[liv the fish]

The time periods are usually the main thing to look for. But if you don't know the time, then you can look for clues.

Baroque has lots of pointless decoration, that looks pretty (sometimes) and is done usually in complex patterns. Look at French homes from that period, and the gold and weaving and such especially around doorways. The Chateau de Versailles is probably one of the most famous Baroque homes. Also, look at the clothing ppl wear in Baroque paintings. Very fancy looking There's also the way painters did their composition. And sometimes the label is given to other things in that given art period, politics, music etc. There's a lot more to it than this, but this will give you basics.

Renaissance on the other hand was more concerned with the correctness of the figures and compositions. Renaissance subjects are often Religous or Greek mythology and real people with real expressions.

I think if you pick out a Baroque painting and put it next to a Renaissance painting, you'll see the difference.
Do a search on the web. You should be able to find tons of info on this. Way more than could list

later,
Brian H.

[ July 16, 2002: Message edited by: liv the fish ]

[Vhy]

Go to artchive.com or artrenewal.com. Both those sites sort artists by movement.

[J. Tsang]

hey thks guys
that's some great info

[jr]

actually they dont' look that similar.
in baroque art, the viewer is invited into the picture because he is part of the picture, the action is projected outwards, composition wise.
in renaissance art (there are three sections but i'll clump them up into one), it was about simplicity and perfection, if you compare the two types of architecture you can see how it goes from simple to decrative.

i got that from sister wendy.

[NeoFun]

Baroque is more involved with movement and emotion than ren art. Also, the subject matter turned darker as did the actual lighting. Mike's David is the model of classic Greek form, while Bernini's David is more interested in telling the actual story. hope this helped.

[J. Tsang]

i dont know if it's apropriate to ask this question here. but this question has been bordering me for long time.
i want to know the difference between Renaissance and Baroque paintings in terms of image composition.
They look similar, but i know there is a difference. Some guy once told me that it's something about horizontal and diagonal movements, and i had no idea what he was talking about.
so if anyone knows the answer or has some other common on this topic, pls post it up.
thks

[edraket]

quote

Quote:

the subject matter turned darker as did the actual lighting

That depends on where it's from. Northern baroque is quite different from southern baroque. Northern is pretty sober and usually quite dark.
Southern has all the golden decorations that make your head ache.

[NeoFun]

edraket -- Eh, too true. I hated all that ornate crap. I'm Christian, but Heaven is described as having gates made out of pearl and streets paved with gold. It sounds so tastless and ugly (and baroque), it makes me wonder what Hell looks like.

[egerie]

Neofun : that may be a good idea to sketch ?

[Steelwind]

Neo: are you saying you honestly can't see the emotion in Michaelangelo's David? It's just not as out there for all to see; it's more restrained, more subtle, and more realistic in my opinion. Baroque just took the emotion and ran away with it, IMHO. Kind of like some modern artists, who do composition for the sake of composition and nothing more; like Mondrian, for example.

Of course, that's not to say I can't admire Mondrian's ability and technique, but I like art that speaks to me on an emotional level but doesn't go at it like an overexcited puppy (my take on Renaissance vs Baroque).

Steelwind

[jr]

ah, bernini's david is way more realistic. michaelanglo's david was created to view from below. so he made the hands huge, and the head huge. if you've ever seen it from straight on you'll notice. you're just wrong. about that.