Question

Compare Italian Baroque painting with that of Northern European Baroque. What qualities did the two styles share, and how did they differ? What might explain the differences? Cite examples of art to support your answer and discuss these examples.

Answer 1

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.

(Answer) Daniel in the Lion’s Den – This is a painting by Peter Paul Reubens, who was born in current day Germany. He modelled the lions in the painting on a Moroccan sub-species. Although he has depicted Daniel to be younger in the painting, biblically, he would have been older at the time of the incident. The painting is well detailed not only with the lions and the background but also with Daniel’s worried expression. Reubens has perfectly captured what would have been Daniel’s expression at the time of confronting the lions and using prayer as a resort and solution.

Aeneas Flight from Troy – Federico Barocci has painted this to depict a micro-incident of the Trojan War. This is a fictional character that seems to be fleeing a burning Troy at the time of dismay. All of the subjects in this painting are messy and anguished like one would be when muddled in the chaos of war.

Similarities: Just like the Baroque style would suggest, the paintings are both congested with details of depiction. These are the kind of paintings that if one were to look at it every day, would find a previously unnoticed element.

Difference: Both paintings differ in their subject matter obviously and primarily in the message the artist is trying to communicate. One is biblical and the other is a war-painting. Both artists capture the expression of their subjects. However, one attempts to instil a sense of faith in the viewer while the other tries to make the viewer feel compassionate about what the people trying to scuttle from a scene of war might be undergoing.