Wednesday, March 20th, we continued with the Baroque period, specifically focusing the Baroque influence and growth in France and England. During this class period, we looked at a few artists consisting of Jacob Van Ruisdael and his Bleaching ground near Haarlem, Rachel Ruysch, Jan Vermeer, Charles le Brun, and
Claude Lorrain. The works of each artists varied quite significantly, yet we continue to see themes of Baroque art, including a distancing from the harmony and idealized beauty of Mannerism, a turn to naturalism, and the turbulent subject matter that reflected the conflict between Catholicism and the Protestant Reformation.
This class focused on the casts of light drawn on each painting, along with the shadows and sunlight in the natural world. Not only did we look at various works of paintings, we also focused on Louis XIV and his architectural guidance which ultimately grew the Palace of Versaille. I found this part of the class particularly interesting, specifically learning about the role power and hierarchy had over the art industry in France at the time of Louis XIV and the sheer scale and brilliance the architects sought through the large foundations and structures that were being built.