Baroque Architecture

Baroque architecture

Period of time

From the end of the 15^th century to the beginning of the 18^th century. The term baroque was used by 18^th century French critics (Diderot, Goethe) to denigrate the architecture of the 17^th century; they applied to that architecture the Portuguese term for misshapen pearls: barocco. Gradually, the term baroque came to be used in a more positive, descriptive sense way. With this term, we will mostly refer to Roman architecture of the 16^th century.

Development in southern and northern Europe

From 1600 to 1750, we can say that the architecture of churches developed on two parallel lines in Europe: Southern Europe (Italy, Spain, Bavaria, Austria), which rejected the reformation, preferred baroque qualities, while the North of Europe and the Catholic France continued to use Classical architecture.

1620 – Rome – A series of artists and architects produced a renewal of architectural language which departed from the relative austerity of past architecture (Maderno, Bernini, Borromini). The new architect can experiment. Antiquity is not the goal anymore; now the problem is how to use the language of Renaissance to express modernity with it. These architects feel and need to move forward. In this period, it is clear that art and architecture have a new function in society; they are not only instruments of representation but also instruments of persuasion and direct involvement of the observer. The goal is immediate involvement. Regularity of proportions and perfect equilibrium are less important.

Characteristics of baroque

Baroque has a celebratory nature; it wants to create a sense of mystery and to create an emotional impact (versus the Renaissance interest in intellectual comprehension and perceiving forms). For these reasons, it is characterized by complexity, ambiguity, superimposed effects, studied variety, contrast, emphasis on plasticity and spatial depth, and the use of superhuman scale, but also the emphasis on sculpture: the architecture becomes the set for sculpture.

The reasons for the shift toward this visual complexity are several. First, we have to notice that in every period of artistic creativity in which the goal is to achieve a state of stasis, once the goal is reached, a reaction sets in, which is what happened between the Renaissance and the Baroque, which was anticipated by the Mannerism. Second, in Italy, France, Spain, and central Europe, there was a religious aspect related to this: the Counter-Reformation, which was a reaction against the Church reforms advocated by Luther, was undertaken also through architecture.

Goal and theatricality

The goal: visual experience, the building has to be felt through the eyes, the importance of images is reaffirmed for human experience on the sacred. Theatricality and the question of the theatre (theatrical use of space), as St. Peter's square: theatre where the actors are the pilgrims themselves, its form is meant to be seen during specific actions. Total work of art: a term usually applied to baroque architecture, especially to Bernini (e.g., Sant’Andrea al Quirinale, Bernini). Concetto = one unified meaning for the whole architecture. In this case, the concept is the saint. Decoration is not applied to architecture; it seems that architecture was born with this decorative system.

Jesuits and counter-reformation architecture

The most active campaign within the Roman Church against the Reformation was led by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). 1568, Church of Gesù, by Vignola, Rome – it was a very large church (from Sant’Andrea in Mantova, Alberti) designed following the instructions of the patron in order to facilitate preaching: short transept arms covered with barrel vaults and a third short arm forming the choir, terminating in a semicircular apse. The nave, covered by a barrel vault, was flanked by square side chapels. The plan of the church is mannerist, but the façade by Giacomo della Porta is an anticipation of the baroque way. From Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Alberti, the façade is more plastically molded, with pair engaged columns and nested pediments.

This church is really important because, due to the Jesuits' activity, its image has been carried out all over Europe, becoming the model for counter-reformation churches.

Examples of baroque architecture

• 1646-1650, Church of Saints Vincent and Anastasius, by Martino Lunghi the Younger, Rome – the façade of this church shows the emphasis that baroque put on the sculptural plasticity. It is a variation of the one presented by the Jesuits: the pilasters are fully disengaged, free-standing columns, in the center section they stand in triplicate, carrying three nested pediments, which are cut away at the top opening voids that are filled with garlands and carved figures.
• 1730, interior of the Sacristy of the Cartuja in Granada, by Francisco Hurtado – here the use of a Classical architectural vocabulary and the use of patterns and surface ornaments reached its peak. A simple system of arches resting on pilasters is ornamented with several layers to the point that the structural system is obscured and everything becomes an intricate pattern of light and shadows.

Maderno's contributions

• Santa Susanna, Rome (1603-1605) - First truly baroque façade, it has a 3D character, the 3D composition prevails. In this façade, there are all possible expressions within one order (flat pilasters, semi-columns, Michelangelo’s capital).
• Saint Peter, Rome (1607-1620) - He will finish the church. Maderno’s Saint Peter has Michelangelo’s plan with a great façade, which is nearly a separated building housing a porch. This façade was huge: it was a difficult task. Maderno finds a sophisticated technical solution.
• Church of Saints Luca and Martina ↔ Church Saint Maria in Todi: comparison by Millard about the two centralized plans.
• Chapel of Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria (Cornaro Chapel), Venice – he creates the space to house the statue. Maderno reconfigures the space in order to host the representation. → Definition with one concept of a 3D space + exhibition of great wealth, which is hidden at the same time. Here there will be the request for the creation of a source of light, so Bernini will create a projecting volume, which can be open. This source of light is hidden by a complete entablature. Very rich materials; colored marbles.

Gian Lorenzo Bernini

1598-1680 Bernini trained as a sculptor, he had the support and patronage of the most powerful figures in the Roman Church. Bernini moved well among some of the most powerful people of his time (King of France). He achieved international acclaim. He was a set designer and made machines for theatrical production.

Bernini's major works

• Baldacchino of Saint Peter, Rome, design under directions of Bernini - is his first major work as an architect. The columns are 11 m high, and all together the structure is 20 m high. It is a symbolic object, is both an architecture, both a sculpture, is built under the dome. (the problem was to create a central space: baldacchino). Gigantic scale (importance of the scale in baroque architecture) material: bronze. There are bees all over = symbol of the papal family (Barberini). Spiral columns = colonne tortili: they seem lighter but also enlarged copy of columns of the covering of the first altar of St. Peter, and those columns were probably spoiled by the temple of Jerusalem at the time of Titus.
• 1645, Cornaro Chapel, Venice to be built on the left transept of the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria - In the upper part of the transept-chapel Bernini designed an illusionistic fresco around the window showing clouds and angels, with some of the clouds carved in stucco and covering part of the architectural moldings. Moreover, the curves of the wall and the vault curve together and are covered with molded clouds so that it becomes hard to understand the physical limits of the space, which become blurry. The marble-paneled side box of the chapel contains box seats in which Bernini depicted the members of the Cornaro family, at the center there is an aedicule, which seems to be pushed forward by a force behind it, breaking the pediment; on the stage, the statue of Santa Teresa d’Avila (one of the counter-reformation saints): this is illuminated by a window behind the pediment which cannot be seen from the spectator. → Architecture becomes an armature for sculpture and painting. It becomes a total work of art. The play between three-dimensional reality and mystical illusion was very blurry.

Other notable contributions

• 1672-1685, completion of the ceiling decoration of the Gesù by Giovanni Battista Gaulli – he modeled architectural molding of stucco which served as a frame for the illusionistic frescoes showing clouds and angels rising to heaven, making it very difficult to understand the difference between the perspective of the drawing and the moldings.
• Saint Ignatius, by Padre Orazio Grassi, vault painted in 1691-1694 by Padre Andrea Pozzo showing “The glory of Saint Ignatius”: illusion of architecture.