Baroque Art (Research Paper Sample)

Running Head: BAROQUE ART
Baroque Art
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Baroque Art
Lorenzo Bernini Gian is one of the artists who defined the Baraque Style of art. He was born on December 7th 1598 in Rome and died in 1680. He was a great Italian painter and sculptor who used marble, and eventually became a prominent designer and architect at a tender age. As well, Bernini painted, designed and also wrote plays, and therefore becoming a great figure in the new kind of art (Wittkower, 1997). One of his outstanding statutes is that of David known used by many people to study and design the Baraque style. On the other hand, Michelangelo Simoni di Lodovico is another artist who has been associated greatly with the Renaissance style. Michelangelo was a famous Italian sculptor, a painter, designer, poet, and an architect. His new style known as Mannerism made him prominent during the time. His work has been greatly studied and referred to whenever analyzing the Renaissance style. He was born in the year 1475 and died at the age of eighty-eight years in 1564.
The statute of David created by Bernini is known to represent the Baraque style while Michelangelo’s statute of David is representative of the Renaissance style. After observing these two statutes, it will be noted that there exists several differences between the two styles. From Bernini’s statute of David, it is notable that it strikes a rhythmic balance between the pose and the movement. This has been achieved by representation of David’s movement whereby he has leapt to aim his sling towards the giant Goliath (Wittkower, 1997). The body motion shows power while the facial expression on the statute is representative of intelligent and control.
Bernini’s statute, it presents David as a young man who was able to defeat a giant. This kind of power was appropriate for the Baraque style. We should thus observe that the style was reflective of dynamism, self rhetoric and overt emotion. The Catholic Church in Rome was a great encourager of the Baraque style and art, and the aim was to respond intelligently to the ongoing Protestant Movement during the 16th Century. It was also used to impress the visitors as a sign of ‘full’ control and intense power. This is why the statutes were placed around palaces, court houses, and even in reception rooms. This was done to increase opulence. The major theme of the style of the Baraque style was power and control. The need to show superiority and overt emotion was the subject of the style. Religious and societal values were also incorporated as an integral element of this form of art. The above discussions are thus depictive of the major characteristics defining the Baraque style of art (Wittkower, 1997).
Looking at the Renaissance style of art, it is notable that it applied mannerism style thus making it different from the new form of art which represented a totally new concept of individuality and absolutism. The baroque style became a dynamic form art which was capable of reflecting the growth of monarchies. This kind of art is therefore known to have been used as a way of manifesting power. Michelangelo’s statute which represents the Renaissance art and style differs from the Bernini’s statute in terms of motion and facial expression (Wittkower, 1997). Looking at Michelangelo’s statute, we see that it has no motion or movement. This is because the art of the time was interested in decoration and emotion. The main aim of this art was to impress and by so doing known to have offered a ‘rebirth’ to the traditional practices. The facial expression is representing philosophical impressions. This has also been achieved by use of posture and theme in the statute. From the statute, we note that David is represented as a man of great intelligence and who is capable of overcoming whatever came his way. The presentation of facial expression and movement therefore presents the defining differences between the two styles of art. We can therefore observe that this style of art had been influenced by the philosophies of the society, architectural movements, theology and also the government...