13 Aug respond to classmates who examined movements different than yours.

 respond to classmates who examined movements different than yours. In your responses, choose a work of art from a region that was not included in the initial post, and discuss the similarities and differences between this work of art and that of those already identified in the original post.

PEERS RESPONSE:

I chose to examine the Baroque art movement in Italy, where it originated, and the regional influence in Northern Europe.

To strengthen people’s faith in Catholicism and fight the rise in Protestantism, the Catholic church shifted away from Renaissance-style artwork. It began to commission Baroque style art that was more visually and emotionally appealing (LeClair, 2019, Interactive.) An example of this can be seen in the work of Italian artist Caravaggio. In his oil on canvas painting, The Taking of Christ, created in 1602, Caravaggio depicts the moment that Judas identified Jesus to the Roman soldiers by kissing him. The seven figures portrayed are in an obscured setting with a dark background. They are illuminated by a dramatic lighting effect known as tenebrism. The emotion in their faces draws the viewer into the moment.

Also, during the Baroque era, artists in Northern Europe were creating works of art that still had dramatic lighting effects and intense emotion and depth. However, they weren’t commissioned to paint for the Catholic church, and they were able to embrace artwork that elevated personal expressions of spiritual ideals (LeClair, 2019, Interactive.) One of these artists was the Dutch painter, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, commonly known as Rembrandt. In his oil on oak painting, Philosopher in Meditation, he depicts two people in a room with a large wooden spiral staircase. The emphasis of the painting is the old man on the left side of the image; he is sitting at a table with his head bowed. There is also a figure stoking a fire on the right side. The artist uses the chiaroscuro effect with an intense light coming from the window, illuminating the old man and casting shadows throughout the room. The man on the right is dimly illuminated by the fire he is stoking. This painting invites the viewer to contemplate where these figures are, the meaning of the staircase, and what the old man is thinking about. It’s a departure from the opulent and extravagant artwork that was the staple of the Italian Baroque movement.

Caravaggio, M. (1602), The Taking of Christ (Oil on canvas; 133.5 x 169.5 cm) 

References:

Caravaggio, M. (1602), The Taking of Christ [Oil on canvas; 133.5 x 169.5 cm]. National Gallery of Ireland. Dublin, Ireland. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgallery.ie/art-and-artists/highlights-collection/taking-christ-michelangelo-merisi-da-caravaggio

LeClair, J. (2019). Art Across Regions [Interactivity]. Retrieved from http://wpc.04ba.edgecastcdn.net/0004BA/constellation/Articulate/ART101/ART101_Regions_Final/story_html5.html

van Rijn, R. H. (1632), Philosopher in Meditation [Oil on oak; 28 cm × 34 cm]. Musée du Louvre. Paris, France. Retrieved from https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010062022