The Baroque Art Accessibility Consortium

Category: Location

  • Portrait of the Jester Calabazas

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    Brian
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    “Portrait of the Jester Calabazas” (c.1631) Diego Velázquez. Velazquez breaks from normal court traditions and paints the court jester in full, formal court portraiture. He does not try to hide that jester has disabilities; rather, he plainly displays them. This dignified approach humanizes Calabazas and sets Velazquez apart from his peers. 

  • Diana and Her Nymphs Departing for the Hunt

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    Brian
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    “Diana and Her Nymphs Departing for the Hunt” (c.1615) Peter Paul Rubens. This painting captures Baroque drama through vivid color and expressive movement. Diana stands poised with divine symbols, surrounded by animated nymphs and mythic figures. The scene blends elegance and wildness, evoking anticipation and the harmony between humanity and nature. Can you spot Rubens’…

  • Rest on the Flight from Egypt

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    Brian
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    Rest on the Flight from Egypt (c.1640) Claude Lorrain. Lorrain is known as one of the first purely landscape painters of Baroque era. Lorrain wasn’t interested in painting things exactly as they exist in front of him, he preferred to improve upon what was naturally possible to create an idyllic scene. Like many Baroque artists,…

  • The Assumption

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    Brian
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    Today the (Western) Catholic church celebrates the Assumption of Mary. Tucked inside Rome’s Santa Maria del Popolo is the Cerasi Chapel, renowned for its two striking Caravaggio masterpieces. Yet above the altar, quietly commanding attention, hangs a third treasure: Assumption of the Virgin Mary (1600), a luminous work by Annibale Carracci that completes the chapel’s…

  • The Kiss of Peace and Justice

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    Brian
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    “The Kiss of Peace and Justice” (1654) By Laurent de La Hyre shows a landscape scene with two figures in the foreground. Justice has the flaming torch to burn the armor and sword; while Peace is in blue, facing away from us. The concrete behind them is engraved with the Latin phrase “Iusticia et Pax…

  • Cleveland Museum of Art

    Cleveland Museum of Art

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    Brian
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    Overview The Cleveland Museum of Art houses a distinguished selection of European Baroque art, particularly from Italy, Spain, and France. Italian Baroque art at the museum includes powerful religious compositions and dynamic portraits that reflect the influence of Caravaggio. Spanish Baroque works are marked by their realism and spiritual gravity, with highlights including paintings by…

  • Samson

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    Brian
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    Samson by Valentin de Boulogne presents a contemplative vision of the biblical strongman. Samson gazes beyond the viewer, as if reflecting on the chain of violent and tragic events that have just unfolded. He may have only recently wielded the jawbone of a donkey to kill 1,000 Philistines—a moment of brutal triumph that was also…

  • The Vision of St. Jerome

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    Brian
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    The Vision of St. Jerome (1660) Giovanni Battista Langetti. Langetti is a lesser-known Baroque artist, he worked in Venice and his use of light to help create drama shows Caravaggio’s influence and the intense colors show the influence from Tintoretto. This painting really stood out for me compared to most all other Baroque paintings of…

  • Galleria Borghese

    Galleria Borghese

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    Brian
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    Overview The Galleria Borghese, is a vital destination for Baroque art appreciation. It boasts an extensive collection of Baroque masterpieces, particularly sculptures by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and paintings by Caravaggio. Bernini’s works, including “Apollo and Daphne” and “The Abduction of Proserpina,” epitomize the intense emotionality and dynamic movement of Baroque sculpture. Meanwhile, Caravaggio’s paintings, such…

  • Danaë and the Shower of Gold

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    Brian
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    Danaë and the Shower of Gold (c1623) by Orazio Gentileschi. The subject draws from a tale in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, where King Acrisius of Argos locks away his stunning daughter, Danaë, in a desperate attempt to thwart a prophecy foretelling that her future son would be his undoing. Defying mortal barriers, Jupiter descends in a shimmering…