall house into a grand Parisian chateau set in splendid grounds. At Petworth (1682) in Sussex the Duke of Somerset created a similarly elongated facade, more appropriate for the banks of the Loire.

The toppling of James I in 1688 and the arrival of William of Orange increased the tempo of continental imports. For all his supposed modesty, William was a frantic builder, extending both Kensington Palace and Hampton Court, the latter with twin sets of stairs and state rooms for himself and his joint-monarch, Mary.

Under Queen Anne this imported classicism broke free, to emerge as a distinctly English baroque. Its masters were the elderly Wren, John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor. Wren's extension of Greenwich Palace, begun in 1664 by John Webb and then continued by Hawksmoor as the new naval hospital, gave the river approach to London a truly baroque coup de theatre . Vanbrugh's palace for the Duke of Marlborough at Blenheim was equalled in splendour only by Hawksmoor's Castle Howard in Yorkshire. It was England's princes rather than kings who were to mimic the French Sun King.

Ecclesiastical building in this period was modest. The Tudors had built churches aplenty, so much so that a century later the Church of England needed no more capacity, and was anyway under assault from rising nonconformity. Only in the post-fire City did Wren and his colleagues produce a series of miniature essays in confined architecture. St Magnus Martyr, St Bride's and St Stephen Walbrook rivalled the churches of Rome, while to the west, James Gibbs's St Mary le Strand and St Martin-in-the-Fields maintained the standard. So did the so-called churches of Queen Anne's bounty, such as Hawksmoor's majestic Christ Church at Spitalfields.

No sooner was a glimmer of English flamboyance displayed than it was extinguished. Wren and his contemporaries were soon being ridiculed by stylistic young turks back from the Grand Tour, led by Lord Burlington and his proteges William Kent and Colen Campbell. Eager to re-establish the canons of Italianate taste, they fashioned the Georgian house, terrace and church from the Renaissance rather than the baroque. The hour of Blenheim had passed.

Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnist and the author of England's Thousand Best Houses. He has been the chairman of the National Trust since 2008

Three era-defining events

1660: Restoration of the monarchy

Charles II ascends to the throne and a new wave of baroque architecture follows in the aftermath of the Great Fire of London of 1666.

1687 : Isaac Newton's Philisophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica

The publication of this world-changing book advances science by explaining gravity and the three laws of motion.

1694 : Birth of the Bank of England

Britain's economic grasp reaches out to the world as London's population tops 500,000. The Bank's first role is to rebuild the  Royal Navy.

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Gothic buildings: pillars of faith

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An Introduction to Baroque Architecture

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The Baroque period in architecture and art in the 1600s and 1700s was an era in European history when decoration was highly ornamented and classical forms of the Renaissance were distorted and exaggerated. Fueled by the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic Counter-Reformation, and the philosophy of the divine right of kings, the 17th and 18th centuries were turbulent and dominated by those who felt the need to exhibit their force; a  timeline of the 1600s and 1700s military history  clearly shows us this. It was "power to the people" and the Age of Enlightenment  to some; it was a time of reclaiming dominance and centralizing power for the aristocracy and Catholic Church.

The word  baroque  means imperfect pearl, from the Portuguese word  barroco . The baroque pearl became a favorite centerpiece for the ornate necklaces and ostentatious brooches popular in the 1600s. The trend toward flowery elaboration transcended jewelry into other art forms, including painting, music, and architecture. Centuries later, when critics put a name to this extravagant time, the word Baroque was used mockingly. Today it is descriptive.

Characteristics of Baroque Architecture

The Roman Catholic Church shown here, Saint-Bruno Des Chartreux in Lyon, France, was built in the 1600s and 1700s and displays many of the typical Baroque-era features:

• Complicated shapes, breaking out of the box
• Extreme ornamentation, often gilded with gold
• Large elliptical forms, with curved lines replacing Classically straight
• Twisted columns
• Grand stairways
• Ornate, open pediments
• Trompe l'oeil paintings
• Interest in light and shadow
• Decorative sculptures, often in niches

The Pope didn't take kindly to Martin Luther in 1517 and the beginnings of the Protestant Reformation . Coming back with vengeance, the Roman Catholic Church asserted its power and dominance in what is now called the Counter-Reformation. Catholic Popes in Italy wanted architecture to express holy splendor. They commissioned churches with enormous domes, swirling forms, huge spiraled columns, multicolored marble, lavish murals, and dominant canopies to protect the most sacred altar.

Elements of the elaborate Baroque style are found throughout Europe and also traveled to the Americas as Europeans conquered the world. Because the United States was just being colonized during this time period, there is no "American Baroque" style. While the Baroque architecture was always highly decorated, it found expression in many ways. Learn more by comparing the following photos of Baroque architecture from different countries.

Italian Baroque

In ecclesiastic architecture, Baroque additions to Renaissance interiors often included an ornate baldachin ( baldacchino ), originally called a ciborium , over the high altar in a church. The baldacchino designed by Gianlorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) for the Renaissance-era St. Peter's Basilica is an icon of Baroque building. Rising eight stories high on Solomonic columns, the c. 1630 bronze piece is both sculpture and architecture at the same time. This is Baroque. The same exuberance was expressed in non-religious buildings like the popular Trevi Fountain in Rome.

For two centuries, the 1400s and 1500s, a Renaissance of Classical forms, symmetry, and proportion, dominated art and architecture throughout Europe. Toward the end of this period, artists and architects such as Giacomo da Vignola began to break the "rules" of Classical design, in a movement that became known as Mannerism. Some say Vignola's design for the facade of Il Gesù, the Church of the Gesu in Rome , began a new period by combining scrolls and statuary with the Classical lines of pediments and pilasters. Others say that a new way of thinking began with Michelangelo's remake of the Capitoline Hill in Rome when he incorporated radical ideas about space and dramatic presentation that went beyond the Renaissance. By the 1600s, all rules had been broken in what we now call the Baroque period.

French Baroque

Louis XIV of France (1638-1715) lived his life entirely within the Baroque time period, so it seems natural that when he remodeled his father's hunting lodge In Versailles (and moved the government there 1682), the fanciful style of the day would be a priority. Absolutism and the "divine right of kings" are said to have reached its highest point with the reign of King Louis XIV, the Sun King.

The Baroque style became more restrained in France, but grand in scale. While lavish details were used, French buildings were often symmetrical and orderly. The Palace of Versailles shown above is a landmark example. The Palace's grand Hall of Mirrors is more unrestrained in its extravagant design.

The Baroque period was more than art and architecture, however. It was a mindset of show and drama as architectural historian Talbot Hamlin describes:

"The drama of the court, of court ceremonials, of flashing costume and stilted, codified gesture; the drama of military guards in brilliant uniforms lining a straight avenue, while prancing horses drag a gilded coach up the wide esplanade to the castle—these are essentially Baroque conceptions, part and parcel of the whole Baroque feeling for life."

English Baroque

Shown here is Castle Howard in northern England. The asymmetry within a symmetry is the mark of a more restrained Baroque. This stately home design took shape over the entire 18th century.

Baroque architecture emerged in England after the Great Fire of London in 1666. English architect Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723) had met the older Italian Baroque master architect Gianlorenzo Bernini and was prepared to rebuild the city. Wren used restrained Baroque styling when he redesigned London, the best example being the iconic St. Paul's Cathedral.

In addition to St. Paul's Cathedral and Castle Howard, The Guardian newspaper suggests these fine examples of English Baroque architecture, Winston Churchill's family home at Blenheim in Oxfordshire, the Royal Naval College at Greenwich, and Chatsworth House in Derbyshire.

Spanish Baroque

Builders in Spain, Mexico, and South America combined Baroque ideas with exuberant sculptures, Moorish details, and extreme contrasts between light and dark. Called Churrigueresque after a Spanish family of sculptors and architects, Spanish Baroque architecture was used through the mid-1700s, and continued to be imitated much later.

Belgian Baroque

The 1621 Saint Carolus Borromeus church in Antwerp, Belgium was built by the Jesuits to attract people to the Catholic church. The original interior artwork, designed to mimic an ornate banquet house, was done by the artist Peter Paul Rubens (1577 to 1640), although much of his art was destroyed by a lightening-induced fire in 1718. The church was contemporary and high-tech for its day; the large painting you see here is attached to a mechanism that allows it to be changed as easily as a screen saver on a computer. A nearby Radisson hotel promotes the iconic church as a must-see neighbor.

Architectural historian Talbot Hamlin might agree with the Radisson; it's a good idea to see Baroque architecture in person. "Baroque buildings more than any others," he writes, "suffer in photographs." Hamlin explains that a static photo can't capture the movement and interests of the Baroque architect: 

"...the relations between façade and court and room, in the building up of artistic experiences in time as one approaches a building, enters it, goes through its great open spaces. At its best it thereby achieves a kind of symphonic quality, building always by means of carefully calculated curves, by strong contrasts of light and dark, of big and little, of simple and complicated, a flow, an emotion, which finally reaches some definite climax...the building is designed with all its parts so interrelated that the static unit often seems complicated, bizarre, or meaningless...."

Austrian Baroque

This 1716 palace designed by Austrian architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach (1656–1723) for the first Prince of Trautson stands as one of the many stately Baroque palaces in Vienna, Austria. Palais Trautson displays many of the high Renaissance architectural features yet look at the ornamentation and gold highlights. Restrained Baroque is enhanced Renaissance.

German Baroque

Like the Palace of Versailles in France, Moritzburg Castle in Germany started off as a hunting lodge and has a complicated and turbulent history. In 1723, Augustus the Strong of Saxony and Poland expanded and remodeled the property to what today is called Saxon Baroque. The area is also known for a type of delicately sculpted china called Meissen porcelain .

In Germany, Austria, Eastern Europe, and Russia, Baroque ideas were often applied with a lighter touch. Pale colors and curving shell shapes gave buildings the delicate appearance of a frosted cake. The term Rococo was used to describe these softer versions of the Baroque style. Perhaps the ultimate in German Bavarian Rococo is the 1754 Pilgrimage Church of Wies designed and built by Dominikus Zimmermann.

"The lively colours of the paintings bring out the sculpted detail and, in the upper areas, the frescoes and stuccowork interpenetrate to produce a light and living decor of unprecedented richness and refinement," states the UNESCO World Heritage site about the Pilgrimage Church. "The ceilings painted in trompe-l'œil appear to open to an iridescent sky, across which, angels fly, contributing to the overall lightness of the church as a whole."

So how does Rococo differ from Baroque?

"The characteristics of baroque," says Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage , "are grandeur, pomposity, and weight; those of rococo are inconsequence, grace, and lightness. Baroque aims at astounding, rococo at amusing."

• Architecture Through the Ages by Talbot Hamlin, Putnam, Revised 1953, pp. 424-425; Church of the Gesu Photo by Print Collector/Hulton Archive/Getty Images (cropped)
• Architecture Through the Ages by Talbot Hamlin, Putnam, Revised 1953, pp. 425-426
• Baroque architecture in Britain: examples from the era by Phil Daoust, The Guardian, September 9, 2011 [accessed June 6, 2017]
• Pilgrimage Church of Wies photo by Imagno/Hulton Archive/Getty Images (cropped)
• A Dictionary of Modern English Usage , Second Edition, by H.W. Fowler, revised by Sir Ernest Gowers, Oxford University Press, 1965, p. 49
• Pilgrimage Church of Wies  , UNESCO World Heritage Centre [accessed June 5, 2017]
• An Introduction to the Rococo
• Architecture Timeline - Western Influences on Building Design
• Architecture in Vienna, a Guide for Travelers
• A Pediment Can Make Your Home a Greek Temple
• Biography of Giacomo da Vignola
• Architecture in France: A Guide For Travelers
• Overview of Baroque Style in English Prose and Poetry
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• Sir Christopher Wren, the Man Who Rebuilt London After the Fire
• Art History 101: A Brisk Walk Through the Art Eras
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• Architecture for our Spirit and Soul - Sacred Buildings

10 Most Famous Baroque Architecture Buildings

Baroque architecture is a prominent style that emerged in Europe during the late 16th century.

It sprang out of the latter years of the Italian Renaissance era and was heavily influenced by theatrical performance and how the many different designs and colors appeared in certain lighting elements.

Today, many of the most famous baroque structures that are still standing throughout Europe are among the most-visited in the continent.

In this article, we will outline 10 of the most famous baroque architecture buildings and examine the architects and designers behind each work, as well as the purpose of the structure.

Famous Baroque Architecture

1. san carlo alle quattro fontane.

One of the most notable churches in the city of Rome, Italy is known as the San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, which translates in English to “Saint Charles at the Four Fountains.”

This building was constructed during the height of the baroque period and its rise across Italy and the vast regions of Europe within a few decades.

The church was designed by Francesco Borromini, who was an Italian architect who is recorded as being one of the leading figures in the baroque movement.

Construction on the San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane began in the 1630’s after Borromini was commissioned by monks of the Trinitarian Order to design and build the structure.

Much of the construction took place between 1638 and 1641 with the San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane being finished and opened in 1646 after it was dedicated to Saint Charles Borromeo.

Today, it’s one of the most popular sites for tourists visiting the capital city of Italy.

2. Karlskirche

Another one of the most prominent baroque structures in history is located in Vienna, Austria.

This structure, like the San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, is dedicated to Saint Charles Borromeo, who served as the archbishop of Milan during the late 16th century and was also a prominent leader in the Catholic church’s movement to curb Protestant Reformation efforts throughout the world.

This building is called the Karlskirche, which in German means Saint Charles Church.

Also Read: Famous Rococo Buildings

Work began on the project in the early 1700’s after Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI pledged to build a church for Borromeo, who the emperor himself was named after.

Construction started in 1716 and the project would be completed just over two decades later in 1737. The structure sits on the southern side of Vienna along the Karlsplatz square, overlooking the Danube River.

3. Palace of Versailles

Another one of the most notable structures in the world that was done according to the baroque architectural style is the Palace of Versailles.

This extravagant building is one of the most elaborate and beautifully-designed structures anywhere in the world, according to many architectural critics. It was designed by Louis Le Vau, who is recognized as one of the leading architects from the baroque movement.

The structure began to be constructed in the early 17th century under the guidance of Le Vau, but it was François d’Orbay who carried on the project to completion.

Much of d’Orbay’s work focused on the interior of the palace, which features vast halls filled with golden objects, chandeliers and other items that were a testament to the wealth of the French monarchy. The Palace of Versailles was finished in 1634.

Il Gesu is one of the most highly-regarded religious structures in the world as it is the home-church of the followers of the Society of Jesus, which is more commonly known as the Jesuits.

The Il Gesu, or Church of the Gesù, is a building that was done with many of the usual highlights of the baroque style, which emphasized the difference between the appearance of objects and buildings in certain levels of light and darkness.

The church of Il Gesu was mostly designed by Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola, who is considered to be one of the most distinguished architects from the baroque period that was in full swing at the time of the church’s construction.

Work began on the project in 1568 and the building was designed in various phases under architects from the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

Giovanni Tristano took over the project in 1571 after the death of Vignola, but he was succeeded by Giovanni de Rosis and later Giacomo della Porta.

5. St. Paul’s Cathedral

One of the most well-known churches throughout England and a local landmark for the city of London is St. Paul’s Cathedral.

This building is designed with the Greek-cross architectural layout and much of the exterior and interior of St. Paul’s Cathedral includes items that were done at the height of the baroque period.

The church is located on Ludgate Hill, which is the highest point in the city of London.

St. Paul’s Cathedral was designed by Sir Christopher Wren, who is remembered as one of the most celebrated architects in British history who very often produced works that were done according to the baroque style.

The building was first under construction in 1675 and the project would take a full quarter-century before it was finished in 1710.

The interior of St. Paul’s Cathedral is one of the most magnificent churches in the British Isles and is often the site of official state ceremonies, as well as high-profile weddings, funerals and religious ceremonies.

6. Les Invalides

Les Invalides is one of the most historically-rich buildings in Paris that sits in the 7th arrondissement of the capital city of France.

The structure is also known as Hôtel national des Invalides and has served a variety of purposes since it was constructed during the early 18th century.

Also Read: 18th Century Architects

Les Invalides was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, who took a great deal of inspiration from his great uncle, François Mansart’s work.

Construction began on the building in 1671 and it was finally finished in 1706. Throughout the centuries since it was built, Les Invalides was used as a military hospital, as well as a number of other functions that date back to the era just before the French Revolution.

7. Zwinger (Dresden)

The Zwinger, which is a prominent structure in Dresden, Germany is regarded as one of the most notable outdoor landscaping structures that involves the baroque architectural style.

The Zwinger is a word that was used in old Germanic language to describe a fortress part between the outer and inner fortress walls.

The structure was designed by Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann, a prominent German architect who is credited with rebuilding the city after the devastating fires of 1685.

Construction on the Zwinger (Dresden) began in 1710 at a time when the baroque style was being used across wide portions of Europe.

The structure was finished in 1728 and has also withstood the ravages of the merciless bombing that occurred in the city during World War II. It is one of the most well-known historic landmarks in Dresden today.

8. Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

Another one of the most notable baroque-style buildings in the world is the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, which is located in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

It is one of the most highly-regarded sites in the Cathlic faith as the building is believed to be the resting place of the remains of Saint James the Apostle, who is believed to have died in Spain during the 1st century A.D.

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is part of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela.

It was built on the site of an already-existing ancient Christian church, but the building as it exists today was first under construction beginning in the early 18th century.

The building has been remodeled and modified many times throughout history, but the exterior was finished in 1740 under the guidance of Fernando de Casas Novoa.

9. St. Peter’s Basilica

St. Peter’s Basilica is recognized as one of the most prominent buildings in the Catholic faith. It sits in the middle of Vatican City, located in the heart of Rome, Italy and is one of the most-visited sites in the world today.

The church was designed by a number of different architects, dating back to 1506 when construction first began.

The main structure was completed in 1626, which was a time when the baroque movement was gaining considerable amounts of popularity throughout Italy.

St. Peter’s Basilica is dedicated to Saint Peter, who is believed to be the first great leader of the Catholic church and his remains are said to be held in a burial chamber in the church.

10. Schönbrunn Palace

Another one of the most famous baroque architecture buildings is located in Vienna, Austria, which is a city where the movement enjoyed considerable popularity during the early 17th and 18th centuries.

The Schönbrunn Palace is located in the heart of Vienna and is one of the most notable landmarks in the historic city.

This sprawling palace features a staggering number of individual rooms that is said to be as high as 1,441.

The Schönbrunn Palace was designed by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and was completed in the mid-17th century.

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Architecture: The Baroque Design During The Renaissance Era

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During the Renaissance era, the Baroque design was essential. There was a significant difference in baroque architecture in every nation and varied a lot in Europe and Latin America. Despite, they are all called the same, because of art and architecture with the same title categorized during that era. Critics described the baroque design as deformed, unregulated and absurd during the 18th decade. In the 19th decade, however, Swiss reviewer Heinrich Wolfflin defined Baroque architecture as more objective purpose. He described this kind of architecture as a religious art that reflects with its design the shift of something within its layout. The Baroque era’s two most popular structures were palaces and churches. Royal houses are the most typical of the time, but other plans include cathedrals, town and country houses, parish churches and monastic buildings. The Baroque was also famous for the design and planning of gardens and parks around important dwellings.

Ground planning of the Baroque architecture differed significantly from other architecture eras. The unification of different parts, each with its liberty In Renaissance architecture, the circle, the field and the Greek cross were used in ground plans, but the Baroque architecture was designed using dense, complex, fluid patterns using oval shape or much more complex uneven and complex geometric figures.

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The Baroque architecture wasn’t all about just floor plans. The curving walls were another exceptional feature of these structures. Not just did this enhance the concept of building as a single unit, but also brought the concept of architecture in motion, which was considered to be the idlest of all designs before that. But those were just limited to the walls and curved facades. The churches used valeted ceilings for dome construction. As arches exert pressure outwards on supporting walls thus counterthrust was needed for external stress support. Thus, buttresses served as counterthrust in structure. But some structures as St, Pauls cathedrals managed to hide them by raising the walls to outer aisled till those to nave and buttresses can’t be seen from outside.

During the Renaissance era, the light was limited to certain areas, but in the Baroque architecture, the light came into each corner in the buildings, especially the points where the two surfaces met or the corners. They also found unique manipulation of light, they realize that the light impact on a construction didn’t depend on how much light fell on the building, but rather on the light effect generated by hitting one ground sort as opposed to the other. Baroque architects have discovered that the composition of a surface formed of rough rock or soft concrete is different from the smooth-surfaced marble wall. They took advantage of this concept for their interior and exterior design.

San Carlo Alle Quattro Fontane (1638 -1646)

The Baroque church, San Carlo Alle Quattro Fontane is often called Baroque gems by art historians or a building which is a treasure chest of design and beauty. In the 1630s, the monk commissioned stone cutters and architects, Francesco Borromini, to develop and design a church beside their monastery. This was Borromini’s first independent project and was delighted to work on it he even offered his services free of cost. As the monastic property was small and squished and had an irregular plot shape and was located on a busy road. As not many churches were built in that small and oddly shaped area. The church is 66 feet wide and 39 feet long and is alongside a pre-existing structure. Churches entrance is towards the northwest and opens onto a narrow street. On the other side secondary facade, the primary access angles off and embeds one of the fountains located in the square.

The interior scape is mostly devoted to the oval sanctuary where for monks and quests pray. It also includes space for little chapels for private praying and place for priests to get ready for Mass. Burial places and more chapels are located in crypt stepping down.

Borromini’s care to geometry, curves and angles all together can be seen in this plan. Combination of the primary oval with an indication of a cross in the centre. And short rectangles for the crypt and some asymmetrical polygons for chapels and place for other activities. The plan is in limited space but still produces a visual interest and makes space for lively.

San Carlo Alle Quattro Fontane exterior is coped with great ornamental primary façade. And showcases primary baroque characteristics. Curving lines, movement, the play of light and shadow, classical elements, geometric shapes and Complex ornamentation. The primary facade of the church is built by three bays. The serpentine pattern in movement suggests a rippling motion or a wave motion that makes people look back and forth throughout the facade. The convex and concave bays is reflecting natural light an unusual imaginative way. Borromini also borrowed original classical design elements like columns and arranged them to fit appropriately to his design. For example, San Carlo’s columns are decorated with curling acanthus leaves and crown. San Carlo’s is integrated with many geometrical shapes for instance oval medallion of top of the facade and rectangular niches for circular wreaths and statues.

The cloister and the monastic building construction were finished first and church Construction continued between 1638 and 1641 and was consecrated in 1646 towards the end of Borromini’s life while the upper section was still left and was built after that.

Borromini’s had limited space once could say less than the base of one of the piers of St. Peter’s Basilica, still he created a masterpiece and Monks were monks were happy with Borromini’s work.

St. Peter’s Basilica 1506-1626

St. Peter’s Basilica another great example of Baroque style architecture. Its located in the Vatican in Rome built-in high renaissance to an early Baroque period. It took 120 years to complete the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica. Numbers of great architects have worked on this structure staring with Bramante and completed by Michelangelo. St. Peter’s Basilica is It is one of the most iconic catholic church and by far the biggest church in the world. It’s a remarkable piece of work and some view it as greatest modern history architecture. It has a huge dome centrally located on top of it and it’s a part of Vatican City skyline. The dome in St. Peter’s Basilica is one of its kind and one of the largest in the world, covering 42 meters in diameter. The layout of the basilica is in the form of a Latin cross it has one extended side. The original building was in shape of a cross with all sides equal. It has large semi-circular recess with the domed roof at the altar reserved for priesthood. Church 186 meters in length and total of 218 if we add porch too and has a height of 46 meters in the central aisle and 136-meter-high in centre of the main dome. And with a total area of 44000 sq. meter and can fit around 22,000 people at once. Basilica consists of several tombs for popes, but its main attraction is the ceremonial canopy on the altar which was later added to its design by Michelangelo at the end.

Main construction materials used in the basilica are marble and concrete. Other materials used in exterior construction were limestone, travertine stone, timber, mosaic, bronze roof tile, mortar and bricks. The construction of the column shaft is very exotic made with marble and granite which was imported from other nations. Whereas the interior is decorated with limestone, thin gold covering, designs standing out of walls, and sculptures. Several gilded puttos, also known as little angles, are also used to ornament the interior of St. peter’s Basilica. The primary St. peter’s Basilica was constructed in the mid-4th century by Emperor Constantine. He was keen on converting Roman citizens to Christians.

The construction of St. peter’s Basilica has achieved a major milestone not only in construction but in the field of design and architecture as well. Its gradual shift from the Renaissance period to the Baroque architecture era. During the time of the building of St. Peter’s basilica, a lot of Architects from the Renaissance and Baroque periods had designed and altered the structure from time to time each of them adding their improvements until it had shaped into the remarkable sanctuary it is today. With its impressionistic portrayal of the Baroque era and its historic value. St. Peter’s basilica certainly catches the heart in representing the Baroque style.

So, from looking at baroque architecture one can say that it played a great role in the design of buildings today. Many people who obtain an over and above salary sometimes have one or two rooms that give remembrance to the baroque style. It was certainly lavish, dynamic and “over the top” decorations were a bit much for today’s modern society.

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Architecture of Cities

Top 25 Examples of Baroque Architecture

Baroque Architecture was Europe’s dominant building style in the 17th and 18th centuries . Originating in Rome, The Baroque Style eventually spread to all of Italy, followed by mainland Europe, and then on to the rest of the world thanks to European Colonialism. Baroque Architecture emerged after the Renaissance Movement , and it is known for its exquisite details, complicated geometries, bright colors, and awe-inspiring grandeur. The art of the Baroque age was influenced by the drastic social and political changes occurring in Europe at the time; with both the Protestant Reformation and the Thiry Years’ War playing an important role. Today Baroque Architecture remains one of the key styles in European Architectural History and countless examples of Baroque Buildings can be found throughout the globe.

When was the Baroque Period?

The Baroque Period Lasted from the late 16th century until the late 18th century . Below is a timeline of how Baroque Architecture fits in with other major architectural styles.

Before the Baroque Age, there was the Renaissance Age, which emerged in Florence in the early 1400s . Many elements of Renaissance Architecture are also utilized in Baroque Buildings.

Some early works of Baroque Architecture were completed in Rome as early as the 1570s . By the 1600s , it had become very popular in all of Italy and eventually became Europe’s dominant style by the 1650s .

In Parts of Western Europe, a new form of architecture evolved after the Late Baroque Period. It was known as Rococo , and it was a short-lived style existing mostly during the late 1700s at a time when Neoclassical Architecture was also beginning to emerge.

Phases of the Baroque Age

Early baroque architecture.

The First Major phase of Baroque Architecture was the Early Baroque Period. This occurred starting in the 1570s and lasted until about 1625 . Many early Baroque buildings more closely resemble prior works of Renaissance Architecture when compared to later Baroque structures. In the images above you can see two front elevations from Early Baroque churches in Rome. The left shows the Church of the Gesù which was constructed from 1568-1580 and the right image shows the Church of Saint Susanna, which was completed in 1604 .

High Baroque Architecture

From 1625 until 1700 there was the High Baroque Period. At this point, the Baroque was extremely dominant in many parts of Europe and had really started to emerge within European Colonies in the Americas, India, China, and the rest of the Pacific. European Powers began to spend vast sums of wealth on Baroque Building projects. Two great examples of this are the Palace of Versailles in France and St. Peter’s Square, one of the most impressive Piazzas in all of Italy .

Late Baroque Architecture

Finally, from 1700 until about 1775 , the Late Baroque Period emerged. Late Baroque buildings are typically even more detailed and complex than earlier examples. Its also in the Late Baroque Period you start to see certain elements of the Rococo Age emerging. The front facade of Santiago de Compostela in Spain dates from this period, along with the massive Melk Abbey in Austria.

Characteristics of Baroque Architecture

Intricate Details

By far the most distinguishing feature of Baroque architecture is the use of elaborate and intricate details. Because Baroque buildings were meant to inspire the user, they often contained opulent and painstaking amounts of detail. These range from Baroque Sculptures and Frescoes, to elaborately carved friezes, cornices, and reliefs. In the above image of the Zwinger Palace in Dresden Germany, you can see the use of fanciful details of human figures surrounded by plants, eagles, and other undulating stone carvings.

Complex Geometry

Another important evolution in Baroque Architecture is the use of complicated geometries. In the most basic sense, you can think of the difference between a circle and an oval. Renaissance buildings make great use of the circle, to create perfectly symmetrical and proportioned spaces. Baroque buildings often utilize ovals and ellipses in lieu of circles. This makes designing and building much more challenging. In the above image, you can see a dome designed by Francesco Borromini within the church of San Carlo Alle Quattro Fontane. Borromini utilized an oval for the dome, which was something that was unheard of during the Renaissance . If the use of the oval wasn’t complex enough, Borromini then divides the surface into a series of crosses and polygons, in various sizes and orientations. This is similar to the Trayed Ceilings you see in buildings like the Pantheon, but it’s a much more complicated and intricate way of creating a similar effect.

Opulent Materials

Baroque Architecture utilizes a wide array of luxurious and extravagant materials. One of the goals of Baroque Design was to convey emotion and inspire the viewer, and often times flashy and bold materials were used to achieve this. Gold leaf became widely used, along with exquisite decorative marble in various colors. The image above shows the famous Hall of Mirrors within the Palace of Versailles in France. King Louis XIV was one of the wealthiest kings of the age, and he spent great sums of money decorating the interior of Versailles. The gold leaf, marble details, and the bronze statues were all meant to show off Louis’ immense wealth, and this one room contained the largest collection of mirrors in all of Europe at that time.

Elements from Classical Architecture

Like a lot of other forms of architecture, Baroque Buildings borrow many design elements from the ancient structures of the Greeks and Romans. These include Pediments, Round Arches, and decorative Friezes. Column Capitals from the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian Orders can also be found throughout Baroque Architecture. The image above shows the front facade of the Karlskirche in Vienna Austria. The main entrance to the church is a direct copy of a Roman or Greek temple, like the ones seen on the Pantheon in Rome or the Parthenon in Athens. You can also see two massive Triumphal Columns on either side of the entrance. They greatly resemble two Triumphal Columns in Rome , one dedicated to Trajan and the other to Marcus Aurelius.

Vibrant Colors

Bright colors are another unifying element found in Baroque Architecture. Many Baroque buildings have bright pastel-colored facades, and this is particularly seen in countries like Austria, Poland, and the Czech Republic. The image above shows the interior of the main church within Melk Abbey. The light pinkish-colored marble and the gold trim throughout show the use of brighter colors. Most of the ceilings within the church are decorated with large Baroque Frescoes, and these too contain bold and lively color schemes.

Baroque Sculpture

Sculpture is another key element within Baroque Architecture. Baroque Sculpture features lively animated figures that are full of movement. The image above shows the Trevi Fountain in Rome which is decorated with several works of Baroque Sculpture. These statues depict horses and several Mythological deities, including Oceanus , a Greek Titan representing rivers and water.

Baroque Frescoes

Although frescoes had been a part of architecture since ancient times, the Baroque Style utilized them in an entirely new way. Just like Baroque Sculpture, Baroque Paintings depicted lively scenes filled with all sorts of people, plants, and animals. In the above image of the church of Sant’ignazio in Rome, you can see an incredible fresco by the influential Baroque Painter Andrea Pozzo . The painting is meant to look as if the roof of the church is a view straight into the heavens. It utilizes a forced perspective to make it seem like your really looking up at the sky, instead of an interior ceiling.

Baroque Architecture vs. Renaissance Architecture

Baroque Architecture was an evolution of many of the elements of Renaissance Architecture . Things like Rythm, Symmetry, and Proportion, were important in both Renaissance and Baroque Design; and both styles borrow elements from Classical Architecture, such as Marble Statues, Pediments, Ballistrades, and column capitals from the Classical Greek Orders. What makes Baroque Architecture different is the addition of new elements such as extremely complicated geometries, lavish materials, bright colors, and many meticulously designed details. Baroque Architecture is overall busier and more intricate and was meant to inspire and amaze local populations. Renaissance Architecture on the contrary is more reserved and simplified, with a bigger emphasis on harmony and consistency.

The images below will show side-by-side comparisons of Renaissance and Baroque designs, highlighting the differences and similarities between them.

These two sculptures both depict David, the slayer of the giant Goliath from the Old Testament of the Bible. On the left we see Michelangelo’s David. Michelangelo’s sculpture is well balanced, poised, and graceful. It depicts David deep in thought, standing still and looking off into the distance. In Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s version of this same subject, you see David in motion, taking aim with his sling in hand. There’s more emotion, life, and movement in Bernini’s sculpture, and this is an idea that repeats itself over and over again in Baroque sculpture, painting, and architecture.

In the left image above you can see the facade of the San Giorgio Monastery in Venice Italy, It was designed by Andrea Palladio , and its a prime example of Venetian Renaissance Architecture. The facade follows a rigid system of proportion and has simple geometries composed of triangles, and rectangles. In the right image, you can see St. Nicholas’ Church in the Mala Stana Neighborhood of Prague . Here the facade borrows elements from the Renaissance , but its a much more complicated and dynamic design. In plan, the facade undulates in multiple different curves, and there are dozens of different elliptical arches throughout the elevation. The use of many complicated curves was an important evolution in Baroque Design when compared to the stiffer and more one-dimensional facades of Renaissance Buildings.

Above are interior images of the same two churches. In the church by Palladio on the left, the nave is mostly grey and white. There’s a big emphasis on the simplified shapes and the overall harmony of the design. This greatly contrasts the Baroque interior of St. Nicholas’ Church on the right. Here you can see every surface is covered with intricate details and brightly colored materials. The Baroque Church is less about harmony and proportion, and more about awe-inspiring brilliance and amazement.

The differences between Renaissance and Baroque Architecture are also very apparent when looking at non-religious buildings. The left image above shows the Biblioteca Marciana in Venice . The facade of the building is completely white, and you can see the rhythm, and symmetry within the design. The right image is of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. Similarly, the large facade is symmetrical, but it’s designed with more depth, detail, and complexity. The bight blue color and the gold trim throughout are also big differences found in many Baroque Palaces.

Interested in the buildings of Palladio, Brunelleschi, and Michelangelo? Check out our article on Renaissance Architecture to learn more!

What are the best examples of Baroque Architecture?

Below is a list of some of the greatest examples of Baroque Architecture found anywhere on Earth. The order of the buildings is based on their size, splendor, and overall influence on the evolution of the Baroque Style.

1. Palace of Versailles – Versailles, Île-de-France , France

The Palace of Versailles is arguably the most impressive Royal Palace on earth. It was built by one of Europe’s most powerful monarchs, King Louis XIV , who ruled France for over 70 years from 1643-1715 . Versailles began as a small hunting lodge that Louis was fond of, and he financed a massive expansion project that created the current building. Louis the XIV would eventually move his court to the Palace of Versailles, essentially making it the political heart of France instead of Paris, which was located about 12 miles (19 km) away. Due to its importance, the palace was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 .

The Palace of Versailles illustrates every important element in the Baroque Style. The Hall of Mirrors is one of the palace’s most notorious rooms. One side is lined with large arched windows which let in lots of natural light, while the other side is lined with a massive array of mirrors. During the Baroque Age, mirrored glass was an extremely expensive material, but Louis XIV had ample funds to afford mirrors and other opulent finishes. In the Hall of Mirrors, you will also find dozens of marble & gilded statues, furniture pieces, as well as gold leaf decorations, and vibrantly painted Baroque Frescoes.

In addition to the main palace building, Versailles is surrounded by an expansive network of gardens, pathways, and fountains. These all feature more works of Baroque Sculpture, particularly in the ornamental fountains found throughout the grounds. Versailles is one of the earliest examples of a long straight garden stretching along a linear axis. This same design was recreated all across Europe, in places such as the Palace of Caserta in Italy, Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, and Drottningholm Palace in Stockholm .

2. St. Peter’s Square & The Baldacchino – Vatican City, Rome, Italy

St. Peter’s Square or Piazza San Pietro is located within Vatican City in the heart of Rome. The plan of the square corresponds to a former Roman Racetrack. It was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini , one of the greatest sculptors of the Baroque Age. Bernini designed many of the fountains within Rome’s great Piazzas , including Piazza Navona, and Piazza di Espania. St. Peter’s Square was designed with several distinct elements of Baroque Architecture, such as the elliptical plan, and the intricate baroque sculptures atop the colonnade. The exact center of the piazza is marked by an ancient Egyptian Obelisk, one of several brought to Rome by the Ancient Roman Emperors.

One of Bernini’s most famous sculptures is the Baldacchino , which is located directly below the dome of St. Peters. The Baldacchino stands nearly 100 feet (30 meters) tall and is made from casted bronze. It features four Solomonic Columns that support a large canopy. The Solomonic or Spiral Column was a design element that really gained popularity during the Baroque Age. Many Baroque buildings utilize these columns in their facades, and they can also be found in many Baroque Altarpieces.

3. St. Paul’s Cathedral – London, England, United Kingdom

St Paul’s Cathedral, the largest church in the English Capital of London, is one of the world’s greatest examples of Baroque Architecture. It was designed by Sir. Christopher Wren , the English Architect responsible for many of the buildings constructed after the Great Fire of London in 1666 . Work began on St. Paul’s in 1675 , and it was completed by 1710 . The church was the tallest structure in London for over 250 years until modern skyscrapers were built within the city during the 1960s .

Although the church’s exterior is more refined and austere, the interior of St. Paul’s showcases many of the classical elements of the Baroque Style. There are elaborate frescoes, and gold is used throughout the coffered ceilings and the central dome. The tombs of some of England’s greatest national heroes can be found within the cathedral’s crypt. Lord Horatio Nelson , Arthur Wellesley the Duke of Wellington , and Sir Christopher Wren himself are all buried beneath St. Paul’s along with many other notable historic figures.

4. Winter Palace – St. Petersburg, Russia

The Winter Palace is one of several massive palaces built by the Romanov Rulers of Russia. Tsar Peter the Great moved the capital of Russia from Moscow to St. Petersburg during the heart of the Baroque Age in 1713 . This sparked an immense building campaign that created dozens of important works of Baroque Architecture. The Winter Palace became the official residence of the Russian Emperor starting in 1732 . The image above shows the south facade which faces the Alexander Triumphal Column within the Palace Square. This facade features several of the key elements within Baroque Architecture, including the use of bright colors, and lavish materials like gold.

5. Santiago de Compostela Cathedral – Santiago de Compostela , Galicia, Spain

Santiago de Compostela originated as a Romanesque Church with foundations dating back to 1075 CE . It was an important pilgrimage site thanks to the church’s affiliation with Saint James. Christian Pilgrims would travel from all over Europe, taking a popular road known as The Way of St. James . This pathway begins in modern-day France and stretches all the way across the Iberian Peninsula to the Spanish Region of Galicia. This road and the small villages dotted along it are all commemorated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . The church sits in front of the Praza do Obradoiro, one of the most well-known Plazas in all of Spain .

6. Melk Abbey – Melk, Lower Austria, Austria

During the Baroque Age, the Archduchy of Austria emerged as one of the most powerful states within the Holy Roman Empire. The Austrian Hapsburg Monarchy commissioned many large works of Baroque architecture. One of these is Melk Abbey, a massive complex of buildings overlooking the Danube River. The abbey originally dates to the 11th century but it was completely rebuilt in the early 1700s . The grounds include a school, living quarters, a library, and a main church. All of these structures were built in one unified and cohesive design from 1702 to 1736 . This makes Melk Abbey one of the most uniform works of Baroque architecture anywhere in Europe.

7. Royal Palace of Caserta – Caserta, Campania, Italy

Designed in a similar manner to the one at Versailles, the Royal Palace of Caserta is one of the larger Baroque Era Palaces ever built. It was constructed by the Kings of Naples , a royal house that controlled much of Southern Italy and Sicily during the Baroque Age. Just like at Versailles, Caserta features a long linear garden, that perfectly aligns with the palace’s entrance. This garden is meant to be a processionary experience, and it’s filled with multiple Baroque fountains and sculptures.

8. Les Invalides –  Paris, Île-de-France , France

Les Invalides, which loosely translates to the “House of the Disabled” is a complex of buildings located in Paris. It was originally intended to be a home and hospital for French war veterans, and part of the building still functions as such today. The left image above shows the Golden-domed church, which is the most striking building within the overall Les Invalides Complex. Today this church contains the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte , one of France’s most influential historical figures. 

9. Trevi Fountain – Rome, Lazio, Italy

The Trevi Fountain is one of the most influential works of Baroque Architecture found anywhere in Rome. It was constructed from 1732-1762 , and it shows a perfect blend of both sculpture and architecture. The fountain utilizes many of the typical elements found in the Baroque Style. The marble statues are fluid and lively, and the design features many elements from Ancient Greek and Roman mythology. Many people make sure to toss a coin into the fountain while visiting Rome – It’s thought that anyone who does this will someday return to the eternal city. 

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10. Schönbrunn Palace – Vienna, Austria

Schönbrunn Palace is another one of Europe’s great Royal Residences, and Schönbrunn may be closest in size and grandeur when compared to France’s Versailles. It was used as a summer residence for the Royal House of Hapsburg , and it’s located about 2 1/2 miles from central Vienna. The design features all of the typical elements of Baroque architecture, and the sheer size and splendor of the palace and gardens embody the luxurious lifestyles of European Royal Families during the Baroque Age. 

11. Zwinger Palace – Dresden, Saxony, Germany

The Zwinger Palace is another example of palatial Baroque Architecture. After Louis XIV commissioned the Palace of Versailles, he started a sort of “arms race” amongst all of the other major European Powers. The European Rulers felt the need to build their own massive palaces to compete with the French and with one another. The Zwinger Palace, located in Dresden Germany, was commissioned by Augustus the Strong , the ruler of the Germany Electorate of Saxony from 1694-1733 . Although the Zwinger was heavily damaged during WWII bombing raids on the city of Dresden, today much of the original structure has been rebuilt and restored. 

12. Piazza Navona  –  Rome, Lazio , Italy

Piazza Navona is another famous Baroque Piazza in Rome, and like St. Peter’s Square, it was built over the remains of an Ancient Roman Racetrack. It’s popular with both tourists and locals thanks to its incredible ambiance and its impressive architecture. The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or the Fountain of the Four Rivers is a Baroque Fountain located within the center of the square. It was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in the mid- 1600s and it sits in front of a Baroque Style Church named for Saint Agnese.

13. Sant’ignazio – Rome, Lazio, Italy

The Church of Sant’ignazio, or Saint Ignatius , is a smaller church within Rome that’s mostly known for its incredible frescoed ceiling. The fresco was painted by one of the most influential painters of the Baroque Age, Andrea Pozzo . Pozzo utilizes an abundance of colors, figures, and forms to create one of the Baroque Age’s most daring paintings. The forced perspective makes it look as if the church’s roof has been ripped off, revealing a glimpse of the heavens. The idea that art had to be moving and striking was important in the Baroque Age when the Catholic Church was eager to inspire the populations to keep their faith, in a time when the Protestant Reformation was raging in parts of Europe.

14. Royal Palace of Madrid – Madrid, Spain

The Royal Palace of Madrid is another one of the many Baroque residences built by Europe’s powerful monarchies. The Spanish King Philip V commissioned the construction in 1735 , during the later stages of the Baroque Age. He wanted to create a primary residence within the Spanish capital, in addition to El Escorial Palace which was completed during the Renaissance Age far outside the city. The palace is centrally located within Madrid, with the south facade facing the Cathedral of Almudena. There’s also a large array of parks and gardens located around the palace including Campo de Moro, and the Jardines de Sabatini. 

15. Santa Maria Maggiore – Rome, Lazio, Italy

Santa Maria Maggiore is one of four major Papal Basilicas located within Rome. The church has foundations dating all the way back to the 5th century CE . Over time several major renovations and restorations created the current form of the church. The loggia at the center of the front elevation was completed in 1743 by Pope Benedict XIV , and many modifications to the interior also occurred during the Baroque age. Many of Rome’s churches were continuously modified by the Popes, and in addition to Santa Maria Maggiore, large-scale Baroque Renovations were conducted on St. Peter’s Basilica and the Church of St. John the Lateran.

16. Drottningholm Palace – Stockholm , Sweden

Drottningholm Palace is one of the most impressive palaces in all of Europe, on par with other well-known examples such as the Château de Versailles in France and Schönbrunn Palace in Austria. Construction began on the palace in the heart of the Baroque Age in 1662 . The Swedish Royals had a city residence located within the center of Stockholm , and Drottningholm Palace served as a second home about 7.5 miles (12 km) away. Drottningholm Palace also contains a vast Baroque Style Garden. Today it’s one of the most visited sites in all of Stockholm, and it’s the only UNESCO-listed site within the city limits.

Interested in Stockholm? Check out our article on the Architecture of Stockholm to learn more!

17. Karlskirche – Vienna, Austria

Karlskirche is one of the larger churches within the Austrian Capital of Vienna. Vienna’s principal church is a Gothic Cathedral named for St. Stephen, but Karlskirche is also another impressive work of religious architecture within the city. Its located just off of the Ringstrasse , a famous road that encircles the historic core of Vienna. Austria reached its peak under the House of Hapsburg and it was one of the most powerful states in Europe during the Baroque Age. As a result, many incredible works of Baroque architecture can be found throughout cities in Austria, such as Vienna, Salzburg, Graz, and Innsbruck.

18. Nymphenburg Palace – Munich , Bavaria, Germany

Bavaria was once ruled by the Royal House of Wittelsbach . It was one of the larger states within the Holy Roman Empire, and at the start of the Baroque Age, it was elevated from a Duchy to an Electorate. This was a move that signified the important status of Bavaria, which was a growing economic and cultural center during the 16th and 17th centuries . In 1664 the rulers of Bavaria built Nymphenburg Palace just outside their capital city, Munich . Nymphenburg Palace was then continually modified over time. The exterior gardens were completed in 1789 , and many Rococo details were added to the interior later on.

19. Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral – Mexico City, Mexico

During the era of European Colonialism, many works of Baroque Architecture were completed – particularly by the Spanish and Portuguese in the Americas. One of the greatest examples of this is the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral. The church sits atop some much older Aztec ruins, and several other important Aztec monuments were once located in this part of the city. It was built by the Spanish over the course of several centuries, beginning in the late 1500s and ending during the early 1800s . Most of the front facade is Baroque, designed in a similar manner to that of Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

20. St. Nicholaus Church – Prague , Czech Republic

St. Nicholaus Church, located in the Malá Strana neighborhood of Prague , is one of two different churches in the city named for St. Nicholaus. Construction began on the current church in the year 1704 , and it replaced a much older Gothic Church . The entire building took 51 years to complete, and it was done completely in one harmonious style. Because of this, it is often regarded as the most important work of Baroque Architecture anywhere in Prague. The exterior of the church shows several typical Baroque elements such as the undulating curvature of the front facade.

Interested in Prague? Read our article on the Architecture of Prague to learn more!

21. San Carlo Alle Quattro Fontane – Rome, Lazio, Italy

The use of complicated geometries and dynamic shapes and forms is one of the key elements in Baroque Architecture. The Church of San Carlo Alle Quattro Fontane in Rome probably embodies this idea more than any other building on this list. In the left image above you can see the church’s front facade. The facade curves and undulates in both plan and elevation, and there are many elaborately carved niches and elliptical fenestrations. This complexity is repeated inside, particularly in the elliptical dome. The church was designed by Francesco Borromini , one of the greatest architects of the Baroque Age. The Church of San Carlo is often regarded as his greatest achievement, and it’s easy to see why when you look at how complicated Borromini’s design is.

22. Noto Cathedral – Noto, Sicily, Italy

Noto is a small city in Eastern Sicily, located 57 miles (92 km) south of Catania. In 1693, this region of Sicily was devastated by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake which completely destroyed many priceless works of architecture. Cities in the area such as Noto, Modica, Caltagirone, and Ragusa all rebuilt important buildings in the Baroque Style. This collection of Baroque Architecture is combined into one UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto . Noto Cathedral is one of the larger buildings from the reconstruction program. The church and the monumental staircase leading up to it were completed in 1776 , in the final stages of the Baroque movement.

23. Old Royal Naval College – London, England, United Kingdom

The Old Royal Naval College of London is another fantastic example of the work of Sir. Christopher Wren . He was a Baroque Architect who worked mostly in and around London. Construction began on the building in 1696 and it was completed by 1712 . Wren’s symmetrical design for the exterior is similar to that of St. Paul’s Cathedral, a building he designed a few miles up the Thames River in central London. Both buildings are a little more reserved and modest when compared to many of the other extravagant Baroque structures on this list. In fact, many people think Wren’s designs more closely resemble works of Neoclassical Architecture rather than Baroque.

24. Santa Maria Della Salute – Venice , Veneto, Italy

Santa Maria Della Salute is by far the most iconic Baroque building in all of Venice . Work began on the church in 1631 , and it incorporates many of the distinct characteristics of Baroque Architecture. The exterior is made entirely of the same Istrian Marble that is found throughout Venice. The marble is carved with statuary niches, columns, pediments, and other elements typically found in Classical Architecture. S anta Maria Della Salute overlooks the waters of the Grand Canal in the heart of the city, and it’s one of the architectural highlights of Venice along with its many Gothic and Renaissance buildings.

Interested in Venice? Check out our article on the Architecture of Venice to learn more!

25. Peterhof Palace – St. Petersburg, Russia

Like the Winter Palace, Peterhof Palace is another great example of Baroque Architecture located within St. Petersburg. Peterhof Palace was commissioned by Tsar Peter the Great , who ruled the Russian Empire from 1682 until 1725 . The Palace Gardens contain one of the most elaborate Baroque fountains in the entire world. The immense size of the fountain and the multiple gilded statues were meant to show off the wealth and power of the Russian Tsar and to compete with the other great palaces of Europe. Along with several other buildings in St. Petersburg, the Peterhof Palace is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site .

Late Baroque & Rococo Architecture

At the tail end of the Baroque Age, a new style of architecture known as Rococo began to emerge. Rococo is an even more flashy and ostentatious form of architecture. In Rococo buildings, every surface is completely covered with details and colors. Many people regard Rococo as a more evolved and adapted version of Late Baroque.

The Rococo Style began in France and became popular in large parts of Europe including Germany, Austria, and Russia. In Germany in particular, you can find an abundance of Rococo buildings. The images above show two spaces within the main Royal Palace in Würzburg Germany, The building, known as the Würzburg Residenz, embodies the over-the-top nature of Rococo Architecture .

The above two photos both show the interior of the Munich Residenz, which was an urban palace for the Royal House of Bavaria. Here in Munich , the Rococo interiors are essentially designed to do one thing: show off as much gold leaf as possible. This idea of absolute extravagance was big in the Rococo Age. Although you still see similar ideas in Baroque Architecture, here at the Rococo Munich Residenz, it’s taken to a whole new level.

Neo-Baroque & Baroque Revival Architecture

Like many other building styles, Baroque Architecture saw a strong rebirth during the Revival Period in Architecture. In addition to other styles like Neoclassical and Gothic Revival , Baroque Revival Architecture was popularized in the late 19th and early 20th centuries .

This picture shows a Baroque Revival Style ( or Neo-Baroque Style ) building in Dresden Germany. It’s known as the Semperoper, and it serves as the main opera house in Dresden. The building is influenced by both Renaissance and Baroque Architecture. But the main entrance as well as many interior elements are distinctly Baroque. The Semperoper opened in 1841 , and its located very close to other important Baroque buildings in Dresden such as the Zwinger Palace and the Frauenkirche.

Budapest is also a city in Europe that’s filled with many different forms of Revival Architecture. The most famous of these is probably the Budapest Parliament Building , which is designed in Gothic Revival . The above image shows a Baroque Revival building in Budapest known as the Széchenyi Thermal Bath. The bath is located inside the main park in the city, and it takes advantage of Budapest’s abundance of hot springs.

One similar architectural form is known as the Second Empire Style. Second Empire Architecture combines Baroque and Neoclassical Elements to create a completely new building typology. The image below shows the Quebec Parliament Building in Quebec City Canada.

Baroque Architecture Today

Baroque Architecture is one of the world’s first intercontinental building forms. It spread from Europe to other parts of the globe thanks to the many European Colonies that existed during the Baroque Age. Many Baroque palaces, churches, and public squares can be found in cities throughout the world, and some of the most recognizable structures on earth such as the Palace of Versailles and the Trevi Fountain were designed in the Baroque Style. All of these works of Baroque Architecture still serve their original primary function: inspiring people and filling us with a sense of awe and wonder.

• About the Author
• Rob Carney, the founder and lead writer for Architecture of Cities has been studying the history of architecture for over 15 years.
• He is an avid traveler and photographer, and he is passionate about buildings and building history.
• Rob has a B.S. and a Master’s degree in Architecture and has worked as an architect and engineer in the Boston area for 10 years.

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The Fall of English Baroque Architecture Essay

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Different movements have marked the cultural development of Europe, imposing changes on the society’s perception of beauty and style. Some of those cultural transformations have been inspired by an earlier forms of art and architecture, stemming from Ancient Greece for example (Renaissance), and have been acquired to some extent and modified, as a new approach to traditional concepts. Most people have accepted and integrated those ideas into their everyday lives without hesitation but some were unable of approval from mass believes due to clashes with dogma, such as religion.

Baroque, is one of those styles that differed from the European based definition of it and was consequently subject to changes in England because of religious pursuits. Two churches have passionately dedicated their beliefs to different notions-Protestants have based their new Christian concepts in England and the Catholic Church remained conservative towards those approaches. This separation resulted in difference in the construction and design in the Baroque architecture to some extent and had an impact on the art, as well.

But this is not the sole reason for the premature “finale” of that style in England. Baroque art is less obscure and more daring than the art of Mannerism. It is so dramatic that it often borders with theatricality, and its appeal rarely fails to connect with the human senses and emotions, its language is one of contrasts, of opposing ideas, different and innovative ways of approaching light and proportions of spaces and objects. It is a style of the grotesque and exaggerated sizes and proportions of elements and detail.

Baroque buildings are marked with grandeur and curvaceousness, and often stand out with bewildering pattern of lavishing rich surface decoration, twisting ornaments, and gilded statuary. Bright and vivid colours were dauntlessly used by architects to illustrate the ceilings. In order to give at least some comment on the reasons for the short period of time in which English Baroque lasted, a brief introduction into the achievements of the people who have developed this term, needs to be acknowledged. People whose work have embodied the term “Baroque” and thanks to them it has existed on the grounds of Great Britain.

Although, different historians have doubted that there was an English Baroque, in this essay the causes of its fall will be considered. These causes will not only endeavor to explain its ?short life’ but also prove that there was such an era. A couple of events lead to the inability of English Baroque to last. Even from the start this style was put under the pressure of a lot of criticism and uncertainty. Historians were ready to conclude in their work that it never even existed in England at first place.

English Baroque wasn’t a coherent style and lacked the esprit de corp (morale). The mass didn’t support and believe in it. Some architects like John Vanbrugh, who is probably the most famous one representing the English Baroque, have been strongly criticized in relation to their work. Vanbrugh has played a crucial role in triggering the negative reaction against the Baroque in England. He is, indeed, the architect of the infamous Blenheim that had stirred angry responses from political figures (Sarah Churchill) in relation to its design.

Being regarded as ?extravagant and impractical’, it imitated a Palladian type of mansion, such as Wanstead, for example. Tracing back to the history the whole new period has been influenced by Inigo Jones. Influenced to an enormous extent by Andrea Palladio while visiting Italy, Jones has developed an understanding of construction and soon it reflected on British buildings. He is often labelled as the first British architect because he has founded the bases of the English architecture from observing French, Italian and Netherland buildings.

Although, his buildings are revolutionary (Queen’s House, Greenwich), owing to him the next generation of architects have been springing all their inspiration of craft. But, due to the short ‘life span’ of English Baroque the idea of its existence, historically speaking, is put under a question. Considered one of Britain’s greatest architects, Sir Christopher Wren, rebuilt 52 churches after the Great Fire of London and designed one of the city’s landmarks, St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Wren believed in ?natural’ (geometrical) beauty and ?customary’, which ?familiar or particular clination breeds in things not in themselves lovely’. Through this definition he admits that there are other forms of beauty and gives him the freedom to experiment with shapes. Once he gave a statement regarding his observation of how ‘our English Artists are dull enough at Inventions but when once a foreigne patterne is sett, they imitate soe well that commonly they exceed the originall’.

What Sir Christopher Wren was trying to imply is that the British tried to modify a style that on its own has been already modified. They copied it so well that it didn’t surpass the basic idea of it. Sir Christopher Wren’s contribution was immense and his pupils had a significant impact on the Baroque in England, too. Even though, the difference in their views of the style lead to the failure of the English Baroque to be regarded as a definite style. Wren and the other English Baroque architects reached out for ideas in Greek and Gothic architecture.

The architects of “Wren School” were individualists. Each one of them incorporated his own style and personality in the design. This has, presumably, had left to quite disagreements in terms of construction and design of some of the buildings. But Wren states that each one of his employees had a certain part in the design and they have been collaborating. . Still, his views and methods used in the architecture couldn’t be accepted by the new generation of architects that followed in the 18th century, to them they were merely too unconventional.

One of the major reasons that have triggered the early ending of the English Baroque is that it coincided with the period of the Catholic Counter-Reformation and the birth of absolute monarchy that has occurred as a result of the separation of the two churches-Protestant and Catholic. However, even if it has lasted longer, it was perceived with lots of criticism and historians were ready to present this style as one that never existed in Britain at first place. But why was it welcomed with such hostility? After careful observation through the events in Continental Baroque compared to that on the Island.

It isn’t hard to find similarities in the buildings in Italy, for instance, to those in England. Those building designs didn’t differ very much from the Catholic construction style during that time. Especially, for a newly born church which main purpose was to plant its roots deeply into British ground. It ought to stand out from the conventional buildings. In summary, English Baroque was bound to exist for such a short period time for no other reason than the period it overlapped with. Religion has always been in the heart of the problems occurring between the nations.

During this period it didn’t make an exception, too. The Counter-Reformation and absolutist monarchy have been quite important events defining this period. Baroque art was being used as a means of expression of strong spiritual beliefs of Catholicism. It was inspiring and many Protestant artists and architects believed they can merge it in their craft. Unfortunately, the soul of the fascinating power of the Baroque was tightly associated with Catholic beliefs. As a result, the effect of the English Baroque was far more futile, misunderstood and unacceptable from the society.

Bibliography:

Downes K., 1966, English Baroque Architecture, London, A. Zwemmer Ltd

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