Comparative Art Essay

In this essay I will analyze and compare and contrast three art facts composed during the Baroque Era. The Baroque Era is defined as a characteristic of a style in art and architecture developed in Europe from the early 17th to mid-18th century, emphasizing dramatic, often strained effect and typified by bold, curving forms, elaborate ornamentation, and overall balance of disparate parts. The exuberant trend of Italian art was best represented by Borromini in architecture, by Bernini in sculpture, and by the Dutch artist Rembrandt in painting (Wikipedia Contributors). Three art facts composed in Rome during this realistic era include the San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, St. Theresa in Ecstasy, and the Resurrection of Christ.

The artist Francesco Borromini was a prominent and influential Baroque architect. Borromini was born in Bissone, Switzerland during a time of constant conflict between Catholic and Protestant states which erupted battles during 1529-1616 (Wikipedia Contributors). Borromini was the son of a stone mason and started his career as a stone mason in 1616. He moved to Rome in 1619 to compose his independent art works using his platonic realism philosophies and non-classic style. Platonic realism is defined as the theory of reality around us is only a reflection of a higher truth. His first independent commission (begun in 1634) was the San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane in Rome, one of the masterpieces of the Roman Baroque. The church was composed during the late baroque period that dates to circa 1665-1667 (Wikipedia Contributors). The church was constructed in an undulating rhythm of architectural elements within a basic geometric plan. It’s one of the most notable examples of Baroque architecture.

The artist Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini was a sculptor, painter and architect and a formative influence as an outstanding exponent of the Italian Baroque. Bernini was born in Naples, Italy during which time Italy economy was thieving and numerous Napoleonic wars. The entire country was adjusting to intellectual changes which began to break down traditional values. Bernini son of a Florentine sculptor studied under his father until he was acknowledged for art work by the Pope VIII in Rome (at the age of seven). His classic and realism style of art depicts vision, drama, and emotion to the viewer’s eye. One of his famous sculptors is the Ecstasy of Saint Theresa was composed during the high Baroque period that dates to circa 1645-1652. This baroque sculptor is combined with several different materials within a single work and set in baroque architecture settings, and seems to be spilling out of their assigned space or floating toward heaven (Wikipedia Contributors). Both Borromini and Bernini composed art in the country of Rome. During the time periods of the high and late Baroque art was political and social influenced by the Pope and the Roman church. In addition the city of Rome was thieving economically, several Universities were open for further career exploration, and raging wars occurred occasionally with other nations over the issues of world power.

The artist Rembrandt van Rijn is generally considered one of the greatest painters in European art history and the most important in Dutch history. Rembrandt was born in Leiden, Netherlands in 1606 during that time Leiden was rebuilding its economy after the last war. Rembrandt attended Latin school as a young boy and the University of Leiden for liberal arts as a teen. Rembrandt moved to Munich, Germany and started composing various art works using his platonic philosophies and symbolism style to generate a since of higher power. His contribution to art came in the 17th century, in which Dutch culture, science, commerce, and political influence reached their pinnacles (Rembrandt Painting). One of his famous masterpieces of art is the Resurrection of Christ. The oil canvas painting was composed during the golden age of the baroque period that dates to circa 1635-1639 (Wikipedia Contributors). Rembrandt use the emotional contrast between light and dark to underscore emotional difference. The darkness symbolizes the soldier’s ignorance and the light symbolizes true knowledge (Art Appreciation). However Rembrandt works of art during this time was influenced by the numerous traditional changes and a political reform of Germany.

The first work of art is the San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane a small corner stone church was composed of a tight geometric complexity of interlocking ovals and circles that create spaciousness. The “Quattro Fontane” refers to the four corner fountains at the corners at the intersection where the church stands. These corner fountain depict two river gods (a reclining male figure with a tree and a recumbent male with reeds), two goddesses (Juno and Diana), and the recumbent Neptune. The concave street faзade was constructed of three bays, two outer concave bays and a convex center. The