Marked by the Renaissance and Baroque, this era revived classical ideals while celebrating humanism, proportion, realism, and dramatic expression.

Baroque

c. 1600–1750

Baroque art is dramatic, emotional, and dynamic. Artists used movement, strong contrasts of light, and theatrical composition. The style supported religious devotion and royal authority. It aimed to engage viewers emotionally and visually.

Karlskirche

Johann Fischer von Erlach

1716–1737

A Baroque church in Vienna with a grand dome and twin columns, built in honor of St Charles Borromeo.

Castle Howard

John Vanbrugh (with Nicholas Hawksmoor)

1699–1712 (later additions to 1800s)

A grand English country house built in the Baroque style, blending dramatic architecture with vast landscaped grounds.

St Peter's Piazza

Gian Lorenzo Bernini

1656–1667

The vast, oval-shaped square in front of St Peter’s Basilica, designed to welcome pilgrims with sweeping colonnades.

Immaculate Conception of Venerable Ones

Bartolome Esteban Murillo

1678

A devotional painting of the Virgin Mary, glowing in divine light, symbolizing purity and grace.

Las Meninas

Diego Velazquez

1656

A complex court painting that plays with perspective, showing the Spanish royal family and the artist himself.

The Ecstasy of St Theresa

Gianlorenzo Bernini

1647–1652

A theatrical sculpture of St Theresa in a vision, pierced by an angel’s arrow of divine love.

Church of St Charles at the Four Fountains (San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane)

Francesco Borromini

1638–1641 (façade completed 1665–1667)

A small but innovative Baroque church in Rome, famous for its undulating walls and oval dome.

The Martyrdom of St Philip

Jose De Ribera

1639

A stark Baroque painting showing the apostle Philip at the moment of his crucifixion, emphasizing suffering and faith.

Judith Beheading Holofernes

Artemisia Gentileschi

c. 1612–1613

A powerful Baroque painting showing Judith heroically slaying the Assyrian general, filled with dramatic realism.

The Raising of the Cross

Sir Peter Paul Rubens

1610–1611

A dynamic triptych with muscular figures lifting Christ on the cross, full of movement and drama.

The Conversion of St Paul

Caravaggio

1601

A dramatic painting showing Paul struck by divine light on the road to Damascus, a hallmark of Caravaggio’s realism.

Adoration of the Shepherds

Annibale Carracci

1600

A Baroque painting showing humble shepherds gathered around the newborn Christ in a naturalistic setting.