THREAD
Baroque vs Rococo

The Baroque period is defined by the grandeur and opulence of its art and architecture. With roots in Rome, the movement spread across Italy and other European countries between 1600 and 1750, becoming particularly popular in France, Spain, and Austria.

It is characterized by an ornate, over-the-top aesthetic that evokes ethereality and aims to inspire awe. Some of the qualities most frequently associated with the Baroque are grandeur, sensuous richness, drama, vitality, movement, tension, emotional exuberance.

As the Baroque period overlapped with the Italian Renaissance, it is not surprising that the two movements shared some stylistic similarities. Both Baroque and Renaissance artists employed realism, rich color, and religious or mythological subject matter.

Baroque Art:
Baroque artists like Gentileschi, Poussin, and Rubens achieved a heightened sense of drama through movement. Often, this action-packed iconography was inspired by tales from the bible and stories from ancient mythology.

Gentileschi, David and Goliath, 1607

In the work of well-known painters like Caravaggio and Rembrandt, an interest in drama materializes as intense contrasts between beaming light and looming shadows.

Rembrandt, The Nightwatch, 1642.

Rococo

During the period of the Enlightenment (about 1700 to 1780), various currents of post-Baroque art and architecture evolved. A principal current, generally known as Rococo, refined the robust architecture of the 17th century to suit elegant 18th-century tastes.

Vivid colours were replaced by pastel shades; diffuse light flooded the building volume; and violent surface relief was replaced by smooth flowing masses with emphasis only at isolated points.

Rococo Art:
Rococo painting in general was characterized by easygoing, lighthearted treatments of mythological and courtship themes, rich and delicate brushwork, a relatively light tonal key, and muted colouring. I associate Rococo mostly with France.

The Swing, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, 1767

The Triumph of Venus, François Boucher, 1740

Differences in France vs Rome

In the Protestant countries and France, which sought the spirit through the mind, architecture was more geometric, formal, and precise, an appeal to the intellect.

In the Roman Catholic south, buildings were more complex, freer, and done with greater artistic license—an appeal to the spirit made through the senses. All in all, Churches and palaces still exhibit an integration of both these art forms.

Movie to watch for Baroque:
The Man in the Iron Mask, 1998. Dir: Randall Wallace.
The rich colours can be seen in contrast with lighter tones. Use of gold in clothes, decorations, architecture is done to exude lavish richness and drama. Leornado Di Caprio plays King Louis XIV.

Movie for Rococo:
Marie Antionette, 2006. Dir: Sofia Coppola.
The light pastels have replaced the deeper warmer colours that were significant in Baroque. The Palace’s interior tones are kept light, spacious yet its still lavish and tasteful. Kirsten Dunst plays Marie Antoinette

I once tweeted that Rococo is not Late Baroque and I stand by that. They are very different. Both artforms have their own distinct music, sculptures and architecture varying in degrees of influences and styles.

Rulers, Revolutions, Language, Culture, Geography, Religion, and many factors have an influence on art. I kept postponing this thread because art is limitless, colossal. I cannot even sum up even a minuscule fragment of it in a thread.

To decide what stays and goes feels wrong and amateurish to me. I wanted this to be on a surface level conciseness. Please ignore typos/errors on this and all my tweets.
Thank you for reading.