A Guide to Art History: From Genre Painting to Baroque Sculpture
What is a Genre Painting?
A genre painting depicts subjects taken from everyday reality. It may portray scenes of intimate and family life (domestic) or of public life and work in towns or cities. This style originated in fifteenth-century Flemish painting and developed during the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
Are Still Life and Still Life the Same?
Yes. A still life painting depicts inanimate compositions. The term ‘still life’ derives from the representation of objects and foodstuffs. It is also sometimes called a tavern or pub kitchen scene, in which human figures may appear.
What is Chiaroscuro and Who Was its Initiator?
Chiaroscuro is a painting technique characterized by strong contrasts in light. Characters and objects stand out with a dramatic light against a dark background. The light dissolves boundaries and details, highlighting certain areas while others fade into the shadows. This style is characteristic of the Baroque principle, combined with naturalism. Its initiator was the Italian painter Caravaggio.
What is a Vanitas Painting?
A vanitas painting is a still life with a moralizing symbol. Characteristic of European Baroque painting, it uses luxury items (vanity of wealth) to convey the message that the salvation of the soul is what truly matters.
Between Which Two Artistic Styles Lies Mannerism?
Mannerism lies between the Renaissance and the Baroque. Artists such as Parmigianino, with his work “The Madonna of the Long Neck,” and the architect Palladio, with works like Villa Capra, exemplify this style.
What is the Serpentina Line in Art?
The serpentina line is a characteristic feature of Mannerist and Baroque sculpture. It involves giving human figures a contorted, twisting motion, a helical tension.
Is Versailles a Castle or a Palace?
Versailles is a palace. It features an open plan with a large courtyard, and its facades have an aesthetic purpose based on the principles of Baroque classicism. The gardens also accentuate the palatial character. There are no features of defensive military architecture. The Palace of Versailles was built by Louis XIV, not Louis XVI.
Is David a Mythological or Biblical Figure?
David is a character in the Old Testament, so he is a religious figure (a Jewish king, conqueror of Goliath). In the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the depiction of David often took on a more secular character, resembling a hero of classical antiquity (as seen in Michelangelo’s or Bernini’s David).
Are Churrigueresque and Plateresque Synonyms?
No. Both are Spanish architectural styles with one thing in common: abundant decoration. Churrigueresque is the result of the evolution of Baroque architecture and Herrera’s influence, reaching its peak in the first half of the eighteenth century. Plateresque is influenced by the Italian Quattrocento and the survival of the last Gothic decorative taste, developing in the first half of the sixteenth century. The decorative motifs used are also different. Plateresque uses grotesques, small details, and limited visibility, while Churrigueresque employs plant motifs imitating fabrics and draperies, resulting in large chiaroscuro effects.
What Does the Word Patron Mean?
A patron is a powerful figure who protects and sponsors the arts and artists. This figure emerged during the Renaissance when art was used as a means to enhance prestige and personal greatness.
Name Two Spanish Cities with Baroque Squares.
- Salamanca
- Madrid
According to Classical Mythology, What is the Relationship Between Venus, Vulcan, and Mars?
Venus (goddess of Love and Beauty) is married to Vulcan (god of fire) and is unfaithful to him with Mars, the god of war. Upon discovering this, Vulcan traps them in a net forged by him, which is witnessed by the other gods of Olympus. Velázquez depicted this scene in his painting “The Forge of Vulcan.”
In Architecture, What Role do Caryatids and Atlantes Play?
Caryatids and Atlantes have a weight-bearing function, replacing the shaft of a column with a female figure (caryatid) or a male figure (Atlas).
What is a “Grotesque” and in Which Artistic Style is it Used?
A grotesque is a decorative motif featuring fantastic beings, such as apes, humans, plants, and animals, interlocked to form a whole. It is typical of the Italian Quattrocento and Spanish Plateresque, although its antecedent is found in Pompeian Roman decoration.
Are Chiaroscuro and Tenebrism the Same Thing?
No. Chiaroscuro is the light-shadow effect used in paintings to depict light. It is related to volume, perspective, and light effects on the landscape. Tenebrism is a technique characteristic of the Baroque period (17th century) that uses strong contrasts between brightly lit areas, with almost surreal light, and very dark areas with neutral backgrounds. Tenebrism is associated with naturalism.
Name Two Contemporary Spanish Artists of Murillo and a Piece by Each.
This question is slightly misleading as it asks for contemporaries of Murillo but then asks for contemporary Spanish artists. Assuming the latter is the intended meaning, two examples are:
- Francisco Zurbarán – “St. Hugh in the Refectory”
- Diego Velázquez – “The Spinners”
Name the Top Representatives of Castilian and Andalusian Baroque Sculpture and a Work by Each.
- Castile: Gregorio Fernández – “La Piedad”
- Andalusia: Martínez Montañés – “Christ of Clemency” (Seville) and Alonso Cano – “Immaculate Conception” (Granada). In the eighteenth century, Francisco Salzillo – “The Agony in the Garden” (Murcia).
What Art Style Does St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City Belong to and Who is the Author?
St. Peter’s Square belongs to the Baroque style (17th century). Its author is Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
What is the Theme of Processions and in Which Artistic Style Did They Reach Their Greatest Importance?
Processions depict religious themes, specifically the passion and death of Jesus Christ (Easter). They reached their zenith in the Spanish Baroque.
What Materials and Techniques Were Prevalent in Spanish Baroque Sculpture?
Painted wood was the prevalent material. The sculpture was carved in wood, given a finely polished plaster primer, and painted with a brush. If a gold leaf background was used, a layer of very fine clay was applied. In the eighteenth century, other materials were also used to increase the realism of the sculptures, such as vitreous materials for eyes, teeth, and tears, and wigs. Images were often made to be dressed, with only the face, hands, and feet sculpted, while the rest was reduced to a wooden frame.
What is the Difference Between Imagery and Monumental Sculpture?
Monumental sculpture is intended to decorate a building and is typically carved in stone. Imagery refers to sculpture in the round, usually made of painted wood.
What Attributes Iconically Identify Mercury?
Mercury is typically identified by his winged sandals, winged helmet, and caduceus (a rod with two entwined snakes). He is the messenger of the gods.
What are Three Characteristic Features of Mannerism?
- Release from the cult of classic beauty and its basic components, such as serenity and balance.
- Constant use of the serpentina line in sculpture, resulting in sculptures with foreshortening, forced movements, complex compositions, and strains.
- A taste for distortions and deformations in painting (e.g., “Madonna of the Long Neck” by Parmigianino).
What Influence Did the Counter-Reformation Have on Art?
The Counter-Reformation, launched in the sixteenth century, aimed to reaffirm the strength of Catholicism against the Protestant Reformation. It sought to achieve two objectives: internal reform within the institution and a dogmatic response to the new Protestant thinking. The Council of Trent (1545-1563) was created for this purpose, and its findings were crucial in shaping Baroque art, which largely served as propaganda for the Catholic Church. The iconographic-formal recommendations of the Council influenced the formal and aesthetic aspects of Baroque art and can be summarized as follows:
- Clarity, simplicity, and understandability
- Realistic interpretation
- Encouragement of sensitive piety, advising the representation of Christ as afflicted, bleeding, and pale
What New Theme Did the Baroque Introduce in Artistic Representation?
The Baroque introduced a wide range of themes, including religious themes (apotheosis, miracles, martyrdoms, etc., catering to the taste of the Counter-Reformation), mythological and allegorical themes (full of symbolism and seeking to exalt political power), portraits, historical genre painting, still life, flower and animal painting, urban or agricultural landscapes, and seascapes. It also depicted morbid, cruel, or shocking themes, mainly aimed at psychologically affecting the viewer through the senses.
What Other Names are Used for the “Herrera” Style and What are its Characteristics?
The “Herrera” style is also known as:
- El Escorial (after the Monastery of El Escorial)
- Mannerism (El Escorial is considered a prototype of Mannerism)
- Purist Stage (due to its emphasis on pure forms)
- Trentino (art of the Counter-Reformation or the Council of Trent)
Its key features include the mathematical rigor of compositional ratios, the Flemish-style slate spire, and geometric motifs, especially pyramids and spheres.
What is a “Self-Portrait”? Give Three Examples from Different Styles.
A self-portrait is a portrait of a person done by themselves. Famous examples include:
- Albrecht Dürer (German Renaissance painter)
- Rembrandt (Dutch Baroque painter)
- Francisco de Goya (Spanish Romantic painter)