High Baroque And Rococo European And Italian Art

PART I: BAROQUE ART IN CENTRAL ITALY

Session 1
Historical background. Carracci, "the reformer of painting." Baroque art begins in Rome, and as it spreads throughout Europe, it manifests many different styles. In Italy, its religious art has been characterized as the art of the Counter Reformation, with a strong propaganda element for the Catholic Church. Rome is our starting point but, as the course progresses, we will examine Baroque's varied forms.

Session 2
Caravaggio. Probably the greatest of the Baroque painters: his work has been characterized as revolutionary and he himself as a rebel.

Session 3
Carracci and his follwers - the "class" trend in Baroque art.

Session 4
Caravaggio and the Caravaggisti - the impact of Caravaggio's art.

Session 5
Ceiling decoration from Lanfranco to Padre Pozzo. Illusionistic ceilings are one of the great achievements of the Baroque age and in this class we examine the innovations.

Session 6
The Neapolitan School. Caravaggio fled to Naples from Rome after committing a murder. His arrival changed the whole course of Italian painting. In the latter part of the class we will visit Palazzo Medici-Riccardi to see the ceiling frescoes by the Neapolitan Luca Giordano.

Jan. 31 - Feb. 1 TWO-DAY FIELD TRIP TO ROME

Session 7
Bernini and Baroque sculpture. It could be argued that the virtuoso Bernini achieves the art of the impossible-that of making Michelangelo look staid.

Session 8
Bernini's followers in sculpture. Bernini as architect: His achievements represent the more classical, but still imaginative, phase of Baroque architecture. Visit to Palazzo Strozzi to see the exhibition "Caterina and Maria de' Medici: Women in Power." Time of visit to be confirmed.

Session 9
The architecture of Borromini. He represents the innovative, even eccentric trend in Baroque architecture and has been characterized as one of the greatest creative forces of all time.

Session 10
Meet at Palazzo Pitti for a visit to the Museo degli Argenti to see its illusionistic ceiling and wall frescoes.
NOTE: The ticket for the exhibition is also valid for the Boboli Gardens.

Session 11
The architecture of Pietro da Cortona and his contemporaries in Rome. The architecture of Guarino Guarini in Turin. Guarini moulds and models architecture and light and dark to superb effect.

Session 12
Meet at the Uffizi, halfway down the left hand loggia at pre-booked group entrance. We will concentrate on Italian Baroque painting on this visit.

Session 13
Meet at Palazzo Pitti for visit to the Palatine Gallery to see Italian Baroque painting.

Session 14
MIDTERM EXAM

PART II: BAROQUE ART IN NORTHERN EUROPE, SPAIN, AND FRANCE

Session 15
Rubens and van Dyck. Both of these Netherlandish painters studied in Italy and helped in the dissemination of Baroque art in Northern Europe. Rubens became ennobled as Sir Peter Paul and produced a staggering array of flamboyant work: religious (Catholic) portraits, histories, mythologies, landscapes, and allegories. Van Dyck was ennobled as Sir Anthony at the court of the absolute monarch King Charles I who used art as a vehicle of propaganda for the divine right of kings.

Session 16
Rubens and van Dyck continued. The Dutch School: genre painting (ordinary everyday subject matter). Landscape painting.

Session 17
The Dutch Rembrandt (Protestant) represents the quieter, contemplative trend in Baroque art. In his religious work, his faith affects his art, while in his portraits he achieves an unparalleled psychological insight. Although he did not study in Italy, his work shows some impact from Caravaggio.

Session 18
Vermeer, Rembrandt's younger contemporary, is one of the greatest masters of light and color, latterly famous as the painter of "The Girl with the Pearl Earring." The Spanish Zurbaran's austere art is little known, but his work was to have an impact on Manet.

Session 19
The Spanish School continued: Velazquez. As with Rubens and van Dyck, Velazquez studied in Italy where Venetian painting had a particular impact on him. His paintings shimmer with silvery sheen and an air of aristocratic sophistication which endeared him to King Philip IV of Spain, who like King Charles I of England, believed in the divine right of kings.

PART III: ROCOCO ART IN FRANCE, CENTRAL EUROPE, AND ITALY (18TH CENTURY)

Session 20
Background: 17th century French classicism. 18th century Rococo in France. Rococo is essentially delicate, refined, elegant, light-hearted and playful. It is an art form which was born in France and, in its first manifestations, was the art of the French aristocracy: both Rococo art and the French aristocracy were to be swept away by the French Revolution. The French painters to be discussed are Watteau, Boucher and Fragonard.

Session 21
French Rococo continued. The sober moral art of Chardin affords a contrast to the frivolities of the boudoir art of Boucher. Rococo in central Europe: we will focus on the Bavarian churches of Asam and Neumann - white and gold confections which have the air of a boudoir rather than the air of a church.

Session 22
Italian Rococo is primarily represented by the great Giambattista Tiepolo, whose delicate pastel colors swirl into one another and whose paintings resemble stage sets on which the actors declaim their lines.

Session 23
Rococo art in Italy. Domenico Tiepolo, son of Giambattista, shows us the Carnival face of Venice, while Canaletto and Guardi give us the views (vedute) of Venice which were sought after by the English aristocracy on their Grand Tour of Italy. In conclusion, we will look at the engravings of Piranesi whose views of ancient Rome bring us back full circle to Rome, the cradle of Baroque and the starting point of the course.

Session 24
Meet at the Uffizi for a second visit to see Northern, French, and Spanish Baroque and French and Italian Rococo.

Session 25
Meet at Palazzo Pitti for a second visit to the Palatine Gallery see Northern, French, and Spanish Baroque and French and Italian Rococo.

Session 26
Final exam.