Genre Analysis: The Baroque and Rococo Periods

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The following is a comparative analysis of Caravaggio’s The Musicians from the Italian Baroque period, and Watteau’s Mezzetin from the Rococo Period. Although both paintings depict a scene or event from everyday life, or a genre scene, the latter was painted more recently during the modern era and it differs immensely. The major differences become evident in the style of the painters as well as their personal representations of the subject matter. The works illustrate the evolvement of a certain genre in Western painting from Renaissance through the modern era. This transformation exemplifies how a similar subject matter can be represented in an entirely new and innovative way.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio painted the genre scene painting entitled The Musicians during the Italian Baroque period in 1595. The painting depicts four boys in Classical costume. The figures are clearly delineated, and the contours are particularly reminiscent of Renaissance tradition. The fourth boy on the left is Cupid, reaching toward a bunch of grapes. Cupid is often depicted in scenes of music, and also represents love. The grapes symbolize wine, representing enjoyment in the presence of music. However, they can also be seen as representing Bacchus, the God of wine and debauchery. In this light the scene can be seen as erotic. The figures are half-draped, representative of sensuality and the passion of music. The scene is clearly of secular nature establishing a very realistic scene that could occur during daily life. Scenes depicting musicians were popular at the time, since the Church supported the revival of music, new styles and forms. However, this scene is particularly different from its predecessors. Instead of painting females with Cup...

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Works Cited

"Mezzetin | Antoine Watteau | Collection Database | Works of Art | The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: metmuseum.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. .

"The Musicians | Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) | Collection Database | Works of Art | The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: metmuseum.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. .

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