A S T Y L E O F A R C H I T E C T U R E O R I G I N A T I N G I N I T A LY I N

T H E E A R LY 1 7 T H C E N T U R Y A N D V A R I O U S LY P R E V A L E N T
I N E U R O P E A N D T H E N E W W O R L D F O R A C E N T U RY A N D A
H A L F , C H A RA C T E R I Z E D BY F R E E A N D S C U L P T U RA L U S E
O F T H E C L A S S I C A L O R D E R S A N D O R N A M E N T , DY N A M I C
O P P O S I T I O N A N D I N T E R P E N E T R AT I O N O F S PA C E S , A N D
T H E D RA M AT I C C O M B I N E D E F F E C T S O F A RC H I T E C T U R E ,
S C U L P T U R E , PA I N T I N G , A N D T H E D E C O RAT I V E A RT S .

BAROQUE
ARCHITECTURE

- PRAKRITI GOEL 026

SEC A SEM 4

BACKGROUND
The baroque style appeared in Rome, Italy around the year 1600,
as a demand of the church for new art.
The representatives of arts were demanded by the Roman Catholic
Church in 1545 1563 to create paintings and sculptures that
even the illiterate can comprehend.
This decision of the church actually offered inspiration for Baroque
artists, which appeared, however, a generation later.
This art style continued to spread from Italy towards Western
Europe, especially in the first half of the XVIIth century, and later
towards Central, Northern and the Eastern Europe in the last half
of the same century and at the beginning of the XVIIIth century.
Latin America was also strongly influenced by the Baroque Style.
Many catholic churches, but also public buildings, official and
private residences, built in the XVIII-th and XIX-th century are
clearly of Baroque origin.

BAROQUE
The Definitions:
Baroque = an emphasis of sculptural & painted
forms
display shapes of nature leaves, shells, scrolls
(floral elements)
More complex geometric forms
Compiled with Painting to create illusion of depth
Predominately used in religious buildings
Italy, France, Spain, Germany & Austria, 17th &
18th Century

ELEMENTS
Baroque Style evolved from the classic forms of the Renaissance, but it
differs by new details and trends: colossal buildings as proportions with
dramatic appearance, pompous facades with gables modified in various
means, double towers, tall and unshapely domes, annex buildings with
beautiful ornaments, windows with irregular forms.
In the painting decoration the artists renounced on creating profane and
pagan themes (nudes and mythological types); instead, the
ornamentation got excessively rich, with twisted columns shaped as
snails with fantasy figures.
The straight lines become bended, the oval shapes arch and take more
winding forms, the plain surfaces completely disappear and make room
for an abundance of ornaments.
The buildings become more and more a pretext to use decorations or an
aggregation of ornaments of the most various and bizarre.
The interiors dazzle with the lavishness of gold, silver, silks and rich
tapestry and luxurious furnishings.

MAJOR ARCHITECTS
Maderno
made the Vatican s faade
His work combined the dome with the creation of
a space where the pope could appear publically
Longhena
His design was selected for building Santa Maria
Della Salute
It is building of central plan with a great dome
that become the symbol of Venice

Bermi
Created a fusion of architecture , painting and
sculpture
used a palace faade that become a model with
massive pilasters above a restricted base
Works : Saint Peters Square , Baldaquin

Vaticanos faade

Santa Maria della Vittoria

Palazzo Barberini

Santa Maria of Nazaret

Santa Maria della Salute

Ca Rezzonico

San Peters colomnade

San Peter Baldaquine

San Ivos dome

San Carlo alle quattro

fontane

Versailles palace

 Francesco Borromini (1599 1667)

San Carlo alla Quattro Fontane 1634-1643
Best example of the Italian Baroque

Borromini used complex

geometric constructs to
create the shapes of his
buildings. By overlapping
the shapes and
interpolating, he could
create dynamic form. He
experimented with
complex curves more than
anyone else of his time.

San Carlo - Exterior

San Carlo - Exterior

 Francesco Borromini (1599 1667)

San Carlo alla Quattro Fontane 16341643
Best example of Italian Baroque

San Carlo - NAVE

Borromini used the

combination of convex
& concave curves to
create the parallax
condition to give the
illusion that this
monastic church was
larger.
San Carlo - Dome
San Carlo - Plan

The paired columns

allowed him to frame
art & Openings.

 Francesco Borromini (1599 1667)

San Ivo della Sapienza 1642-1662
Experiment in curvature & form

San Ivo - Dome

Borromini used the

combination of convex &
concave curves to create a
complex shape to the nave
& Dome which gave it a
character like no other.
Borromini
was
the
most aggressive in his
use of curved forms.

San Ivo - Exterior

 Guarino Guarini (1624 1683)

Capella SS. Sindone 1667-1690
Holds the Holy Shroud of Jesus

Capella SS. Sindone - Exterior

Guarini used windows inside of

the intersecting arches to add
light to the dome. The
windows were barely visible
from below adding to the
mysticism.

Capella SS. Sindone - Dome

Guarino Guarini (1624 1683)

San Lorenzo Turin Cathedral 1666-1680

San Lorenzo - Dome

Guarini worked with light &

shadow to create a higher level of
mysticism. This comes from his
theological training. The domes
were well lit. The Naves were lit
dimly with specific features lit for
effect.
Guarini used arches to emphasize
the art & alters. This allowed him
to create taller spaces
San Lorenzo - Nave

RELEVANCE FOR CONTEMPORARY

ARCHITECTURE
Baroque art and architecture extravagant in
concept, exuberant in spirit, elaborate in detail
flourished in the 17ths century Europe and
through the ages has continued to stir us with its
vitality and dynamism, its mood of barely
suppressed passion.
In the architecture of St. Peters in Rome, St.
Pauls in London and Santa Maria Della Salute in
Venice, in the works of Michelangelo, Bernini and
Rubens, the Baroque spirit still lives today to
inspire us.

RELEVANCE FOR CONTEMPORARY

ARCHITECTURE
Baroque in home design
The Baroque style is still used today as inspiration
when it comes to decorating a home in a rich
manner.
This style is well known for being dramatic and
opulent, characteristics which can transform a simple
home into something flamboyant.
Many people choose to decorate their living space
with a baroque style, and there are a variety of ideas
that you can incorporate; ideas like using baroque
style patterns to enrich cushion covers, linen,
upholstery, curtaining and much more.

Baroque in modern Graphic Design

Now graphic artists can add Baroque flair to almost any
design project with elements like lush florals, rosettes as a
repeating motif in a frieze and many more ornaments with
a clear Baroque influence.
Baroque designs can be used by artists to enhance various
items, because the ornaments specific to this style have
the great capacity of making an art work look richer.
Its not an unknown fact that often in modern graphic
design the inspiration comes from art styles from the past.
If you have the right skills, you can combine past and
present design and create amazing modern art work.
The Baroque Style is represented by beautiful and rich
decorations that can perfectly combine with the styles
designers who love to ornate their work with flowers and
swirls.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Floor Plan

Those typical of Baroque architecture were the

ellipse or the oval, or far more complex schemes
derived from complicated geometrical figures.

EXTERIOR FEATURE

Dome

Curved lines

Spiral Colu

Rounded Arche

Highly
decorated
walls

Interior
Feature

Painted ceiling

Painted in
real gold

THANK YOU