Baroque Appreciation Era

This week we are looking at the Baroque Era. The term Baroque originally derived from the Portuguese word “Barroco”, which means imperfect pearl. It means large, irregular-shaped imperfect pearl. Many believe that this label was not intended to be a compliment. The Baroque art style dominated Europe and was led primarily by the Pope, Catholic rulers, and eventually worked its way through France and northern Italy. This style of art is very dramatic, there is dynamism, movement, tension, and richness in the paintings. 

I chose an oil painting by the French artist Nicolas Poussin. I personally am in awe of this oil painting, it tells a story and is a powerful one. We can see different emotions being broadcasted throughout the painting. In the painting, we see the characters angry, horrified, they are filled with sadness and anxiety. Everyone is giving off a different emotion from the surroundings and what is happening around them. 

The Abduction of the Sabine Women by Nicolas Poussin

The backstory on The Abduction of the Sabine Women is that according to Roman mythology the neighboring Sabines were invited to a festival and they had the intentions of taking the young women and forcing them to be their wives. The Roman leader Romulus then raised his cloak and his warriors and they began taking the women. This backstory makes me disgusted with men. I know that during that era the roles for women were to be the warrior man’s wife and care for him. Seizing the women and forcing them to be their wives is a disgusting humanly thing to do, no wonder the emotions depicted in this painting are anger and fear. The women were being taken by force and had to do something they most likely didn't feel comfortable doing. I believe one way we can relate this painting to today is through the way many men still view women. During the Baroque era and even today, many men still view women as their objects and want them to be their wives to do things for them. It is sad that the Sabine women were forced to become the warrior’s wives and it’s sad that in today’s society men still view women the same as they did during the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries.  

The Abduction of the Sabine Women is a powerful and influential painting to many. The dimensions of this painting are enormous, they are 60 7/8 x 82 ⅝ in. This is an oil painting on canvas, oil paintings were very popular during the Baroque era as well as the Renaissance era because they created intense color, and the oil base also dried fairly slowly which allowed artists to create the finest realistic natural details possible. It is currently residing at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. The French artist Nicolas Poussin created this painting sometime between 1634 and 1640. Nicolas Poussin used many details and techniques when he created this painting. The shading used in the painting makes it look like the time of day is in the evening or late afternoon. He created faces on the characters and added the tiniest details to everyone. 

I personally would not own a piece of this art. It’s not that I don’t think it's an amazing piece of work. I just think someone who might enjoy it more than me would deserve a copy more than I do. I wouldn't own a copy because every time I would walk past it I would feel anger all inside my body. The way the women were viewed as objects fills me with hate and anger and I personally wouldn't choose to surround myself with that feeling. I enjoy surrounding myself with paintings and pieces of art that make me feel elated and tranquil. 

The influence of royalty helped the Baroque era grow. Baroque art style had become popular in the royal courts as it moved throughout Europe. This type of art was used to show wealth, it was used to impress visitors. Anyone that owned a piece of Baroque artwork had shown they were wealthy, that they had power and control. Due to the royal demand for it, baroque art became popular and it served as a symbol of wealth and power. Royals would build their palaces around entrances, grand staircases, and enormous halls to hang their artwork. 

hsparhawk, Author. “Baroque Era: The Influence of Royalty.” Mermaid Tails, 29 Sept. 2016, https://sparhawkbysea.wordpress.com/2016/09/29/baroque-era-the-influence-of-royalty/.

Metmuseum.org, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437329.

“Baroque Art and Architecture.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/art/Baroque-art-and-architecture. 

Poussin, Nicolas. “The Abduction of the Sabine Women - Nicolas Poussin.” Google Arts & Culture, Google Arts & Culture, https://g.co/arts/amhbkm3xFkpLzWsYA.b