Baroque and Rococo: the history of appearance, distinctive features and the difference between styles

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:43

Architecture and interiors of the Enlightenment and the New Age hardly leave anyone indifferent - they cause either stormy delight or categorical denial. But even today, architects are turning to baroque, empire, rococo styles, because people like this aesthetic, it resonates in their souls. However, often only a specialist can understand the difference between these historical styles. Let's talk about how baroque, rococo and classicism differ, how they appeared and what are their characteristic features.

The concept of great styles in art

Style is a stable form of something, in our case - works of art, architecture. Great styles are the result of the evolution of artistic thinking, understanding of space and time, the development of a public vision of the world. Style is a kind of worldview of the era. In the history of art, there is a change in dominant styles, so different eras are associated with a certain, stable artistic style.thinking. However, styles - baroque, rococo, classicism and others - do not disappear anywhere. There are always creators who find artistic resources in existing directions. Especially at the present stage of development of art, when their coexistence is observed. Usually, researchers say that there are great styles, such as Gothic or Baroque, and trends, such as Empire or Symbolism. Each style is characterized by its own set of expressive means, which makes it possible to attribute works to one or another trend.

History of the Baroque

At the end of the Renaissance, a new style emerges in Italy. He became a counterweight to classicism and rationalism. Experts believe that its appearance is due to three factors: these are changes in the world associated with the great geographical discoveries, the counter-reformation in Catholicism and the development of the order system in architecture. There is also a point of view that the emergence of the Baroque was caused by the desire of Italy and Rome to retain the title of the cultural center of Europe. By the 16th century, the Italian aristocracy had squandered their we alth, and there was no longer enough money to build luxurious palaces. Then, in order to continue to amaze representatives of other countries with their we alth, new expressive forms were invented, designed to amaze the imagination of the audience. In this era, people's lives are changing, scientific knowledge of the world is gaining weight, people are beginning to engage in various activities.

From Italy, the style spreads throughout Europe. In France, he expressed himself in the form of the "grand style" of LouisThe fourteenth, which combined the classic traditions and elements of the Baroque. This style has embraced various art forms, but it has manifested itself most clearly in architecture and interior design.

Baroque literature was popular in several countries, and baroque painting flourishes in Italy and the Netherlands. In Spain and its colonies, this style has received not only mass distribution, but also strengthening, it is also called ultra-baroque. The Spaniards spread their version of the style to Latin America. England, however, has almost entirely escaped the baroque pomp craze.

Baroque and Rococo became different forms of dialogue with classicism. Baroque was its clear antipode, but later Rococo tried to reconcile the redundancy inherent in Baroque architecture and painting, and the severity of classicism. The Baroque era lasted from the 16th to the 18th century and left a huge artistic heritage that still delights people and finds followers of this tradition.

Distinguishing Features

Each style - gothic, baroque, rococo, empire as late classicism - has its own set of expressive means. The main epithets suitable for describing the Baroque are "pomp" and "redundancy". After all, it is not in vain that this term is most often translated as "quirky, prone to excesses." Its distinguishing features are solemnity, stateliness, redundancy. Style is designed to express the fullness of life, the enjoyment of it. In the architecture and painting of this era, monumentality anddynamism, varied play of color and light, contrasts. Artists of this period often turned to antique motifs for inspiration. Baroque works strive for intense spectacle and illusion. The artist seeks to deceive the viewer, to create space for him where in reality there is none. The Italian aristocracy wanted, through painting, to give their chambers the most luxurious look, hence this heap of everything appears, the collapse of a mass of expressiveness on the viewer so that he takes his breath away and is no longer able to peer into the details.

Baroque in the interior

Baroque painting was created primarily to decorate the palazzo of Italian aristocrats. Gradually, the style embraced the entire interior. Baroque rooms are characterized by large volumes and scale. The walls are richly decorated with paintings. It is easy to recognize baroque interiors: they always have an abundance of gilding, details, carvings, stucco moldings with floral motifs: vines, leaves, flowers, a lot of sculptures on antique themes. The authors of interiors in this style actively use the technique of color contrast. The furniture in these interiors is always massive, with carvings, rich draperies, rich fabrics, and tapestries. To create the illusion of space, mirrors are often used, painted landscapes that extend the perspective of rooms.

Baroque architecture

Artistic styles manifest themselves to varying degrees in different art forms. Baroque and rococo, as well as classicism, reached their maximum scope in architecture. Baroque erafamous for its majestic buildings. Among them are the Royal Palace in Madrid, Palazzo Carignano in Turin, Frauenkirche and Zwinger in Dresden, Trevi Fountain in Rome. Baroque buildings are distinguished by large volumes, they strive to make a grandiose impression on the viewer, using columns, caryatids, concave and convex facades, and complex facade decor for this. Palaces, ensembles of squares with fountains and sculptures, park ensembles with beautiful pavilions, monastic and church complexes became typical buildings of the era. Baroque buildings tend to look as expensive as possible, and the redundancy of everything hits the eye in them.

History of Rococo

Excessive baroque is being replaced by a more sophisticated and commensurate new era - rococo. Baroque sought to impress the viewer at all costs, and its French version tried to show the taste of the artist and the owner of the premises. This style, or, as some experts say, a direction, arises in France at the beginning of the 18th century. After the death of Louis the Fourteenth, life moves from the huge palaces to the salons and houses of the aristocracy. With the next Louis, life becomes more fun, the aristocracy seeks to get all the pleasures at once, anticipating tragic times. And against this historical background, a new style appears, to the greatest extent it manifested itself in the design of dwellings.

Special Features

Rococo becomes a natural successor to the Baroque traditions, but there are also drops of classicism in it. The new direction triedovercome the inhuman scale of the baroque. This direction is associated with a retreat into the world of fantasy, it has no desire to shock the viewer. On the contrary, here the goal is to create an impression of lightness, fantasy, cheerfulness. The main features of this direction are airiness, abundance of light, sophistication and intricacy.

Rococo in the interior

The main differences between baroque and rococo are that the kings, the highest nobility, were the customers of the first, and the style was extremely ceremonial, and the second was intended to decorate private life, it is already intended not only to produce an external effect, but also to be convenient for life. Therefore, this style is most evident in interior design. The layout of the premises in the Rococo style was no longer enfilade, but consisted of asymmetric complexes. The interior design is dominated by rounded, smooth lines. The rooms are becoming smaller, more intimate, the ceilings already have a height commensurate with human growth. In everything there is a desire for a comfortable life. Therefore, extremely comfortable furniture is created during this period. The color palette becomes softer, combinations of white with delicate pink, light green, blue, lilac are often used. The room was filled with many accessories: vases, textiles, various figurines. In this era, the idea of the interior as a holistic ensemble appears. The era of Louis XV is the time of the birth of private collecting, and in their interiors people exhibited exhibits of their collections.

Rococo inarchitecture

During the Rococo period, construction shifted from the construction of palaces and huge architectural ensembles to the sphere of private construction. Therefore, Rococo is predominantly represented in the villas and houses of the aristocracy. Therefore, this style is dominated by small buildings, the decor uses the motif of rocaille (a scroll resembling a shell) and cartouches. Facades, as well as interiors, are painted in pastel colors. The buildings are distinguished by asymmetry, smooth lines, sophistication. The main thing in the architecture of this period is the whim of the customer and the imagination of the architect. This style reached its greatest dawn in the architecture of Bavaria. Famous buildings in the Rococo style - the Petit Trianon in Versailles, the Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, the Spanish Steps in Rome.

Similarities of Rococo and Baroque styles

Comparing these two directions in art, it is worth remembering: one follows from the other. And albeit to varying degrees, but both baroque and rococo are antagonists of classicism. Both styles are built on quirkiness, curved lines, floral and antique motifs. Both directions are largely realized in interiors and architecture, in painting they are less represented than other styles.

Style differences

Thinking about the difference between Baroque and Rococo, it is worth remembering the historical context. Baroque is a time of great hopes, and Rococo is a period of foreboding collapse. Therefore, the main difference between them is the scale. In baroque, everything is grandiose, everything is on a grand scale. And in Rococo everything is smaller, more elegant. Instead of sculptures- figurines, instead of massive furniture - lighter and more comfortable. Baroque is characterized by symmetry, theatricality, scope, solemnity, splendor. And for Rococo - subtlety, grace, intimacy, nuances, gallantry. Everything is serious in baroque, but playfulness and lightness are important in rococo.