15 characteristics of Spanish Baroque PAINTING

Under the name of spanish baroque painting It is called the pictorial work carried out throughout the 17th century and the first half of the 18th century in Spain. An artistic style that sought to move away from the idealization of beauty and show reality to illustrate the ideas of the Counter-Reformation. Naturalism, gloomy lighting and vitalism are some of the characteristics of this style that we invite you to learn more about. In this lesson from unPROFESOR.com we offer you the main characteristics of Spanish baroque painting.

Before delving into the characteristics of Baroque painting, we suggest you review the particularities of Baroque art. Thus, it is necessary to highlight these characteristics of baroque art:

• It became a style fully integrated architecture, painting and sculptureto. Architecture became the ideal theatrical framework for paintings and sculptures that profusely decorated both interiors and exteriors.
• A style that served as a propaganda vehicle for the absolute monarchy and the Counter-Reformation Church.
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• For this, the Baroque became a exaggerated and bombastic style.

Baroque painting is distinguished by a series of basic characteristics that allow us to distinguish and admire their works in all their splendor.

Here we leave you a review of the main ones characteristics of Spanish Baroque painting:

1. He Spanish Baroque It is a critical period economically, politically and socially, but splendid as far as letters and the arts are concerned. A period known as the Golden age.
2. Although the crisis cut spending on art for the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie, even though the Church became the biggest client as it was the best way to capture the ideology of the Counter Reformation.
3. Spanish Baroque painting was heavily influenced by Italian painting, especially because of the tenebrism of caravaggio. The influence of the Italian painter is fundamental in painters as prominent as Diego de Velazquez or Francisco de Ribera, although over time they came to abandon that influence.
4. Like the rest of Baroque painting, and as we have pointed out, Spanish Baroque painting is characterized by its naturalism and realism, turning to reproduce reality as best as possible.
5. The compositions are simple and balanced, without giving the feeling of intense movement and impetus that characterizes Italian works.
6. Topics are organized using diagonal lines and foreshortenings.
7. He color It is used in a natural way and gains ground from drawing.
8. Depth is one of the great concerns of painters, dominating the aerial perspective.
9. The light It is used to organize environments and create atmospheres.
10. The themes are eminently religious, especially episodes of lives of saints, martyrdoms, Immaculate.
11. Profane topics such as the mythology, still lifes, portraits, landscapes, genre scenes and nudes, although an absence of sensuality is appreciated, being less tolerant than Italy or Flanders.
12. The technique is used oil painting on easel, canvas being the most used medium.
13. It is painted with color spots without making previous drawings.
14. are appreciated Two phases: At the end of the 17th century, the influence of foreign artists was appreciated in the face of a certain exhaustion of Spanish painting. In the eighteenth century it changes and acquires new characteristics:
15. The lighting is softer and more scattered and very close to Rococo French.

Now you know the characteristics of Spanish Baroque painting, a very important artistic period in our art history.