The Italian Baroque’s Love of The Dramatic

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Recommended: Judith and her maidservant with the head of holofernes analysis

The Italian Baroque’s love of dramatic effects in artistic expression is one of the most recognizable features of the Italian Baroque. Architecture, music, painting, and sculpture all have very good examples that utilize dramatic effects very effectively. In the next few minutes, we will explore an example of each and highlight the various features that illustrate the dramatic effects that characterize the Italian Baroque. We will begin with Artemisia Gentileschi’s painting Judith and Maidservant with Head of Holofernes. We will then explore Francesco Borromini’s design for San Carlo alle Quattro. Then we will examine Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s sculpture David. Finally, we will discuss George Frederick Handel’s oratorio Messiah.

Artemisia Gentileschi was a member of the Florentine Academy of Design and a follower of Caravaggio, a prominent painter. One of her most important works is Judith and Maidservant with Head of Holofernes in which she depicts herself as Judith. In this painting, there are many good examples of dramatic effects. She uses the space, lighting, and other features to do more than just tell the story. She makes the viewer a part of the scene. The most dramatic effect is the illustration of the maidservant wrapping the head of Holofernes in a towel. In the painting, she also depicts herself holding his sword, implying that he died by his own sword. The story the painting illustrates is very dramatic in and of itself. The story tells of a beautiful young woman who infiltrates the enemy camp to kill their leader. She depicts Judith blocking the candle light from her eyes so she can see into the night outside the frame of the painting. By showing Judith and the maidservant looking out into the open, the...

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... and features highlighted have shown the many of the main characteristics of Italian Baroque arts. Specifically, they have shown the movement, dramatics, contrasts, and other dynamics. Hopefully, you have enjoyed our learning adventure.

Works Cited

Commons, Creative. San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane - Wikimedia Commons. 07 06 2010. 07 02 2011 .

Sayre, Henry M. The Humanities Culture, Continuity, and Change. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education Inc., 2008.

Sullivan, Mary Ann. Images of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane (facade) by Borromini, 1665-76, Rome. Digital Imaging Project. 2005. 02 02 2011 .

—. Images of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane by Borromini. 2006. 02 02 2011 .

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