-
Period: Sep 28, 1571 to
Michelangelo Caravaggio
Few people are aware that Michelangelo Caravaggio, one of the most influential Baroque painters, was known during his life for his violent behaviour. The Italian artist, who was a leading reformer of European art in the 16th and 17th centuries, allegedly committed crimes more than once in his life. At the age of 38, he died under mysterious circumstances in Porto Ercole in Tuscany.
Link text -
Period: Jun 28, 1577 to
Peter Paul Rubens
Peter Paul Rubens, another one of the 5 greatest Baroque painters, known for being “the prince of painters and the painter of princes,” was a flamboyant Flemish grand master of art born in 1577. His work was highly influenced by historical and mythological ideals, and his unique painting style came to be associated with the Counter-Reformation.
Link text -
Bacchus, Caravaggio, Uffizi Gallery Museum, Florence
“Bacchus” was painted during Caravaggio’s 1595 sojourn with his first patron, Cardinal del Monte, and represents Caravaggio’s interpretation of naturalism.
Link text -
Period: to
Diego Velázquez
Diego Velázquez, representing the Spanish Golden Age. He was also one of the best portraitists of his times. Velázquez was familiar with Italian art; therefore, his inspirations initially came from artists such as Raphael and Michelangelo. Later during his life, his work inspired the realists and impressionists.
Link text -
Period: to
Nicolas Poussin
This painter of the classical Baroque époque, who was the founder of the French Classical tradition is often described as the embodying the opposite traits of Caravaggio, and there is some truth to this. His paintings were calm, logical and at the same time imbued with philosophical musings. Poussin’s work had a huge impact on the history of art and inspired many later artists like Pablo Picasso or Paul Cézanne.
Link text -
Period: to
Baroque period
The Baroque style is characterised by exaggerated motion and clear detail used to produce drama, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, architecture, literature, dance, and music.
Link text -
Period: to
Rembrandt van Rijn
Rembrandt van Rijn, the eminent Dutch painter, was born in 1606 in what is now Holland, and even though he never went abroad his pieces were inspired by foreign influences. When most people think of the most significant Baroque artists and the Dutch Golden Age, Rembrandt almost universally comes to mind. This is because his work was truly significant.
Link text -
The Garden of Love, Peter Paul Rubens, Prado Museum, Madrid
“The Garden of Love” was a symbol of love for his second wife, the young and beautiful Helena Fourment. The painting depicts a scene of flirtation in a utopian garden filled with Renaissance elements.
Link text -
The Rokeby Venus, Diego Velázquez, National Gallery, London
“The Rokeby Venus” was strongly criticized by the Catholic Church, yet this painting is the only surviving piece by Velázquez that presents nudity.
Link text -
Landscape with a Calm, Poussin, Getty Museum, Los Angeles
“Landscape with a Calm” is an image of silent tranquility. Rather than telling us a story, the painting seeks to awaken our imagination.
Link text -
Self-Portrait With Two Circles, Rembrandt, , Kenwood House, London
“Self Portrait with Two Circles” is a mystic piece, painted in Rembrandt’s later years of life and one of his many self-portraits.
Link text
