Baroque and Rococo-Compare and Contrast

If you are an art connossieur, you may often hear Baroque and Rococo strung together in many galleries all over the world. But are they different? Or are they similar?

While the two styles impacted French and European architecture more than other types of artistic expression, the realm of painting also witnessed notable transitions between the time period when Baroque would later shift and give way to the Rococo movement.

First, let's start with origins.

Baroque art started from the growing extravagance of the Renaissance(Latin: rebirth) period. In the early 17th century, Baroque movement began to have deep rooted meanings for artists with deeply held convictions towards the Catholic church-this was unlike any style-or school of art before.

The movement was characterized by stark differences in contrast and deep levels of detail, as well as moving figures that were often of a religious nature. The Baroque movement began in Rome, Italy as the Renaissance finally tapered down to a halt and later spread throughout other parts of Europe before making its way into parts of Russia and Germany.

The movement left a lasting impression on much of European society as many of the most wealthy and aristocratic families in the continent sought to display their wealth by acquiring extravagant paintings, sculptures, and furniture.

The period finally came to an end around the middle of the 1700’s after artists of the Baroque movement began to create increasingly flamboyant works-giving way to the Rococo movement.

The Rococo movement art style began as a means to oppose the increasingly rigid and straight-lined methods of French Classicism. The Rococo movement began in France and would later spread to every other part of Europe by the end of the 18th century, including parts of Russia. The style is most commonly associated with the grand manors owned by affluent aristocrats.

Many of the most notable Rococo pieces of architecture and other works were known for their elaborately decorated shapes, scrolling curves, and illusions of dramatic motion.

The term ‘rococo’ comes from the French word ‘rocaille’ which pointed toward an elaborate method of decorating the exterior of grottos and other exterior structures with pebble-like patterns. However, this term was not used to describe art of this period until the early 1800s.

Where Baroque painters had used large amounts of dark, shadowy colorations surrounding their works, Rococo painters preferred to capture the light of the sun and painted scenes that were often full of light.

The most clear divulge from the Baroque manner of portrayal was in the nature of the subjects themselves for many Rococo painters. These paintings displayed an increasing level of playfulness and frivolity, which would have been considered highly scandalous if seen by Baroque painters.

Take a guess with the two paintings below to deduce if they are Baroque-era or Rococo era!