The word “Baroque” originates from Portuguese and the period between the late 1500s, and early 1700s is referred to as the Baroque period. The Northern Europe countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Britain became Protestant, and the Southern countries such as Spain and Italy remained Catholic. The divisions also led to different styles of art. Protestant churches opted for plainer art displaying personal Christianity while the Catholic art remained mysterious and dramatic (Georgina 2014). The diversity in the baroque art can ebb attributed to several factors and different artists from different nations showed significant differences in their style of work. Baroque art in Northern Europe was based on the daily routine life but followed the policy of keeping away from religious subjects. However, Baroque art in Italy was different and artists followed the long-standing practice of using biblical stories. There are several remarkable works of Baroque art that leave a great impression and artistic expression because of their emotional content and a sensuous richness to them. One notable example can be taken from “The Hippopotamus Hunt” by Peter Paul Rubens is an oil on canvas and was done in 1615–16 (The Hippopotamus and Crocodile Hunt 2011). The painting is colossal not just because of its size but the details painted. The huge painting shows hippopotamus and crocodile hunting with dogs. One can see a leopard on the horse of the left rider. Rubens makes use of intense colors and dramatic diagonals to intensify the sense of immediacy and movement, drawing attention towards all the action happening in the center of the canvas. The artwork shows the struggle between man and the animals. There are contrasts of dark and light and soft and barbaric in the painting. The use of vivid colors and emotional scene with lots of drama makes it an excellent example of the Baroque style. It is interesting to see how the artist captures emotion and movement.
Works Cited
Georgina, Stephanie."Comparing And Contrasting Baroque Art From Northern And Southern Europe." stephaniesartblog. 2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
"The Hippopotamus and Crocodile Hunt, 1615 by Rubens." peterpaulrubens. 2011. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
