This last class we finished a conversation about landscape, skyscape, and genre art in Holland, and began a discussion about the Baroque period in French art.
Without the influence and patrons of the Catholic Church, artists in Holland began to specialize in scenes, styles, and messages in order to set themselves apart from the rest of the market. There was, however, a hierarchy of art genres, and landscapes were near the bottom. Despite this, many landscapes made at the time are indicative of the Baroque period–they capture a moment between actions, or a moment that will never be the same again. Additionally, the role of religion in art fundamentally changes. Rather than depicting religious figures or scenes, art starts expressing moralizing scenes (whose themes are ultimately based in religion), and praises of “protestant work ethic.”
The ill-named Genre genre of paintings also emerged at this time, and they too were rife with moralizing messages. Vanitas in particular was hugely popular among protestants–who considered the ostentatiousness of the Catholic Church to be sinful and gaudy. Jan Vermeer was a Genre painter, with many of his paintings taking place in the same studio with the same props. They also share a similar structure. In his process, he used a camera obscurer to sketch the images of the figures before painting. This was a new technology at the time, and he was one of the first to utilize it.
As for Baroque art in France, Versailles is an architectural wonder that rings of the period. Calculated and grandiose, the palace was made to reflect Louis XIV’s sun motif, and inspire awe and loyalty in his noblemen. The Hall of Mirrors in particular aims to capture each moment of sunlight and preserve it endlessly in an infinite loop of mirrored light–even when the sun is down, candles are light to emulate the effect. The display of power and wealth that is Versailles speaks to its careful construction and the Baroque emphasis on the audience.