The arts present an unusual diversity in the Baroque period, chiefly because currents of naturalism and classicism coexisted and intermingled with the typical Baroque style.
The debut of Russian Baroque, or Petrine Baroque, followed a long visit of Peter the Great to western Europe in 1697–1698, where he visited the Châteaux of Fontainebleau and Versailles as well as other architectural monuments.
Though Baroque was superseded in many centers by the Rococo style, beginning in France in the late 1720s, especially for interiors, paintings and the decorative arts, Baroque architecture remained a viable style until the advent of Neoclassicism in the later eighteenth century.
Perhaps it is justifiable, then, to consider the Baroque as a category of aesthetic sensibility and thus recognize its global dimension. This number of The UNESCO Courier does not claim to paint a complete picture of the immense world of the Baroque.
Baroque disseminated throughout Europe, primarily led by the Pope in Rome and Catholic rulers in Italy, France, Spain, and Flanders. It was further disseminated by powerful religious orders through their extensive network of monasteries and convents.
Did you know? Baroque came to English from the French word barroque, meaning "irregularly shaped." At first, the word in French was used mostly to refer to pearls. Eventually, it came to describe an extravagant style of art characterized by curving lines, gilt, and gold.
While the Baroque period and the Rococo period originated in Europe, the Baroque period was largely inspired by the Roman Catholic church, which promoted religious themes in literature and the arts as a counter to the rise of Protestantism.