France and England looked to southern Europe for inspiration, but made the Baroque their own.
1600 - 1700
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Different Places: Japanese porcelain with English gilt-bronze mounts
A pair of lidded bowls in the J. Paul Getty Museum have had quite an exciting existence.
Anthony van Dyck, Charles I with M. de St. Antoine
Though he was eventually beheaded, this portrait encapsulates the king's notion of independent authority, and his belief in the divine right of kings.
The Banqueting House, Whitehall Palace
Built to glorify the reign of James I, Inigo Jones’s hall later provided the backdrop for Charles I’s execution.
Claude Perrault, East façade of the Louvre
Perrault’s unified design updated the columns of ancient temples to suit modern French taste.
Nicolas Poussin, Et in Arcadia Ego
From the setting sun to the ancient tomb, Poussin’s subject is time passing. We sense his longing for a lost past.
Antoine or Louis Le Nain, Peasant Family in an Interior
This somber image elevates the simple life and pares down painting to just light and line.
Louis le Vau, André le Nôtre, and Charles le Brun, Château de Versailles
This Baroque palace is so big, nine soccer fields could fit inside. Just don’t kick a ball in the Hall of Mirrors!
Hyacinthe Rigaud, Louis XIV
Royal portraitists negotiated between historical accuracy and ideal form. Here, Rigaud flatters the aging king.
