Prehistoric and Post Modern Art Baroque

CATHOLIC BAROQUE VS. THE PROTESTANT BAROQUE IN NORTHERN EUROPE Catholic Baroque in Italy vs. the Protestant Baroque in Northern Europe The following study compares the theatricality of the Catholic Baroque in Italy to the Protestant Baroque in Northern Europe. The discussion will focus on Caravaggio's "the Crucifixion of Saint Peter" to Rembrandt's "The Return of The Prodigal Son." It also extends to include the way each artist handles the religious subject reflecting both the different sensibilities of these two artistic styles and the religious thinking of these two areas.

The Baroque period is argued to have taken place between the 1500s and 1700s. As the 16th approached, Western Europe experienced a reformation that divided Christianity between Protestants and Catholics. Most countries in Northern Europe (Switzerland, Holland and Britain) became Protestants whereas Southern countries (Spain and Italy) became Catholics. The sharp divide caused different art styles. In their churches, the Protestants no more commissioned vast biblical pieces because they were believed to be idolatry and thus replaced these with art that depicted unadorned and personal Christianity.

In contrast, Catholic churches maintained a dramatic and dark art that varied from theatrical sculptures to fully painted ceilings designed to appear like heaven. The aim of such paintings was to teach people about Catholicism and the Bible (Forster 2001). Italy is perceived as the core of counter-reformation art. From the paintings of Michelangelo Caravaggio, topics like "The Taking of Christ" were dramatically portrayed against a dark background to Gianlorenzo Bernini's theatrical sculptures and illusionistic ceiling paintings.

The latter pulling back the ceiling and sky to expose heaven, art in religion endeavored to dazzle and inspire the public to the glory of the Roman Catholic Church. In comparison, Northern Europe is hailed as the core of the Reformation and in some cases; Protestants reacted against the utility of religious art, as they believed it was idolatry (Franchot, 1994).

From the distaste for the rich artwork that decorated formerly Catholic churches all over Northern Europe, many churches and cathedrals were stripped bare their statues and paintings destroyed to create a very simple space for worship. Caravaggio is among the most influential Catholic Baroque artists in history. His influence in the field of art remains relevant to date. His masterpiece, "The Crucifixion of Saint Peter" contains three dishonest figures whose faces are concealed.

In essence, they are thrusting the cross to which Peter is nailed by the feet with his head pointing down. As Caravaggio portrays it, the Saint Peter cannot be termed as a martyr (Franchot, 1994). Rather, he is an old man living in fear of death due to Pang. Caravaggio's obscure and impermeable background draws the audience's gaze back again to the illuminated characters. Equally significant is Caravaggio's dramatic application of chiaroscuro; contrasting spaces of dark and light (Strickland, & Boswell. 2007).

Caravaggio's influence in art is significant because he turned a great part of European art away from the idealistic perspective of the Renaissance to a viewpoint whereby daily reality is of prime significance. He is among the first artists to portray human beings are ordinary looking. His primary topics are religious-based, which he embodies with actual courage.

He boasts of a powerful plastic modeling of form; this artist puts an oil paint over a canvas with dabs and applies a strong contrast of shadow and light to improve the dramatic effects of his paintings. In some cases, his pieces attained such a realistic force the audience declined from them not seeing the proper ideality and piety in the images (Franchot, 1994). Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was one of the first Protestant artists in northern Europe to create religious paintings. Today, he is still popular for creating about 60 self-portraits.

Almost three-quarter of his entire production is composed of biblical subjects. This is somehow rare for a Protestant of the North in the 17th century because religious art was not regarded to be important and church patronage was nonexistent (Forster 2001). Rembrandt has applied the Baroque tool of spotlighting areas that are highly significant in his self-portraits. He uses impasto as a strategy to utilize the heavy-laden brushes and adding a nearly sculptural measurement to his pieces.

Rembrandt is also famous for his religious piece, "The Return of the Prodigal Son." This painting is perceived as a conclusion of his works where he shows his picturesque skill and ethical height. A plot of the biblical parable regarding a prodigal son who returned home after a prolonged wandering attracted Rembrandt. In the painting, the audience sees an angry young man seemingly kneeling in front of an aged man.

This man has placed his hands on the youth's head; this shows the happiness of the return, shame, humiliation, and loss (Strickland, & Boswell. 2007). Such humanness makes the audience understand the scene for people of all times thus making it eternal. The artist has achieved an astounding unity of colors. From the orange-red tinges that fill the background, all features are a single picturesque depicted as one feeling. The Protestant Baroque in Northern Europe and the theatricality of the Catholic Baroque in Italy are stylistically similar.

This is evident because the techniques originated in Italy. However, the most noticeable difference between the two styles is the message or motive being conveyed via the paintings (Kleiner 2015). Perhaps, the dramatic intensity in Caravaggio's art unlike the sobriety in Rembrandt's is the nature of stories they told on the canvas. Caravaggio believes that being an artist is all about being practically an employee of the Catholic Church. However, Rembrandt built on Caravaggio's work but did not inherit sentiments from the Catholic Church.

Nevertheless, the two artists depend heavily on shadow, light, and skillful composition for visual effect. The Catholic Baroque in Italy includes vivid imagery, which displays incited and vigorous emotion in the audience. Conversely, the Protestant Baroque style uses various similar techniques such as dramatic and sympathetic simulations. The fundamental distinction between Catholic Baroque and Protestant Baroque is that the Protestant Baroque artists portray subjects in manners that depict the artist's personal emotion (Strickland, & Boswell. 2007).

However, the Catholic Baroque artists convey visually captivating and entertaining imagery to trigger emotions from the audience.