Storiadellarte.com: italian art history

The XVII century was the century of the Counter-Reformation and all over Europe many wars were fought in the name of religion and the previous power status changed. The effects of these wars were felt in art, which abandoned Mannerism at the end of the XVI century. The word ‘baroque’ was applied to XVII century art from the beginning of the XVIII century. It had a negative meaning because it referred to exaggerated and bizarre art. Only in modern times has this negative meaning been removed.
The art of this period, born as an answer to Protestantism, became extremely important for the spreading, throughout the general population, of counter reformation ideas and it was used to bring the general population back to Catholicism. Baroque art was supposed to touch the soul directly and also to touch the feelings of people; to do this it had to become grandiose and monumental. Baroque taste is not restricted to Catholic countries and baroque traits can be found in Protestant countries as well. Typical features of baroque style are the search for movement and energy, accentuating the dramatic effect of works through strong contrasts of light and dark, both in works of sculpture and in paintings. The search for movement is visible in architecture as well, in the many curves and decorative elements.