How to recognize Baroque art

How To Recognize Art

by Flavio Conti

English, Italian (translation)

Genres: Art, Architecture, History

64 pages, Paperback

First published December 20, 1979

About the author

Flavio Conti is a professor at the Facolt di Architettura del Politecnico in Milan, Italy, and the chief associate of a firm specializing in architecture, design, and restoration.

Reviews

[Lloyd Downey · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of a series of micro books published by Penguin which give a very brief overview of an époque or genre of art. In this case the Baroque period in Europe and Latin America in the 17th and early decades of the 18th century, As with the others in the series, they suggest that you will be able to recognise Baroque art by looking at the examples they have chosen. And maybe one can get close to it but it is a bit limited.There is no mention, for example of the Mexican churrigueresco style ...which is really baroque on steroids. (Though they do give an example of the plateresque style with the sanctuary next to Mexico City's cathedral. (Which, interestingly enough is built on top of one of the Aztec temples ......and in front of this sanctuary, as I recall, is a glass panel in the ground that one can look through and see the triumph of Christianity over the Aztec religion...I think they actually demolished the temples and re-used the stone to build the church. The book covers the usual ground in this series; architecture, town planning, painting....a large section on painting....and sculpture. The painters are represented by Caravaggio, Rubens, Van Dyke, Rembrandt, Franz hals, Murillo, Velasquez, Pieter Brueghel. The sculptors by Bernini.
As the authors say "Renaissance meant equilibrium, moderation, sobriety, reason. Logic: Baroque meant movement, desire for novelty, love of the infinite and the non-finite, of contrast and the bold fusion of all forms of art". Maybe, in the process, the artists went slightly over the top....as with the churriguresco movement in Mexico. (Though, I must admit that I was quite fascinated by it when I lived in Mexico.......almost rented a house which was ornamented in this style....though that was not the reason for renting nor for rejecting).
It does a reasonable job for the limited scope that it sets for itself. Three stars from me.

[Alma Frisk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I belive I said the same about greek art too that I would have loved a why. Why there so much movement? Why was ther so much contradictory colurs? But it was well reserched and had a ton of facts so still a good book.