Across Oceans, throughout wars and promoted through religious division, Baroque was the first global art movement set during the 17th and 18th centuries. Through a combination of High Renaissance and Greco Roman philosophy, mixed with innovation and a growing middle class led to the dramatic and detailed paintings, sculptures, and architectural wonders made by artist such as Bernini, Rubens and Velasquez.
From the elliptical churches of the Piazza del Popolo in Rome, or the humanistic faces of Carracci’s Crucifixion with Saints, this art movement named after the Portuguese word for “oblong pearl” sets an example of how beauty can be found in the imperfect. Baroque rejects the divine’s proportionate pose (Michelangelo’s David) for twisted bodies and mid-action facial expressions; it reduces a full spectrum of color for a muted and gloomy palate, all to provide a greater impact on the viewer and to teach them an allegorical lesson. This is the story of the Baroque, and how its influence was shaped through art, sculpture, and architecture.
The great schisim between Roman Catholicism and the new division of Protestantism was the driving force behind the beginning for a new perspective on art. Once the final nail was set in the doors of the Schlosskirche by Martin Luther on October 30, 1517, the rebellion to iconoclasm and religious art was solidified.
By the middle of the 14th Century, mobs of protestants took to their mallets and torches and stormed the catholic churches, smashing and burning religious icons held inside. Much of Medieval European art was lost during this time to the eruption of protest and rebellion snuffled behind centuries of extortion and abuse of scripture.
Dirck van Delen captures the fiery emotion of the protestants in Iconoclasts in a Church (1630). The painting displays the past, present, and future of the protestant’s reaction to the heretical worship of icons and saints. The right two thirds of the foreground capture the fanatic elimination of a saintly icon, a couple of men sitting nearby watch with amusement and approval; on the far right, their path of destruction can be followed with an icon already severed in two at the waist. In the background, a mob rushes towards a relief on the right, their intent clearly implied. One of the figures is looking back, as if to encourage a friend to assist in the chaos.
Both denominations react accordingly. Catholic churches increase their creative budget, seeking artists such as Bernini and Borromini who are willing to experiment with bold techniques that display the churche’s influence across Europe. Protestants on the other hand focused on pastoral scenes as a primary subject matter, and portraits capturing life across the economical spectrum, from poor village dwellers, to wealthy merchants.
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio’s The Inspiration of Saint Matthew effortlessly relinquishes classical baroque styles to the naïve art viewer. Matthew is bent over in a near golden ratio curve, unlike the proportional and innocent Renaissance forms for holy saints and martyrs. Caravaggio’s Matthew drawn as an old face covered in thick grey facial hair was a heinous insult for such a revered scriptural figure. His naturalistic impression told a new perspective on the traditional tales of the Bible, bringing the saints down to the level of the people. This allows the viewer to make a connection with spiritual paintings, and better understand the difference between soul and flesh.
The angel is seen giving Matthew instructions, but no supernatural hand is in control of the pen. This demonstrates the balance behind divine inspiration and human depravity. Darker tones, muted color schemes and blended hues soften the edges, and blur out the unnecessary background detail. These techniques readjust the focal point beyond the saint and centers on the emotion and intensity behind Matthew’s actions.
One of my favorite changes in religious art during this period is the minification of the nimbus; what once was often displayed as a stunning and bold circle of golden rays. Here, it is reduced to a simplistic, two-hair brush stroke set on an elliptical orbit; three dimensions in painting took on a more prominent stage during the Baroque, even going so far as to combine sculpture and painting into one grandiose exhibition.
Dynamic poses, graceful curves, and elaborate detail were keys features of Baroque sculpture. Under the shadows of the great Renassiance artists before them, artists sought to offer a new perspective on existing subjects. With the reintroduction of Greco-Roman philosophy and moral teaching in society, a plethora of material was now available for reinterpretation.
No one takes the center stage on Baroque sculpture than Gianlorenzo Bernini. While I try to avoid repeating the same information you can find anywhere else on the internet, there would be no discussion of baroque sculpture without mentioning some of the greatest works during this period. I will attempt to imitate our fellow Baroque artists by conveying a unique perspective on one of the greatest names in art history.
Surrounded by one of the largest collections of Greco-Roman sculptures, Bernini studied at the house of Scipione Borghese, an Italian cardinal who employed Bernini for some of his greatest works, including Piazza St. Peter, and Apollo and Daphne (1625). While the cardinal’s name may be unfamiliar to you, Bernini’s portrait bust of him may not, and it is a perfect introduction to key features of Baroque sculpture.
Walking around the bust from side to side, you can see his distracted gaze does not give a good flair to the cardinal, but instead can be seen as a man whose mind is bent on more important matters. This “carless posture” is a Baroque invention, where artists sought to capture action in the moment, perhaps with an open mouth in mid-sentence (give example), or an arm stretched out for balance (give example). You can almost see Scipione breathe as Bernini sets his mouth slightly open.
Another Baroque feature can be seen in his proportions. Bernini made no attempt to hide the cardinal’s weight, even going so far as to carve the buttons of his clothes straining to stay put. This apparent carelessness Bernini appears to approach his subject with does not demonstrate a lack of skill, or respect. Instead, it reflects the love of curves, ovals, and flowing lines that are more abstract and visible in Baroque Architecture.
The rise of a wealthy middle class merchants due to growing trade between Europe and Asia led to elaborate estates and competition for royal palaces to maintain their havens of beauty and wealth. A prominent figure and financial backer of the grandest projects was King Louis XIV of France, best known for his Palace of Versailles, and most notably, the Hall of Mirrors. The rivalry between powers of the Catholic Vatican and aristocratic French led to an escalation and expansion of Baroque architecture across all of Europe.
In the Hall of Mirrors, gilded reliefs and columns topped with fleur-de-lis flow across the walls and ceiling, obscuring their proportions while expanding the illusion of width and height. Jules Hardouin-Mansart, who designed the room, inspired an offshoot of traditional Baroque later called “French style,” which is distinguished by its simplicity and symmetry. Here, you can see the repeated pattern in the motifs and panels, as they follow the 17 vaulted arches down the rectangular corridor. Compared to the Baroque origins in Rome, there are no flaunting curves, inverted elliptical walls, or exotic motifs: French Baroque became the foundation on which Neo-Classicism grew to dominance.
Compare this to Carlo Rainaldi’s twin churches in Rome: Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto. Built in the Baroque “node and network” construction plan for Rome, both churches sit outside the Piazza del Popolo and act as a Roman “node” of interest, connected by long, straight roads to other significant locations such as the Vatican and Colosseum.
While symmetry was an important aspect of Baroque style, its reality lies on an asymmetrical framework with a final symmetrical form due to the artist’s innovation and planning. Because of the existing roads and structures, Rainaldi was unable to attain duplicate dimensions for both churches. To accomplish his task, he elongated the dome of Santa Maria in Montesanto without increasing its diameter, maintaining its proportion and visual perspective with dei Miraoli. For the façade, columns and porticoes wrap around two sides of the churches, eliminating sharp corners, merging two faces of the church, and assisting the illusion of equilibrium in the twin’s symmetry.
Where the Palace of Versailles is a monolith in baroque palace design, the equal comparison in religious architecture would be St. Peters Basilica and Piazza Saint Pietro. The oval–a Baroque reinterpretation of the Christian cross–can be seen outlined inside the encircling symmetrical colonnades which originate at the Basilica. The meaning behind this layout reflects the welcoming embrace of St. Mary for Catholics and pagans alike.
Visible from far distances and off-pattern with St. Peters is an Egyptian obelisk centered in the piazza. Alongside other obelisks positioned across Rome, its purpose served as a visible pin on the globe to direct visitors across the city between key structures and monuments. Long and wide roadways visibly connected these “nodes” (as termed by Pope ___ in 16__) to set a molecular base to future city planning and expansion. This Baroque system would be employed in multiple European cities such as Paris, Turin, and Buckeburg. This city planning was based on the baroque idea of unification across all art mediums in one cohesive whole.
In all my research on Baroque painting, sculpture and architecture, no key factor of Baroque style stands out to me more than the idea of presentation. Balthasar Neumann wanted to invoke overwhelming awe as his creations slowly presented themselves through the use of light and perspective. The staircase hall at the Wurxburg Residenz was designed with a narrow field of view as the viewer slowly walked through a small archway and the grandeur of the staircase slowly revealed itself in a spectacle of increased design and detail the higher the eye looked. For a Baroque artist, presentation translates to an emotive response; spiritual worship, honor for royalty, or a nation’s display of power.
Across Oceans, throughout wars and promoted through religious division, Baroque was the first global art movement set during the 17th and 18th centuries. Through a combination of High Renaissance and Greco Roman philosophy, mixed with innovation and a growing middle class led to the dramatic and detailed paintings, sculptures, and architectural wonders made by artist such as Bernini, Rubens and Velasquez.
From the elliptical churches of the Piazza del Popolo in Rome, or the humanistic faces of Carracci’s Crucifixion with Saints, this art movement named after the Portuguese word for “oblong pearl” sets an example of how beauty can be found in the imperfect. Baroque rejects the divine’s proportionate pose (Michelangelo’s David) for twisted bodies and mid-action facial expressions; it reduces a full spectrum of color for a muted and gloomy palate, all to provide a greater impact on the viewer and to teach them an allegorical lesson. This is the story of the Baroque, and how its influence was shaped through art, sculpture, and architecture.
The great schisim between Roman Catholicism and the new division of Protestantism was the driving force behind the beginning for a new perspective on art. Once the final nail was set in the doors of the Schlosskirche by Martin Luther on October 30, 1517, the rebellion to iconoclasm and religious art was solidified.
By the middle of the 14th Century, mobs of protestants took to their mallets and torches and stormed the catholic churches, smashing and burning religious icons held inside. Much of Medieval European art was lost during this time to the eruption of protest and rebellion snuffled behind centuries of extortion and abuse of scripture.
Dirck van Delen captures the fiery emotion of the protestants in Iconoclasts in a Church (1630). The painting displays the past, present, and future of the protestant’s reaction to the heretical worship of icons and saints. The right two thirds of the foreground capture the fanatic elimination of a saintly icon, a couple of men sitting nearby watch with amusement and approval; on the far right, their path of destruction can be followed with an icon already severed in two at the waist. In the background, a mob rushes towards a relief on the right, their intent clearly implied. One of the figures is looking back, as if to encourage a friend to assist in the chaos.
Both denominations react accordingly. Catholic churches increase their creative budget, seeking artists such as Bernini and Borromini who are willing to experiment with bold techniques that display the churche’s influence across Europe. Protestants on the other hand focused on pastoral scenes as a primary subject matter, and portraits capturing life across the economical spectrum, from poor village dwellers, to wealthy merchants.
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio’s The Inspiration of Saint Matthew effortlessly relinquishes classical baroque styles to the naïve art viewer. Matthew is bent over in a near golden ratio curve, unlike the proportional and innocent Renaissance forms for holy saints and martyrs. Caravaggio’s Matthew drawn as an old face covered in thick grey facial hair was a heinous insult for such a revered scriptural figure. His naturalistic impression told a new perspective on the traditional tales of the Bible, bringing the saints down to the level of the people. This allows the viewer to make a connection with spiritual paintings, and better understand the difference between soul and flesh.
The angel is seen giving Matthew instructions, but no supernatural hand is in control of the pen. This demonstrates the balance behind divine inspiration and human depravity. Darker tones, muted color schemes and blended hues soften the edges, and blur out the unnecessary background detail. These techniques readjust the focal point beyond the saint and centers on the emotion and intensity behind Matthew’s actions.
One of my favorite changes in religious art during this period is the minification of the nimbus; what once was often displayed as a stunning and bold circle of golden rays. Here, it is reduced to a simplistic, two-hair brush stroke set on an elliptical orbit; three dimensions in painting took on a more prominent stage during the Baroque, even going so far as to combine sculpture and painting into one grandiose exhibition.
Dynamic poses, graceful curves, and elaborate detail were keys features of Baroque sculpture. Under the shadows of the great Renassiance artists before them, artists sought to offer a new perspective on existing subjects. With the reintroduction of Greco-Roman philosophy and moral teaching in society, a plethora of material was now available for reinterpretation.
No one takes the center stage on Baroque sculpture than Gianlorenzo Bernini. While I try to avoid repeating the same information you can find anywhere else on the internet, there would be no discussion of baroque sculpture without mentioning some of the greatest works during this period. I will attempt to imitate our fellow Baroque artists by conveying a unique perspective on one of the greatest names in art history.
Surrounded by one of the largest collections of Greco-Roman sculptures, Bernini studied at the house of Scipione Borghese, an Italian cardinal who employed Bernini for some of his greatest works, including Piazza St. Peter, and Apollo and Daphne (1625). While the cardinal’s name may be unfamiliar to you, Bernini’s portrait bust of him may not, and it is a perfect introduction to key features of Baroque sculpture.
Walking around the bust from side to side, you can see his distracted gaze does not give a good flair to the cardinal, but instead can be seen as a man whose mind is bent on more important matters. This “carless posture” is a Baroque invention, where artists sought to capture action in the moment, perhaps with an open mouth in mid-sentence (give example), or an arm stretched out for balance (give example). You can almost see Scipione breathe as Bernini sets his mouth slightly open.
Another Baroque feature can be seen in his proportions. Bernini made no attempt to hide the cardinal’s weight, even going so far as to carve the buttons of his clothes straining to stay put. This apparent carelessness Bernini appears to approach his subject with does not demonstrate a lack of skill, or respect. Instead, it reflects the love of curves, ovals, and flowing lines that are more abstract and visible in Baroque Architecture.
The rise of a wealthy middle class merchants due to growing trade between Europe and Asia led to elaborate estates and competition for royal palaces to maintain their havens of beauty and wealth. A prominent figure and financial backer of the grandest projects was King Louis XIV of France, best known for his Palace of Versailles, and most notably, the Hall of Mirrors. The rivalry between powers of the Catholic Vatican and aristocratic French led to an escalation and expansion of Baroque architecture across all of Europe.
In the Hall of Mirrors, gilded reliefs and columns topped with fleur-de-lis flow across the walls and ceiling, obscuring their proportions while expanding the illusion of width and height. Jules Hardouin-Mansart, who designed the room, inspired an offshoot of traditional Baroque later called “French style,” which is distinguished by its simplicity and symmetry. Here, you can see the repeated pattern in the motifs and panels, as they follow the 17 vaulted arches down the rectangular corridor. Compared to the Baroque origins in Rome, there are no flaunting curves, inverted elliptical walls, or exotic motifs: French Baroque became the foundation on which Neo-Classicism grew to dominance.
Compare this to Carlo Rainaldi’s twin churches in Rome: Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto. Built in the Baroque “node and network” construction plan for Rome, both churches sit outside the Piazza del Popolo and act as a Roman “node” of interest, connected by long, straight roads to other significant locations such as the Vatican and Colosseum.
While symmetry was an important aspect of Baroque style, its reality lies on an asymmetrical framework with a final symmetrical form due to the artist’s innovation and planning. Because of the existing roads and structures, Rainaldi was unable to attain duplicate dimensions for both churches. To accomplish his task, he elongated the dome of Santa Maria in Montesanto without increasing its diameter, maintaining its proportion and visual perspective with dei Miraoli. For the façade, columns and porticoes wrap around two sides of the churches, eliminating sharp corners, merging two faces of the church, and assisting the illusion of equilibrium in the twin’s symmetry.
Where the Palace of Versailles is a monolith in baroque palace design, the equal comparison in religious architecture would be St. Peters Basilica and Piazza Saint Pietro. The oval–a Baroque reinterpretation of the Christian cross–can be seen outlined inside the encircling symmetrical colonnades which originate at the Basilica. The meaning behind this layout reflects the welcoming embrace of St. Mary for Catholics and pagans alike.
Visible from far distances and off-pattern with St. Peters is an Egyptian obelisk centered in the piazza. Alongside other obelisks positioned across Rome, its purpose served as a visible pin on the globe to direct visitors across the city between key structures and monuments. Long and wide roadways visibly connected these “nodes” (as termed by Pope ___ in 16__) to set a molecular base to future city planning and expansion. This Baroque system would be employed in multiple European cities such as Paris, Turin, and Buckeburg. This city planning was based on the baroque idea of unification across all art mediums in one cohesive whole.
In all my research on Baroque painting, sculpture and architecture, no key factor of Baroque style stands out to me more than the idea of presentation. Balthasar Neumann wanted to invoke overwhelming awe as his creations slowly presented themselves through the use of light and perspective. The staircase hall at the Wurxburg Residenz was designed with a narrow field of view as the viewer slowly walked through a small archway and the grandeur of the staircase slowly revealed itself in a spectacle of increased design and detail the higher the eye looked. For a Baroque artist, presentation translates to an emotive response; spiritual worship, honor for royalty, or a nation’s display of power.
Across Oceans, throughout wars and promoted through religious division, Baroque was the first global art movement set during the 17th and 18th centuries. Through a combination of High Renaissance and Greco Roman philosophy, mixed with innovation and a growing middle class led to the dramatic and detailed paintings, sculptures, and architectural wonders made by artist such as Bernini, Rubens and Velasquez.
From the elliptical churches of the Piazza del Popolo in Rome, or the humanistic faces of Carracci’s Crucifixion with Saints, this art movement named after the Portuguese word for “oblong pearl” sets an example of how beauty can be found in the imperfect. Baroque rejects the divine’s proportionate pose (Michelangelo’s David) for twisted bodies and mid-action facial expressions; it reduces a full spectrum of color for a muted and gloomy palate, all to provide a greater impact on the viewer and to teach them an allegorical lesson. This is the story of the Baroque, and how its influence was shaped through art, sculpture, and architecture.
The great schisim between Roman Catholicism and the new division of Protestantism was the driving force behind the beginning for a new perspective on art. Once the final nail was set in the doors of the Schlosskirche by Martin Luther on October 30, 1517, the rebellion to iconoclasm and religious art was solidified.
By the middle of the 14th Century, mobs of protestants took to their mallets and torches and stormed the catholic churches, smashing and burning religious icons held inside. Much of Medieval European art was lost during this time to the eruption of protest and rebellion snuffled behind centuries of extortion and abuse of scripture.
Dirck van Delen captures the fiery emotion of the protestants in Iconoclasts in a Church (1630). The painting displays the past, present, and future of the protestant’s reaction to the heretical worship of icons and saints. The right two thirds of the foreground capture the fanatic elimination of a saintly icon, a couple of men sitting nearby watch with amusement and approval; on the far right, their path of destruction can be followed with an icon already severed in two at the waist. In the background, a mob rushes towards a relief on the right, their intent clearly implied. One of the figures is looking back, as if to encourage a friend to assist in the chaos.
Both denominations react accordingly. Catholic churches increase their creative budget, seeking artists such as Bernini and Borromini who are willing to experiment with bold techniques that display the churche’s influence across Europe. Protestants on the other hand focused on pastoral scenes as a primary subject matter, and portraits capturing life across the economical spectrum, from poor village dwellers, to wealthy merchants.
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio’s The Inspiration of Saint Matthew effortlessly relinquishes classical baroque styles to the naïve art viewer. Matthew is bent over in a near golden ratio curve, unlike the proportional and innocent Renaissance forms for holy saints and martyrs. Caravaggio’s Matthew drawn as an old face covered in thick grey facial hair was a heinous insult for such a revered scriptural figure. His naturalistic impression told a new perspective on the traditional tales of the Bible, bringing the saints down to the level of the people. This allows the viewer to make a connection with spiritual paintings, and better understand the difference between soul and flesh.
The angel is seen giving Matthew instructions, but no supernatural hand is in control of the pen. This demonstrates the balance behind divine inspiration and human depravity. Darker tones, muted color schemes and blended hues soften the edges, and blur out the unnecessary background detail. These techniques readjust the focal point beyond the saint and centers on the emotion and intensity behind Matthew’s actions.
One of my favorite changes in religious art during this period is the minification of the nimbus; what once was often displayed as a stunning and bold circle of golden rays. Here, it is reduced to a simplistic, two-hair brush stroke set on an elliptical orbit; three dimensions in painting took on a more prominent stage during the Baroque, even going so far as to combine sculpture and painting into one grandiose exhibition.
Dynamic poses, graceful curves, and elaborate detail were keys features of Baroque sculpture. Under the shadows of the great Renassiance artists before them, artists sought to offer a new perspective on existing subjects. With the reintroduction of Greco-Roman philosophy and moral teaching in society, a plethora of material was now available for reinterpretation.
No one takes the center stage on Baroque sculpture than Gianlorenzo Bernini. While I try to avoid repeating the same information you can find anywhere else on the internet, there would be no discussion of baroque sculpture without mentioning some of the greatest works during this period. I will attempt to imitate our fellow Baroque artists by conveying a unique perspective on one of the greatest names in art history.
Surrounded by one of the largest collections of Greco-Roman sculptures, Bernini studied at the house of Scipione Borghese, an Italian cardinal who employed Bernini for some of his greatest works, including Piazza St. Peter, and Apollo and Daphne (1625). While the cardinal’s name may be unfamiliar to you, Bernini’s portrait bust of him may not, and it is a perfect introduction to key features of Baroque sculpture.
Walking around the bust from side to side, you can see his distracted gaze does not give a good flair to the cardinal, but instead can be seen as a man whose mind is bent on more important matters. This “carless posture” is a Baroque invention, where artists sought to capture action in the moment, perhaps with an open mouth in mid-sentence (give example), or an arm stretched out for balance (give example). You can almost see Scipione breathe as Bernini sets his mouth slightly open.
Another Baroque feature can be seen in his proportions. Bernini made no attempt to hide the cardinal’s weight, even going so far as to carve the buttons of his clothes straining to stay put. This apparent carelessness Bernini appears to approach his subject with does not demonstrate a lack of skill, or respect. Instead, it reflects the love of curves, ovals, and flowing lines that are more abstract and visible in Baroque Architecture.
The rise of a wealthy middle class merchants due to growing trade between Europe and Asia led to elaborate estates and competition for royal palaces to maintain their havens of beauty and wealth. A prominent figure and financial backer of the grandest projects was King Louis XIV of France, best known for his Palace of Versailles, and most notably, the Hall of Mirrors. The rivalry between powers of the Catholic Vatican and aristocratic French led to an escalation and expansion of Baroque architecture across all of Europe.
In the Hall of Mirrors, gilded reliefs and columns topped with fleur-de-lis flow across the walls and ceiling, obscuring their proportions while expanding the illusion of width and height. Jules Hardouin-Mansart, who designed the room, inspired an offshoot of traditional Baroque later called “French style,” which is distinguished by its simplicity and symmetry. Here, you can see the repeated pattern in the motifs and panels, as they follow the 17 vaulted arches down the rectangular corridor. Compared to the Baroque origins in Rome, there are no flaunting curves, inverted elliptical walls, or exotic motifs: French Baroque became the foundation on which Neo-Classicism grew to dominance.
Compare this to Carlo Rainaldi’s twin churches in Rome: Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto. Built in the Baroque “node and network” construction plan for Rome, both churches sit outside the Piazza del Popolo and act as a Roman “node” of interest, connected by long, straight roads to other significant locations such as the Vatican and Colosseum.
While symmetry was an important aspect of Baroque style, its reality lies on an asymmetrical framework with a final symmetrical form due to the artist’s innovation and planning. Because of the existing roads and structures, Rainaldi was unable to attain duplicate dimensions for both churches. To accomplish his task, he elongated the dome of Santa Maria in Montesanto without increasing its diameter, maintaining its proportion and visual perspective with dei Miraoli. For the façade, columns and porticoes wrap around two sides of the churches, eliminating sharp corners, merging two faces of the church, and assisting the illusion of equilibrium in the twin’s symmetry.
Where the Palace of Versailles is a monolith in baroque palace design, the equal comparison in religious architecture would be St. Peters Basilica and Piazza Saint Pietro. The oval–a Baroque reinterpretation of the Christian cross–can be seen outlined inside the encircling symmetrical colonnades which originate at the Basilica. The meaning behind this layout reflects the welcoming embrace of St. Mary for Catholics and pagans alike.
Visible from far distances and off-pattern with St. Peters is an Egyptian obelisk centered in the piazza. Alongside other obelisks positioned across Rome, its purpose served as a visible pin on the globe to direct visitors across the city between key structures and monuments. Long and wide roadways visibly connected these “nodes” (as termed by Pope ___ in 16__) to set a molecular base to future city planning and expansion. This Baroque system would be employed in multiple European cities such as Paris, Turin, and Buckeburg. This city planning was based on the baroque idea of unification across all art mediums in one cohesive whole.
In all my research on Baroque painting, sculpture and architecture, no key factor of Baroque style stands out to me more than the idea of presentation. Balthasar Neumann wanted to invoke overwhelming awe as his creations slowly presented themselves through the use of light and perspective. The staircase hall at the Wurxburg Residenz was designed with a narrow field of view as the viewer slowly walked through a small archway and the grandeur of the staircase slowly revealed itself in a spectacle of increased design and detail the higher the eye looked. For a Baroque artist, presentation translates to an emotive response; spiritual worship, honor for royalty, or a nation’s display of power.
Molon Labe
