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Apr 15, 2024 16 tweets 5 min read Read on X
Baroque art masterfully manipulates emotions with its grandiose swirls of drama, light, and shadow.

It stands as the original immersive experience in visual storytelling, predating modern-day cinema.

Let's take a look at the artists and their masterpieces from this era. 🧵⤵️ No one show cases the Baroque artworks by Bernini better than @Architectolder! Here he is able to capture "the entire body in motion yet frozen in marble".
Gian Lorenzo Bernini

An Italian sculptor and architect, Bernini's work is synonymous with the Baroque architecture of Rome, where his dynamic sculptures and grandiose designs define much of the city's appearance. Apollo and Daphne (Bernini) in Borghese Galleria
Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi)

Known for his revolutionary use of chiaroscuro and incredibly realistic human figures, Caravaggio brought emotional depth and dramatic lighting to his paintings. The Musicians, 1595–1596, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Peter Paul Rubens

A prolific Flemish artist, Rubens is famous for his vibrant, dynamic compositions and depictions of mythological and religious subjects filled with movement. The Fall of Phaeton, 1604, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Rembrandt van Rijn

A master of the Dutch Golden Age, Rembrandt is renowned for his portraits, landscapes, and scenes from literature and the Bible, showcasing deep psychological insight and innovative use of light. Rembrandt's only known seascape, The Storm on the Sea of Galilee (1633), is still missing after the robbery from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990.
Diego Velázquez

A leading artist of the Spanish Golden Age, Velázquez served as the court painter to King Philip IV and is best known for his proficient and nuanced portrayals of European royalty. La rendición de Breda (1634–35) was inspired by Velázquez's first visit to Italy, in which he accompanied Ambrogio Spinola, who conquered the Dutch city of Breda a few years prior. It depicts a transfer of the key to the city from the Dutch to the Spanish army during the Siege of Breda. It is considered one of the best of Velázquez's paintings.
Johannes Vermeer

Although less prolific, Vermeer’s works like "Girl with a Pearl Earring" are revered for their serene beauty and meticulous attention to light and color. Girl with a Pearl Earring (1665), considered a Vermeer masterpiece, Mauritshuis in Den Haag.
Frans Hals

Known for his lively and loose technique, Hals was a Dutch Golden Age painter who excelled in portraits that vividly expressed the personality of the subjects. Frans Hals, later finished by Pieter Codde. De Magere Compagnie. 1637. Oil on canvas, 209 x 429 cm, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
Artemisia Gentileschi

A groundbreaking female painter of the era, Gentileschi is celebrated for her powerful depictions of biblical and mythical female figures, often portraying them as strong and resilient characters. Judith and her Maidservant, 1613–14, Palazzo Pitti, Florence
Annibale Carracci

A key figure in the development of Baroque painting, Carracci co-founded the Accademia degli Incamminati in Bologna, fostering a style that blended naturalism with the formal ideals of the Renaissance. Carracci's Domine quo vadis? (Jesus and Saint Peter)
Nicolas Poussin

A French painter who spent most of his working life in Rome, Poussin is known for his classical approach to Baroque art, emphasizing order and clarity in his historical and mythological scenes. Death of Germanicus, 1628, Minneapolis Institute of Art
Claude Lorrain

Renowned for his landscape paintings, Claude’s works are characterized by their serene representations of nature and classical ruins, often bathed in a soft, ethereal light. Seaport at sunset (1639), Louvre
Anthony van Dyck

A student of Rubens, van Dyck became a leading court painter in England and is famous for his elegant and sophisticated portraits of royalty. Charles I and Henrietta Maria with their two eldest children, Prince Charles and Princess Mary April-August 1632
Georges de La Tour

Although his work was largely forgotten until the 20th century, La Tour is admired for his nighttime scenes illuminated by candlelight, creating a quiet, introspective atmosphere. The Musicians' Brawl, (Hurdy-gurdy group), c. 1625–1630, Getty Museum
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

Known for his vibrant frescoes and grandiose decorative paintings, Tiepolo's work embodied the ornate grandeur of the late Baroque and Rococo periods. Image
Alessandro Algardi

A contemporary of Bernini, Algardi was another prominent Baroque sculptor, known for his bas-reliefs and statues in a slightly more restrained style than Bernini’s dramatic creations. Tomb of Leo XI

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