During history lessons, art is one of the most interesting subjects that can be discussed. Art gives students a way of showcasing their creativity and artistic talents.
Aside from this, it also shows when and how some great artists painted their masterpieces that are still unchanged and appreciated by art students and enthusiasts.
Key Takeaways
- Baroque art is characterized by grandeur, drama, and emotional intensity, with exaggerated forms and contrasting light and dark.
- Renaissance art is characterized by realism, proportion, and harmony, focusing on the human form and perspective.
- Baroque art emerged in the 17th century as a response to the Protestant Reformation, while Renaissance art flourished in the 15th and 16th centuries as a revival of classical culture.
Baroque Art vs Renaissance
Baroque art emerged in 17th century entailing a sense of emotions, drama, grandeur, music, and architecture in its art. Renaissance art emerged in 14th to 17th century and is associated with humanism and a sense of beauty in it.
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Baroque and Renaissance are two distinct periods in the history of mankind that stands out the most when teaching about art and great masters. The paintings and masterpieces created in these periods were similar when first seen but were very different, with distinct differences.
Till today, there have been many debates about which period created better art than the other. Supporters of each period have their arguments as to why one art is better than the other.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Baroque Art | Renaissance Art |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Baroque art is a form of a art which emerged in the country Europe in the late 16th century. | Renaissance art is a form of art which emerged in the country Europe in the 14th century. |
| Time period | The period of the production of Baroque art was from the late 16th century to the mid-18th century. | The period of the production of Renaissance art was from the 14th century to the 17th century. |
| Key features | The key features of Baroque art are its ornate details and focus on showing human emotions. | The key feature of Renaissance art is its fusion of science and Christianity which gives a touch of realism to it. |
| Symmetry and use of colour | Baroque art is asymmetric and has a more dramatic use of colours. | Renaissance art is symmetric and has less dramatic use of colours. |
| Famous artists | Bernini and Caravaggio are one of the famous artists of baroque art. | Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo are famous artists of renaissance art. |
What is Baroque Art?
Baroque was derived from the Portuguese word barocco, which means flawed pearl. Baroque art was produced between the late 16th century and the mid-18th century.
It developed after the creation and production of Renaissance art. The Baroque paintings featured ornate details.
Features like exaggerated lighting and intense emotions were common in the art of that period. Even though it has a kind of artistic sensationalism, it still did not truly depict the style of people living in the Baroque art period.
Another interesting thing in these arts is encouraging the construction of colonnades, domes and other colour effects by Baroque architecture. There are four very important characteristics of the Baroque art.
These are realism, light, naturalism, time and lines. Tenebrism, a light source, is the only source that baroque art boasted about.
What is Renaissance Art?
The word Renaissance is derived from the Italian word, which means rebirth. The Renaissance art style focuses more on learning.
One of the greatest and most well-known artists of the Renaissance period was Leonardo Da Vinci. This period was between the 14th century and the 17th century in Europe.
The most important part of the Renaissance art form was perception. It is a concept used in drawing that gives the art piece a three-dimensional look.
One common thing in these paintings was that artists tended to draw buildings with the same vanishing point. Another important characteristic of Renaissance art is the incorporation of Sfumato, a technique that helps the artists create a contrast between the dark and light portions of their paintings.
One of the famous examples of this technique and Renaissance art is the painting ‘Mona Lisa’, created by Leonardo Da Vinci. This technique, adapted by Renaissance period artists, would create an illusion that would make an object seem smaller than it was.
Main Differences Between Baroque Art and Renaissance
- Baroque art is a form of art which emerged in the country of Europe in the late 16th century, whereas Renaissance art is a form of art which emerged in the country of Europe in the 14th century.
- The period of the production of Baroque art was from the late 16th century to the mid-18th century, while the period of the production of Renaissance art was from the 14th century to the 17th century.
- Baroque art is asymmetric and has a more dramatic use of colours, whereas Renaissance art is symmetric and has a less dramatic use of colours.
- The key features of Baroque art are its ornate details and its focus on showing human emotions. In contrast, the key feature of Renaissance art is its fusion of science and Christianity, giving a touch of realism.
- Bernini and Caravaggio, the famous artists of Baroque art, are less famous than Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo, one of the famous artists of Renaissance art.
- https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/article-abstract/588447
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781118391488
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Chara Yadav holds MBA in Finance. Her goal is to simplify finance-related topics. She has worked in finance for about 25 years. She has held multiple finance and banking classes for business schools and communities. Read more at her bio page.
