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Baroque & Rococo
An era of exuberant creativity is the focus of this magnificently illustrated, competitively priced new art book. Baroque art was characterized by unbridled emotion, intricate decorative flourishes, and a dramatic use of light, reaching its summit in works such as Bernini’s magnificent altarpiece, The Ecstasy of St. Theresa. Over time, this robust genre evolved into the more ornate and sensuously playful Rococo, a style epitomized by the opulent paintings of Watteau. This beautifully produced exploration of both movements guides the reader through more than a century of art history—exploring the lives and works of sculptors such as Bernini, painters such as Watteau, Boucher, Rubens, and Hogarth, and architects such as Christopher Wren.
- GenresArt
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 25, 2019
3.5/5
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In terms of the photo quality, I believe this book has great examples of artwork reproduction dedicated to the original work of the masters. However, the content is not as good as I'd expected. The authors give a brief history and introduce a key definition for each art movement but it turns out to be quite unamusing to read, though.
I appreciate the fact that they attempt to present as many artists as possible, but it isn't a good way to leave readers with an overwhelming impression. I think it's better to analyze the similarities and the differences between many artists in the same period or focus more on the descriptions for their work. Likewise, too many academic definitions should be clarified somehow. Example:
[“The most striking new feature of Rococo painting comes in the form of the pastoral themes depicted in the many fêtes galantes, which bring together the desire for simplicity later found in the myth of the “noble savage” theorized by Rousseau and the natural impulse of the aristocracy - French aristocracy in particular - to seek out elegance.” - p.107]
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Anyhow, I'm pleased to get some insights about Baroque and Rococo. I admire the theatrical lighting in Baroque paintings, in which “the palette became much darker, shifting focus onto light and shade, which were also imbued with symbolism” (p.19).
In the sphere of painting, apart from Impressionism, Rococo is another favourite art movement that I adore. Such elegant poses and mellow pastel shades,dream-like colour palettes, pleasant and easy brushstrokes always catch my eyes and fill me with awe.
It comes noticeably yet unsurprisingly that I only found less than five women artists in the whole book, which is so disturbingly typical in art history.
__
In terms of the photo quality, I believe this book has great examples of artwork reproduction dedicated to the original work of the masters. However, the content is not as good as I'd expected. The authors give a brief history and introduce a key definition for each art movement but it turns out to be quite unamusing to read, though.
I appreciate the fact that they attempt to present as many artists as possible, but it isn't a good way to leave readers with an overwhelming impression. I think it's better to analyze the similarities and the differences between many artists in the same period or focus more on the descriptions for their work. Likewise, too many academic definitions should be clarified somehow. Example:
[“The most striking new feature of Rococo painting comes in the form of the pastoral themes depicted in the many fêtes galantes, which bring together the desire for simplicity later found in the myth of the “noble savage” theorized by Rousseau and the natural impulse of the aristocracy - French aristocracy in particular - to seek out elegance.” - p.107]
_
Anyhow, I'm pleased to get some insights about Baroque and Rococo. I admire the theatrical lighting in Baroque paintings, in which “the palette became much darker, shifting focus onto light and shade, which were also imbued with symbolism” (p.19).
In the sphere of painting, apart from Impressionism, Rococo is another favourite art movement that I adore. Such elegant poses and mellow pastel shades,dream-like colour palettes, pleasant and easy brushstrokes always catch my eyes and fill me with awe.
It comes noticeably yet unsurprisingly that I only found less than five women artists in the whole book, which is so disturbingly typical in art history.
July 2, 2013
This is a perfect introduction to the ideas behind Baroque and Rococo art with fleshed-out lists of artists and lots of big, pretty pictures. I wish there had been more in-depth analysis of the paintings or at least a conclusion at the end of the book, but still, it was great.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews