The term baroque has only been used in a positive way since the end of the nineteenth century. Originally, the term baroque had to do with disapproval. Later in art history it became the name for a certain style period that lasted approximately from 1600 to 1750. Baroque can mainly be found in many Catholic churches in Germany, Austria and Italy. Many churches there often attract tourists who look around with admiration. In general, a lot is invested to keep all that splendor in good condition or to thoroughly restore it where necessary.
Baroque as a mocking name
Baroque probably comes from the Spanish word ,barueco, or the Portuguese word ,barocco, and would have to do with an irregularly shaped pearl. But in the eighteenth century, the term baroque was used in France to indicate that something was considered not very tasteful. At that time, if people wanted to disapprove or ridicule something, they said it was baroque. In this way, critics also reviled certain architectural styles.
Human consciousness in the Baroque
People in the Baroque era were very aware that life was finite. They tended toward pessimism after a period of wars and epidemics such as the plague. The world and certainly art were influenced by many scientific discoveries. Religions also had a major influence on art. For example, the spread of Protestantism in a number of countries was combated by the Catholic Church, which saw art as a means to spread the Catholic faith.
Lots of art and splendor in the Catholic Church
In the Baroque period, Catholicism focused on the salvation of souls and the world of the saints. However, the reformed church opposed images of saints and excessive decoration and preached sobriety. But the more fiercely the reformed rebelled, the more eager the Catholic Church was to exploit art and all its splendor. Architects turned the church spaces into true paradises as backdrops for the liturgy. This was especially the case in Italy and Austria and from the end of the seventeenth century in Germany, where beautiful church buildings were built even in the smallest communities.
Plasterers, painters, blacksmiths and woodworkers
Expressions of classical beauty and splendor are characteristic of the Baroque. The shapes often show richly decorated ornaments. Many plasterers were needed to achieve all this. Painters imitated marble and alabaster in such a way that the result could hardly be distinguished from real materials. Blacksmiths made artistic banisters and fences. Skilled woodworkers worked with expensive materials such as mother of pearl for inlay work.
Heaven was the central motif
The Baroque, with its beauty and many colors, was a counterpart to darkness and death. Heaven was the central motif of the Baroque churches. The rooms contained many paintings and sculptures that blended into each other. Instead of static straight shapes, architects used arc shapes, ellipses and domes. The designers used the calculations developed by Leibniz, Kepler and Newton.
Appearance of the church
There was great harmony in architecture, colorful painting, fantastic sculptures and overwhelming church music. The appearance of the church was also defined by precious altars, intricately carved pulpits, liturgical vestments and church silver. In this way the church could be a foretaste of paradise for believers and free them from the mundane to glorify the heavenly.
Sunshine to highlight all the beauty even better
Baroque architecture was no longer static like the styles of before. The spaces had to swing with curved shapes and vaults as if everything led straight to the sky. Decorations such as ornaments and stucco in the shapes of leaves, flowers and fruits seemed to float through the rooms. Light and shadow were coordinated and the sun shone through the room to make all the splendor shine even more.
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