They also valued human beings, in which they believed them to have infinite, godlike potential. Romantics believed that God's presence was embodied in nature and evidence of His existence. Artist embodied creativity, a state of mind or expression of concerns about the period. For Romantic artists it was not intellect or reason which mattered, but feelings and emotions. Affirmation of all brotherhood was a goal of the artist, while being mysterious, passionate, highly sensitive, misunderstood and alone in the world. Romantic artist identified themselves with tormented heroes, worrying over death and lost love, while believing in the admiration of beauty.
The style of the Baroque was very different from the style of the Romantic era. In French, "Baroque" means irregular, and consequently, flawed pearl. The Baroque artist embraced a style utilizing twist and turns to create movement. Dramatic manipulation of space, exaggerated gestures, strong contrasts of light and color, along with lively rendering of human expressions. New concepts of physics and astronomy are introduced by Galileo and Newton which increased man's awareness of space, an obsession with Baroque artists. Chiaroscuro a technique in which dramatic light and shadow were used to create a spotlight affect to the composition, often times highlighting the focal point of the work of art. Rococo, a playful and sensual style was developed by using pastel colors, delicately curving forms and dainty figures. The main characteristics of Baroque art are strong perspective effects, dramatic color, dramatic light and dark, movement of figures, broken and agitated draperies, loose brushstrokes, and dense and detailed compositions for emotional impact on the viewer. Below is an example of Baroque art at its best in my opinion.
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The Taking of Christ, 1602, oil on canvas, 53 X 67 in. .
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, .
National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin.
