Drama, Divinity, and Global Exchange: The Baroque Age and the Americas (1600–1750 CE)

Theatricality

An emphasis on drama and emotional involvement in Baroque art.

Dynamism

A characteristic of Baroque art that creates a sense of movement and energy.

Direct Emotional Appeal

Art that aims to evoke strong emotional responses such as awe, piety, or shock.

Complex Geometry

Use of complex shapes, such as ovals and ellipses in Baroque art, instead of simple circles or squares.

Diagonal Composition

Arrangement of elements in art that follows diagonal lines to convey movement.

Counter-Reformation

The Catholic Church's response to Protestantism, influencing art to promote clarity and piety.

Radical Naturalism

Caravaggio’s technique of depicting ordinary people extraordinarily and realistically.

Tenebrism

A style of painting characterized by strong contrasts between light and dark.

Bel Composto

Bernini's term for the integration of architecture, sculpture, and painting into a unified whole.

Meta-commentary

A reflection on the nature of art, questioning the relationship between the subject and the viewer.

Syncretism

The blending of different cultural beliefs and artistic styles, particularly seen in Spanish Colonial Art.

Biombos

Folding screens influenced by Japanese art, used in Mexican colonial interiors.

Enconchado

A painting technique that combines oil paint with mother-of-pearl inlay.

Casta Paintings

Genre of art in colonial Latin America depicting mixed-race individuals, often used to reinforce social hierarchy.

Fête galante

Outdoor scenes depicting the leisure and love lives of the aristocracy, common in Rococo art.

Curvilinear Forms

Soft, flowing shapes characteristic of Rococo design.

Pastel Colors

Soft color palette used in Rococo art, conveying lightness and delicacy.

The Swing (Jean-Honoré Fragonard)

A famous Rococo painting symbolizing eroticism, leisure, and playful sensuality.

Spaniard and Indian Produce Mestizo

A Casta painting that presents a mixed-race couple, illustrating the racial hierarchy of colonial society.

Angel with Arquebus (Master of Calamarca)

A Baroque painting depicting an angel holding a gun, merging Incan mythology with Catholic imagery.

Las Meninas (Diego Velázquez)

A complex Baroque painting questioning the nature of perception and reality.

Ecstasy of Saint Teresa (Gian Lorenzo Bernini)

A Baroque sculpture depicting a mystical experience, showcasing theater elements.

Henri IV Receives the Portrait of Marie de’ Medici (Peter Paul Rubens)

A Baroque painting that uses allegory to elevate a monarch's status.

Calling of Saint Matthew (Caravaggio)

A key work demonstrating Caravaggio's revolutionary approach to naturalism and light.

Rococo

An art movement characterized by ornamental elegance and lightness, emerging after the Baroque.

Correction for Tenebrism and Chiaroscuro

Not all chiaroscuro is tenebrism; tenebrism specifically involves dramatic light contrasts.

Common misconception about Colonial Art

Colonial art is not just a European copy; it incorporates indigenous influences and techniques.

Protestant Influence on Dutch Baroque

Dutch art reflects middle-class values and domestic piety, not Catholic themes.

Rococo vs. Renaissance

Rococo may seem trivial compared to Renaissance art but reflects specific aristocratic values before the French Revolution.