Baroque & Rococo

Art & Ideas (Phaidon)

by Gauvin Alexander Bailey

This new title in the highly regarded Art & Ideas series presents a thorough introduction to the Baroque and Rococo styles. Encompassing architecture, interior design, furniture, ceramics, garden landscaping and theatrical spectaculars, as well as the masterpieces of this prolific period in the Fine Arts, these styles were global and had enormous impact on the history of art. Gauvin Bailey clarifies the essence of the styles and examines their complexities and contradictions, and their applications against the backdrop of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe, Latin America and Asia. With 250 illustrations, well-known sculptures by Bernini, paintings by Caravaggio and Rembrandt, and some of the most famous buildings in the world are set in their creative milieu with succinct analysis and broad clarity. Lesser known examples from across the world demonstrate how the aesthetic trends of the styles were concurrent throughout continents, and enlightens and refreshes the implications of the terms.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Art History, History

448 pages, Paperback

First published February 27, 2012

Reviews

[Emma Sea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very, very dry. How do you make Caravaggio seem dry? The actual content is good, but oy!

I actually wanted to find a text on the relationship between imagery and the Reformation to use with students to discuss the nature of visual rhetoric, but I cannot tell them to read this: they simply won't do it. Student texts need to be engaging, and this is not engaging.

I'm actually giving up serious reading at page 120. I shall keep it as my 2am insomnia book.

[Rainier Lolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a fan of the format of this book. The reference photos for the text would be pages behind its introduction which made it hard to follow. I think this style of art was very hard to discuss as it’s more fluid and loosely defined compared to other art styles and periods. But the writing was good and interesting.

[Emma Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love u dr bailey

[Lauren Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit dull but worth the stars for the wonderful reproductions that the text points to. The author does a good job of providing pictures to match with the text rather than randomly reproducing period pieces.

[Amlux · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highly informative, highly dry. But overall the choices were quite interesting and in some cases unconventional, so I give it an extra star for that.