Understanding Architecture Chapter 15 Baroque and Rococo Architecture

Understanding Architecture Chapter 15 Baroque and Rococo Architecture “The Baroque building can only be grasped through one’s experiencing it in its variety of effects…. ”

Baroque Architecture Whereas Renaissance architecture gave the visual impression of being simple, Baroque architecture was deliberately complex n Instead of clarity there was conflict n Instead of uniformity of the elements and overall effect, there was studied variety n Instead of regularity, there was contrast n 2

Baroque Architecture During the Renaissance there had been planar forms with an emphasis on the surface, the Baroque emphasis was on plasticity and spatial depth n Renaissance was human in scale; Baroque became superhuman in scale n Renaissance stressed easily perceived forms; Baroque projected a sense of mystery n 3

Baroque Architecture Renaissance, the interest was in intellectural comprehension and cerebral satisfaction; in Baroque, it shifted to creating an emotional impact n The term “baroque” was used to denigrate the architecture of 17 th and 18 th century architecture and was derived from the Portugese term for misshapen pearl barocco n 4

Baroque Architecture n The reasons for the shift toward visual complexity are several: During any period of artistic creativity, where the goal is to reach absolute balance, once the goal is reached, a reaction sets in n The Counter Reformation of the Catholic Church reacted to the tenets of the Protestant Reformation, eg. the Church insisted that music, painting, sculpture and architecture, when properly handled, were among the most powerful instruments enhancing religious devotion 5 n

Jesuit’s Counter-reformation The original countries that initiated the Baroque style remained faithful to the Catholic church after the reformation n The Jesuits enlisted the leading figure of the Baroque movement for their projects n The exciting forms in the Baroque style was used for the purpose of n

1 st breakaway point from the Renaissance Unquestionably dramatic n Asymmetrical n Experimentation with new and dynamic massing n

2 nd breakaway point from the Renaissance n Employed swirling S-curves and shapes that represents movement n n Deserted the static form of the square and circle Undulating facades and plans based on the oval shape n The Council of Trent decalred the square and circle as too pagan for Christian Churches (1545)

3 rd breakaway point from the Renaissance n Baroque had an extreme form of theatricality which involved the creation of illusion n Trompe-l’oeil • Music Room, Chatsworth Derbyshire • Harewood House

Baroque’s Intention Brunelleschi and Bramante’s concern in adhering to the standards set in the renaissance is of no concern for Bernini and Borromini’s baroque n It seeks to carry the audience away with emotion n No pedantic desire to teach n No moralistic desire to judge against standards n

Giacomo della Porta Façade of the Gesu 1573 -77 11

Church of Saints Vincent and Anastasius 12

Sacristy of La Cartuja Granada, Spain 13

Cornaro Chapel, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome 1657 -52 14

Bernini’s Ecstasy of St. Theresa 1646 n Staged a little play with his sculpture n Members of the Cornaro family watching the scene

Altar of the Priory Church of the Assumption Rohr, Germany 16

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omp St John Nepomuk, Munich, 173346 Egid Quirin Asam Thirty feet wide With swirling balconies, twisted pillars Throbbing in gold, dark browns and red

Window over the high altar in St John Nepomuk

St John Nepomuk, Munich, 1733 -46 Exterior

Church of Sant’ Andrea al Quirinale, Rome 1658 -70 21

Church of Sant’ Andrea al Quirinale 22

Piazzo of Saint Peter’s Rome, Bernini, 1656 -67 23

San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, Rome 1634 -67 24

San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane 25

Sant’ Ivo della Sapienza 26

Guarini, Santa Maria della Divina Providenza, Lisbon, Portugal, 1652 -63 (destroyed 1755) 27

Neumann, Prince -Bishop’s Palace, Würzburg, Germany 1737 -42 28

Prince-Bishop’s Palace, Würzburg 29

Amalienburg Pavilion, Nymphenburg Palace, Munich 1734 -39 30

Vierzehnheiligen, Plan http: //www. vierzehnheiligen. de/fr_ru ndum. htm 31

Vierzehnheiligen 32

Baroque Architecture: Conclusion n In their striving for the fullest possible effects of molded space, manipulated light, brilliant colour, and sensuous detail, Baroque and later Rococo, was concerned predominantly with the shaping of space and not with the fundamental structure of architecture 33