Week 2 Discussion History of Art from the Middle ages to Modern Times

Key Artists of the Baroque

© 2016 South University

Page 2 of 2

[Course Name (not number)]

©2016 South University

2 [Key Artists of the Baroque

The Baroque Style in Europe

Key Artists of the Baroque

Caravaggio—His love and study of still life, coupled with his intensely realistic figures brought a heightened sense of reality sought by both viewers and patrons.

Georges de La Tour (French)—He filled the foreground with colossal figures which forced the viewer to interact on an emotional level with the painting. The simplified settings and a singular light source, that was included in the painting, were often so dramatic that they seemed to be primary subjects of the paintings apart from the actual figures.

Diego Velazquez (Spain)—Like Caravaggio, Velazquez was skilled in painting still lives and was able to incorporate them into his compositions to create realistic scenes. Complex compositions were indicative of Velazquez paintings and it is apparent in his most famous piece Las Meninas.

Peter Paul Rubens (Flanders)— With unique compositions containing a sense of formality containing rich colors attention to detail and multiple textures, Rubens work is a perfect example of traditional Flemish techniques. In his triptych The Raising of the Cross utilizes the diagonal pull by having Christ’s body on the cross stretch across the middle panel. It almost looks as though the light source is coming from within the figure of Jesus and illuminates the other characters.

Rembrandt van Rijn (Netherlands)—Now considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time, Rembrandt was also highly revered in the seventeenth century. Rembrandt was a portrait painter and relied on that for income but also painted landscapes and narratives. His figures have a life to them that may be due to the fact that he often painted portraits over portraits and give the canvas a rich history of paint and texture.