Explain The Differences Between Baroque And Rococo

Last Updated on March 19, 2022 by QCity Editorial Stuff

The Baroque and Rococo movements were two distinct art styles that emerged in the seventeenth century. During this time, there were many advancements in science and technology, which greatly influenced these artistic styles. While both of these eras are characterized by ornate designs with a focus on emotion, there are some major differences between them. If you want to learn more about what sets them apart from each other, read the rest of this article. 

The baroque style was characterized by its use of dark colors and heavy ornamentation to create an intense emotional response from viewers. This movement began around 1600 when painters like Caravaggio used strong contrast between light and shadow to highlight certain parts of their paintings while leaving other areas obscured in darkness.

Baroque and Rococo are two different styles of art that were popular during the 18th century. Baroque originated in Italy, while Rococo originated in France. The difference between these two styles is mainly seen in their architecture, but there are also differences when it comes to paintings and sculpture. This article will explain what sets them apart so you can tell which style an artist was drawing from.

Comparison Between Baroque And Rococo

Parameters of Comparison	Baroque	Rococo
System	Angular	Curve
Sense	Seriousness	Playful
Color	Do not use color in the painting	Use color
Subject	kings and queens in baroque	people at parties in rococo
Dramatic lighting	Baroque uses dramatic lighting	rococo uses softer light sources to create moodier scenes

What Is Baroque?

The Baroque period is a time of grandeur, which can be seen in the expansive architecture and art that was produced during this era. 

The word “Baroque” comes from the Portuguese term barroco, meaning irregular pearl. This name was given to describe the movement’s ornate style because it often included imperfections or asymmetrical features. 

This grandeur can most easily be seen in paintings during this era, with many paintings being large-scale murals on church walls or ceilings. The Catholic Church commissioned these works as they felt they were most able to communicate their teachings through art due to their ability to reach out to an audience of commoners who could not read at the time. 

What Is Rococo?

Rococo is a style of art and architecture that developed in the 18th century. Rococo was characterized by its lightness, optimism, and hedonism. The term “rococo” comes from the French word for rock crystal or shell. This refers to the decoration which imitates stone-like materials with intricate detail work, many curves, and playful ornamentation. 

The idea of Rococo began as an attempt to make art more pleasurable than it had been during Neo-classical times (which were rather austere). It was also influenced by new ideas about beauty stemming from Enlightenment philosophy; these philosophies put forth that everything around us can be beautiful if we look at it correctly. 

10 Differences Between Baroque And Rococo

Angular: Baroque is more angular and Rococo curves.

Sense: Baroque has a sense of seriousness while Rococo is playful.

Color: Baroque doesn’t use color in their paintings, but Rococo does. 

Subject: The subjects in the paintings are different – for example, kings and queens in baroque and people at parties in rococo.

Dramatic Lighting: Baroque uses dramatic lighting while rococo uses softer light sources to create moodier scenes.

Painter: One popular painter of baroque was Caravaggio, who painted religious figures with intense expressions on their faces; one famous artist of rococo was Watteau, who painted women wearing fancy clothes that were fashionable during his period.

Dramatic: Baroque is more dramatic and dynamic than Rococo.

Periods: Baroque periods are typically shorter than Rococo periods.

Purpose: The main purpose of Baroque art was to inspire awe, while the primary goal of Rococo art was to entertain.

Gold: The use of gold in baroque artwork has a religious significance that is not present in rococo paintings.

Interesting Statistics Or Facts Of Baroque 

1. Baroque art was popular in the 17th and 18th centuries.

2. The word, “baroque,” means “irregularly shaped pearl” in Portuguese.

3. The baroque era is often called the “Age of Excess” due to the lavishness of its artwork and architecture.

4. There are many famous artists from this period such as Caravaggio, Bernini, Veronese, Rubens, and Rembrandt.

5. One example of a famous work by Bernini is his sculpture entitled “The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa.” This statue depicts Saint Theresa being visited by an angel while she’s meditating which conveys her ecstasy at having been chosen by God.

6. Another famous piece created during this period is Leonardo da Vinci’s painting entitled Mona Lisa or La Gioconda (1503-1519) that depicts a woman who has been identified as Lisa del Giocondo.

Interesting Statistics Or Facts Of Rococo

1. Rococo art is a style of art that was popular in France during the 18th century.

2. The rococo style was considered to be more natural and accessible than baroque art which was seen as too dramatic.

3. Rococo paintings are characterized by asymmetrical compositions, light colors, and an abundance of decoration.

4. The name “rococo” comes from the French word meaning “rough,” but in this case, it refers to rough seas.

5. It’s often called the last true artistic movement in Europe before Neoclassicism took over. 

6. One famous rococo artist is Antoine Watteau who painted scenes of elegant society life with music and dancing.

Conclusion About The Differences Between Baroque And Rococo

Differentiating between Baroque and Rococo is not an easy task. The two styles are very similar when it comes to the periods in which they were created, but many differences set them apart from one another. One of these distinctions can be seen through their structural elements, with Rococo being more ornate than Baroque. Another difference you will find is how ornamentation was used by each style; while Baroque focuses on symmetry throughout its design process, Rococo uses asymmetrical patterns that have a delicate look about them. These features are just some of the ways you can identify if something belongs to either baroque or rococo styling-and they’re all worth exploring.

References:

Resource 01: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baroque
Resource 02: https://news.artnet.com/market/a-brief-history-of-rococo-art-32790