Gianlorenzo Bernini, Scala Regia, Vatican City, Rome, Italy, 1666.
The Scala Regia is a Baroque architectural piece, commissioned by Pope Alexander VII, was done by Gianlorenzo Bernini and built to connect Vatican Palace with St. Peter's Basilica. Since it is the entrance to the Vatican, Bernini employs the Baroque style
Francesco Borromini, Chapel of Saint Ivo College of the Sapienza, Rome, Italy, 1642
This Roman Catholic Church is located in Rome, Italy. This Italian Baroque work uses a centralized plan that probably was modeled after the Star of David. Borromini began his work on the building when the lower stories of the court were already present. T
Calling of Saint Matthew, Contarelli Chapel, San Luigi dei Francesci Rome, Italy, 1601
This Italian Baroque work shows the scene from the Bible in which Christ calls upon Matthew to be his apostle. Caravaggio uses tenebrism by directing two sources of light that come from the right onto the painting. The characters in this work are seen wea
Annibale Carracci, Loves of the Gods, ceiling frescoes in the gallery, Palazzo Farnese, Rome, Italy, 1597-1601.
Loves of the Gods, by Annibale Carracci, is a monumental fresco cycle, from the Italian Baroque period. It decorates the barrel-vaulted Farnese Gallery located within the Palazzo Farnese. Carracci decorated the gallery with mythological themes. The center
Francisco de Zurbaran, Saint Serapion, 1628. Oil on canvas, 3' 11 1/2" x 3' 4 3/4". Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford (The Ella Gallup Sumner and Mary Catlin Sumner Collection Fund).
Saint Serapion or the Martyrdom of Saint Serapion, by Francisco Zurbaran, was commissioned by the Mercedarian Order. It was meant to hang in the funerary chapel hall of their monastery located in Seville. Zurbaran was known for his work depicting martyred
Diego Velazquez, Las Meninas, 1656. Oil on canvas, approx. 10' 5" x 9'. Museo del Prado, Madrid.
Las Meninas by Diego Velasquez was commissioned by the Spanish royal family. The painting features a group portrait. The young Infanta Margarita is surrounded by her maids, attendants, two dwarfs, and a dog. Velasquez shows himself behind a large canvas l
Anthony Van Dyck, Charles I Dismounted, ca. 1635. Oil on canvas, approx. 9' x 7'. Louvre, Paris.
This Flemish baroque painting is a full length standing portrait of Charles I. The king is taking a rest from hunting as the Thames River runs in the background. Van Dyck uses iconography, the use of symbols, to show the king's status. The king is wearing
Frans Hals, Archers of Saint Hadrian, ca. 1633. Oil on canvas, approx. 6' 9" x 11'. Frans Halsmuseum, Haarlem.
This Dutch painting is a group portrait so the Dutch civic militia group that claimed credit for liberating Denmark from Spain. They are shown on Saint Feast's Day, a grand banquet. The composition is crowded and dense to include each member. He uses vibr
Rembrandt van Rijn, Return of the Prodigal Son, ca. 1665. Oil on canvas, approx. 8' 8" x 6' 9". Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg.
This Dutch baroque painting is a biblical parable that depicts the return of the prodigal son to his father. The son has returned after wasting his inheritance and he kneels for forgiveness and a renewed place in the family. His father shows a tender gest
Jacob van Ruisdael, View of Haarlem from the Dunes at Overveen, ca. 1670. Oil on canvas, approx. 1' 10" x 2' 1". Mauritshuis, The Hague.
A Dutch Baroque painting, it shows the landscape art of Haarlem, Netherlands, with bleaching fields, and a few homes and the Saint Bavo church and windmills in the distance, under an expanse, cloudy sky. The tiny people blend in the landscape, and the add
Pieter Claesz, Vanitas Still Life, 1630s. Oil on panel, 1' 2" x 1' 11 1/2". Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg.
Vanitas Still Life is a Dutch Baroque painting. It depicts still life of a table with clutter such as a book, metal objects, and a skull with a monochromatic background. The artwork uses earthy tones of brown to convey transient vanity (Vanitas). The purp
Claude Lorrain, Landscape with Cattle and Peasants, 1629. Oil on canvas, 3' 6" x 4' 10 1/2". Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia (the George W. Elkins Collection).
A French Baroque piece, it depicts a pastoral landscape scene with the common folk streamside. The artwork blends the trees and free sky through painterly lines rather than linear. The landscape mirrors Lorrain's exploration of Rome after his tour in Ital
Georges de La Tour, Adoration of the Shepherds, 1645-1650. Oil on canvas, approx. 3' 6" x 4' 6". Louvre, Paris.
The painting depicts Jesus as a baby surrounded by other figures that include Mary and Jospeh. We first can identify this piece as a La Tour because of the warm red hues used and the shading of the light source with a cupped hand. LA Tour's use of light i
Jules Hardouin-Mansart & Charles Le Brun, Galerie des Glaces (Hall of Mirrors) Palace of Versailles, 1670.
The Hall of Mirrors is the central gallery of the Palace of Versailles that began. It began construction under King Louis XIV in 1678 and was made up of the most expensive materials of the time, mirrors. The architect was Hardouin-Mansart, who constructed
Inigo Jones, Banqueting House at Whitehall, London, England, 1622.
The Banqueting hall is classical in concept and carries a large influence from Palladio's work. The Hall consists of three levels when viewed from the outside: first, a basement with storage rooms, cellars, and a low ceiling, then a main floor used for ba
Carlo Maderno, Santa Susana, Rome, Italy, 1603.
This Roman church represents the earliest expression of the spirit of Baroque art. This symmetrical facade is similar to that of Giacomo's Il Gesu. It's tall central area juts out, and the narrow scroll buttresses join the two levels of the building. Ther
Carlo Maderno, Facade of Saint Peter 's Basilica, Vatican City, Rome, 1612.
On the top of this basilica are sculptural statues of Christ as the Redeemer, John the Baptist, and 11 Apostles, Statues of St. Peter and Paul, the patron saints of Rome, are on the side. This was built with travertine stone, and has giant Corinthian colu
Gianlorenzo Bernini, baldacchino Saint Peter's, Vatican City, Rome, Italy, 1624-1633. Gilded bronze, approx. 100' high.
This baldacchino marks the high altar of this church and St. Peter's burial site, but also draws worshippers who enter the nave with a compelling presence.This canopy-like structure is 100 feet tall, with four huge angels standing guard at the corners of
Gianlorenzo Bernini
David, 1623. Marble, approx. 5' 7" high. Galleria Borghese, Rome
Gianlorenzo Bernini
Ecstasy of Saint Theresa, Cornaro Chapel, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome, Italy, 1645-1652. Marble, height of group 11' 6".
Francesco Borromini
San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, Rome, Italy, 1676
Guarino Guarini, Palazzo Carignano, Turin, Italy, 1692.
The Palazzo Carignano is an Italian Baroque building commissioned by Prince Emanuele Filiberto as a place of residence for the House of Savoy and designed by Guarino Guarini. Guarini elaborated on Borromini's principle of architectura obliqua. The buildin
Bramante and Raphael, Dome of Sant'Eligio degli Orefici (view into dome), Rome, Italy, ca. 1509; reconstructed ca. 1600.
Sant Eligio degli Orefici is one of the first centrally planned High Renaissance churches, and was commissioned by the Guild of Goldsmiths after they split from the Guild of Ironworkers. The church was designed by Raphael, drawing inspiration from Bramant
Caravaggio, Conversion of Saint Paul, Cerasi Chapel, Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome, Italy, ca. 1601. Oil on canvas, approx. 7' 6" x 5' 9".
The Conversion On The Way To Damascus is an Italian Baroque painting by Michelangelo Caravaggio. Along with the Conversion of Saint Paul, it was commissioned for the Cerasi Chapel. The subject is a religious allegory to the Conversion of Paul in which Sau
Caravaggio, Entombment, from the Chapel of Pietro Vittrice, Santa Maria in Vallicella Rome, Italy, ca. 1597-1601. Oil on canvas, 11' 1" x 11'.
The Entombment of Christ is an Italian baroque painting. It was commissioned for the Vittrice Chapel in Santa Maria. The altar is from the Chies a Nuova in Rome which is dedicated to the pieta. The painting depicts Caravaggios interpretation of the emtomb
Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Slaying Holofernes, ca. 1614-1620. Oil on canvas, 6' 6 1/3" x 5' 4". Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.
Judith Slaying Holofernes is an Italian baroque painting by Artemisia Gentileschi. Gentileschi learned how to paint from her father and later was the first women to be admitted to Florence's Academia de Disegno. The painting used tenebrism and a "dark sub
Annibale Carracci, Flight into Egypt, 1603-1604. Oil on canvas, approx. 4' x 7' 6". Galleria Doria Pamphili, Rome.
The painting was commissioned in 1603 by Cardinal PietroAldobrandini for the family chapel in his palace in Rome, later known as Palazzo DoriaPamphilj.The artwork belongs to a cycle of lunettes with landscapes and a religious theme. The painting depicts t
Pietro da Cortona, Triumph of the Barberini, ceiling fresco in the Gran Salone, Palazzo Barberini, Rome, Italy, 1633-1639.
This fresco is an illusionistic ceiling fresco commissioned by Pope Urban VIII, a member of the Barberini family. This fresco uses Di soto in su and quatratura to create the illusion that the viewer is looking up at the sky, part the architectural element
Giovanni Battista Gaulli, Triumph in the Name of Jesus, ceiling fresco with stucco figures in the vault of the Church of Il Ges�, Rome, Italy, 1676-1679.
This is a fresco and stucco ceiling painting of the Last Judgement commissioned by the Jesuits during the Baroque period. It is an emotional work that uses quadratura to make the architectural elements look real, and di soto in su, which is a technique of
Jose de Ribera, Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew, ca. 1639. Oil on canvas, approx. 7' 8" x 7' 8". Museo del Prado, Madrid.
This painting depicts St. Bartholemew (or St. Philip) being crucified. Ribera was influenced by Caravaggio, as seen in the sfumato and chiarascura, and unidealization in the faces. This painting also shows the Spanish tendency towards courageous resistanc
Diego Velazquez, Water Carrier of Seville, ca. 1619. Oil on canvas, 3' 5 1/2" x 2' 7 1/2". Wellington Museum, London.
This Spanish Baroque painting was done by Velazquez when he was around the age of 20. It depicts a necessity of a common and un-wealthy man who carries around a pitcher to water to give to people. The plebian man is giving water to two young boys. The boy
Diego Velazquez, Surrender of Breda, 1634-1635. Oil on canvas, 10' 1" x 12' 1/2". Museo del Prado, Madrid.
This Spanish Baroque painting was done by Velazquez for his good friend Ambrogio Spinola, the Italian general who conquered Breda on in 1625. The particular painting is one of 12 life-size battle scenes intended to commemorate the victories won by Phillip
Diego Velazquez, King Philip IV of Spain (Fraga Philip), 1644. Oil on canvas, 4' 3 1/8" x 3' 3 1/8". The Frick Collection, New York.
This Spanish Baroque painting was commissioned by King Phillip IV of Spain. Philip wanted it done for his campaign in the town of Fraga (why it is also called Fraga Philip). The particular attire the King is wearing is the type of clothing he would wear w
Peter Paul Rubens, Elevation of the Cross, Antwerp Cathedral, Antwerp, Belgium, 1610. Oil on panel, 15' 2" x 11' 2".
This artwork displays the influence of Italian Art, specifically works of Michelangelo, Tintoretto and Caravaggio, to Rubens' work. This is the central panel of the triptych that Rubens created for the church of Saint Walburga. Foreshortening is evident i
Peter Paul Rubens, Arrival of Marie de Medici at Marseilles, 1622-1625. Oil on canvas, approx. 5' 1" x 3' 9 1/2". Louvre, Paris.
This artwork is part of a twenty-four painting series called Marie de' Medici Cycle that Marie de' Medici commissioned to celebrate her career and design her palace in Luxembourg, Paris. The painting portrays Marie's arrival in Marseilles after her marria
Peter Paul Rubens, Allegory of the Outbreak of War, 1638. Oil on canvas, 6' 9" x 11' 3 7/8". Pitti Gallery, Florence.
The commissioned artwork, made for Great Duke of Tuscany, Ferdinando II illustrates Mars who started a war which caused disaster and famine which served as an allegory and Rubens' artistic response for Europe's Thirty Years' War. It also features other go
Clara Peeters, Still Life with Flowers, Goblet, Dried Fruit, and Pretzels, 1611. Oil on panel, 1' 7 3/4" x 2' 1 1/4". Museo del Prado, Madrid.
This Flemish Baroque genre painting depicts a typical 17th century meal. The artist, Clara Peeters, is well known for advancing still-life paintings, influencing those such as Peter Claesz. She created "breakfast pieces" in which food and flowers were dep
Hendrick ter Brugghen, Calling of Saint Matthew, 1621. Oil on canvas, 3' 4" x 4' 6". Centraal Museum, Utrecht (acquired with the aid of the Rembrandt Society).
This artwork was painted by ter Brugghen after a trip to Italy. Carvaggio's influence can be seen in the naturalism of the figures and the specific moment of the narrative. However, this version of the religious painting reduces the contrasts of light and
Gerrit van Honthorst, Supper Party, 1620. Oil on canvas, approx. 7' x 4' 8". Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.
This Dutch Baroque genre scene shows an informal congregation of non-idealized figures. The atmosphere is lighthearted as a musician serenades the festive group. Taking influence from Caravaggio, Van Honthorst sets the scene in a mundane tavern with noctu
Frans Hals, The Women Regents of the Old Men's Home at Haarlem, 1664. Oil on canvas, 5' 7" x 8' 2". Frans Halsmuseum, Haarlem.
This is a Dutch Baroque work. It depicts the female regents of the Old Men's Home, a charitable institution that cared for elderly men. Unlike many of Hals's portraits or most Baroque work, this group portrait is somewhat stiff and lacks obvious movement.
Rembrandt van Rijn, Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp, 1632. Oil on canvas, 5' 3 3/4" x 7' 1 1/4". Mauritshuis, The Hague.
This Dutch Baroque artwork, done in 1632 as oil on canvas by Rembrandt, was commissioned by the Amsterdam Guild of Surgeons. It displays Dr. Tulp demonstrating an anatomy lesson to his colleagues on a corpse�most likely an executed prisoner. It is in a py
Rembrandt van Rijn, The Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq (Night Watch), 1642. Oil on canvas (cropped from original size), 11' 11" x 14' 4". Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
The artwork is Dutch Baroque; done in 1642 as oil on canvas and commissioned by Captain Frans Banning Cocq and his seventeen militia guards for the banquet hall of the Musketeer's Meeting Hall. The Captain and his red sash is the main focal point, illumin
Rembrandt van Rijn, Self-Portrait, ca. 1659-1660. Oil on canvas, approx. 3' 8 3/4" x 3' 1". The Iveagh Bequest, Kenwood House, London.
Created dozens of self-portraits during his career. They greatly vary in composition, expression, and technique. Later self-portraits convey a record of his aging features; painted when he was 54 years old. The work was created during a time of anxiety fo
Rembrandt van Rijn, Christ with the Sick around Him, Receiving the Children (Hundred Guilder Print), ca. 1649. Etching, approx. 11" x 1' 3 1/4". Pierpont Morgan Library, New York.
Dutch Baroque etching depicting four moments from Matthew 19. "And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there," "the group on the left are presumably Pharisees asking Christ about divorce," a young mother steps up to have Christ touch her bab
Judith Leyster, Self-Portrait, ca. 1630. Oil on canvas, 2' 5 3/8" x 2' 1 5/8". National Gallery of Art, Washington (gift of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Woods Bliss).
Dutch Baroque painting. Flaunts Leyster's prowess as a genre painter and portrait painter. She isn't dressed to paint because artists in the 17th century Europe sought to be treated as professionally as possible. Not wanting to come off as a craftsperson,
Jan Vermeer, The Letter, 1666. Oil on canvas, 1' 5 1/4" x 1' 3 1/4". Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
The Love Letter is a painting by Jan Vermeer that depicts an intimate and private scene of a woman in her private quarters, as she is handed a letter by the maid from her lover. The woman is holding a lute in her hands, which would represent a sign of car
Jan Vermeer, Allegory of the Art of Painting, 1670-1675. Oil on canvas, 4' 4" x 3' 8". Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.
This painting is the Allegory of the Art of Painting by Jan Vermeer and is a Dutch Baroque painter. The painting is a realistic representation of an artist's workplace notable with light illuminating the interior. The style is genre painting. The painting
Jan Steen, The Feast of Saint Nicholas, ca. 1660-1665. Oil on canvas, 2' 8 1/4" x 2' 3 3/4". Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
This Dutch Baroque work is a domestic genre scene of a family during the Feast of Saint Nicholas. Steen's use of color draws attention to the focal point: the young girl with gold locks and a gold dress, illustrating that she is the "golden child". The yo
Rachel Ruysch, Flower Still Life, after 1700. Oil on canvas, 2' 6" x 2'. The Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo (purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, gift of Edward Drummond Libbey).
This Dutch Baroque artwork portrays the popular depiction of still-life artworks during the Baroque period. Ruysch was known for her lush paintings, which she actively conveyed in this work by creating a lavish floral arrangement that causes the blossoms
Nicholas Poussin, Et in Arcadia Ego, ca. 1655. Oil on canvas, approx. 2' 10" x 4'. Louvre, Paris.
This French Baroque painting is a pastoral painting and is considered memento mori. The title of the painting roughly translates into "Even in Arcadia, I am there." Death is insinuating that in Arcadia, an idyllic utopia, it is present. Idealized shepherd
Nicholas Poussin, Burial of Phocion, 1648. Oil on canvas, approx. 3' 11" x 5' 10". Louvre, Paris.
The Burial of Phocion is an artwork illustrating the story of Phocion. He was an Athenian statesman from the 4th century BC. Phocion criticized the Athenian government and refused bribes. He was later condemned for treason and forced to drink hemlock. His
Francis Mansart, Orleans wing of the Chateau de Blois, Blois, France, 1638.
A fine example of French Baroque architecture, it stands beside Louis XII Flamboyant Wing and the medieval Gothic castle. It was given to Louis XIII's brother Gaston duc d'Orleans as a wedding gift. Greco-Roman classics influence the building's style, usi
Louis Le Nain, Family of Country People, ca. 1640. Oil on canvas, approx. 3' 8" x 5' 2". Louvre, Paris.
The artwork is a genre painting that depicts a family of peasants partaking in everyday life. This is one of the many paintings by the Le Nain brothers that celebrate the natural virtue of the peasants. You'll notice that the portrayal of each of the figu
Jacques Callot, Hanging Tree, from the Large Miseries of War series, 1633. Etching, 3 3/4" x 7 1/4". Bibilioth�que Nationale, Paris.
Part of the 18 Miseries of War series, this etching is the first pictorial representation of the toll of war on humanity, depicting a scene from the Thirty Years' War. It was not created as propaganda, and thus was not commissioned. The etching portrays t
Hyacinthe Rigaud, Louis XIV, 1701. Oil on canvas, approx. 9' 2" x 6' 3". Louvre, Paris.
This French Baroque painting, by Rigaud, depicts Louis XIV as an absolute monarch ruling by divine right. He slowly walks through his palace, wearing a wig, elaborate velvet robes, with a scepter in hand, crown at his side, and a sword at his other side.
Claude Perrault, Louis Le Vau and Charles Le Brun, East facade of the Louvre, Paris, France, 1670.
This was the first great architectural project of Louis XIV. He originally summoned Bernini, but then hired the three architects mentioned above. This facade shows the combination of Italian and French classical aspects. Perrault's colonnade is made of mu
Francois Girardon & Thomas Regnaudin, Apollo Attended by the Nymphs, Grotto of Thetis, Park of Versailles, Versailles, France, ca. 1666-1672. Marble, life-size. Park of Versailles.
Apollo Attended by the Nymphs is a French Baroque sculpture created by Girardon in collaboration with Regnaudin. The artwork was commissioned for the Grotto of Thetis at Versailles. The artwork is an allegory of Greek mythology where Apollo is attended to
Jules Hardouin-Mansart, Royal Chapel Palace of Versailles, Versailles, France, 1710.
The royal chapel of Versailles is a French Baroque building by Jules Harodouin-Mansart. The interior of the chapel is a rectangular building with an apse that is as high as the nave, giving the building central space. It also adds a Baroque like quality.
Jules Hardouin-Mansart, Eglise de Dome Church of the Invalides, Paris, France, 1706
This church was built as part of a complex for French veterans. The dome of the church consists of 2 huge drums with an attic and a large cupola. The entire church has a double column motif, but doric columns are used on the ground floor, while corinthian
Christopher Wren, New Saint Paul's Cathedral, London, England, 1710.
This English Baroque Cathedral was commissioned to be redone by Charles I of England. The original Cathedral was partially destroyed by the Great Fire of 1666. Wren was the assigned to remodel it on July 30, 1669. The King gave Wren a lot of leeway and de
John Vanbrugh, Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, England, 1722.
The architecture was intended to be a monument for John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, for his military victory at the Battle of Blenheim. The Palace was created to be a home, mausoleum and national monument as a response to the Duchess Sarah Churchi
Artemisia Gentileschi, Self-portrait as the allegory of Painting (La Pittura), 1638-9, Oil on canvas, 96.5 x 73.7 cm, In the collection of Charles I; recovered at the Restoration
This early Italian Baroque painting was commissioned by Charles I of England which remains a state treasure. Artemisia was one of the first female artists to be recognized by the general public. The painting shows Gentileschi in the act of painting (alleg
Pierre Puget, Milo of Crotona, 1671-1683. Marble, approx. 8' 10" high. The Louvre, Paris
This French Baroque sculpture was made for Louis XIV's garden at Versailles, although the contract signed for a smaller reproduction. The sculpture depicts a 6th Century BC wrestler from the Magna Graecian City of Croton in Southern Italy. The wrestler, M
Egid Asam, Assumption of the Virgin, Rohr Cathedral, Germany, 1717-1725, Marble and Stucco
Influenced by Bernini's Ecstasy of St. Theresa, this piece portrays the Virgin's assumption with Bavarian gaiety and heartiness, while still creating a suspended look of effortlessness. Two angels lift an enamored Virgin towards the heavens, whilst below