Early Baroque art appeared in Italy in the late 16th century, while some countries such as Germany and colonial South America did not adopt the style until as late as the 18th century. It was the popular style during the Counter-Reformation in the 17th century. Some of its characteristics are evident in Dutch art, but it was mainly limited to Catholic countries. Not solely associated with religious art, the Baroque style can also be seen in other forms such as Dutch still-life paintings.

At the beginning of the 17th century, the Baroque style spread from Rome and migrated to varying countries, evolving as artists fused it with the traditions of their native countries. Spain and Latin America added extravagance to the style, while other countries made it more conservative. The movement never gained popularity in Holland or England, but was successful in Flanders, supported by Peter Paul Rubens. In France, the Baroque style was favored by the monarchy and used in architecture, sculpture, painting, and decorations, making way for its successor, the Rococo movement.

Baroque painters, sculptors, and architects sought to portray emotion, variety, and movement in their works by appealing to the senses. Other qualities include drama, grandeur, richness, vitality, movement, tension, exuberance, and a tendency to blur distinction between the various arts. Baroque Style was typified by strong contrasts in value and bold ornamentation that added action and drama to the art.

The leading figures of the Italian Baroque style were Caravaggio and Annibale Carracci, who departed from High Renaissance style to bring more substance to Italian paintings. Baroque took movement and emotion from the Mannerist style and grandeur and solidity from the Renaissance to create a new movement. The pinnacle of Baroque art was Gianlorenzo Bernini, who dominated the High Baroque Period with his energetic and virtuous paintings.

Artists: (biography & artworks) Related Paintings Reproductions

Abbiati, Alessandro Paolo - 1630 - 1701
Adam, Lambert-Sigisbert - 1700 - 1759
Algardi, Alessandro - 1598 - 1654
Asam, Egid Quirin - 1692 - 1750
Asam, Kosmas Damian - 1686 - 1739
Baglione, Giovanni - 1566 - 1643
Bakhuizen, Ludolf - 1631 - 1708
Bernini, Gianlorenzo - 1598 - 1680
Bigot, Trophime - 1579 - 1650
Bird, Francis - 1667 - 1731
Bocanegra, Pedro Atanasio - 1638 - 1689
Boeckhorst, Jan - 1604 - 1668
Both, Jan - 1610 - 1652
Breenbergh, Bartholomeus - 1598 - 1657
Brugghen, Hendrick ter - 1588 - 1629
Bushnell, John - 1630 - 1701
Cano, Alonso - 1601 - 1667
Canuti, Domenico Maria - 1625 - 1684
Cappelle, Jan van de - 1624 - 1679
Caracciolo, Giovanni Battista - 1578 - 1635
Caravaggio, Michelangelo Merisi de - 1572 - 1610
Carducho, Vicente - 1576 - 1638
Carracci, Agostino - 1557 - 1602
Carracci, Ludovico - 1555 - 1619
Cavaceppi, Bartolomeo - 1716 - 1799
Coello, Claudio - 1642 - 1693
Conca, Sebastiano - 1680 - 1764
Cortona, Pietro da - 1596 - 1669
Coustou the Elder, Guillaume - 1677 - 1746
Coypel, Antoine - 1661 - 1722
Crespi, Daniele - 1598 - 1630
Croos, Anthonie Jansz. van der - 1606 - 1661
Desportes, Alexandre-Francois - 1661 - 1743
Dolci, Carlo - 1616 - 1687
Domenichino, - 1581 - 1641
Donner, Georg Raphael - 1693 - 1749
Doomer, Lambert - 1624 - 1700
Duck, Jacob - 1600 - 1667
Dughet, Gaspard - 1615 - 1675
Everdingen, Cesar van - 1617 - 1678
Fanelli, Francesco - 1590 - 1653
Fernandez, Gregorio - 1576 - 1636
Feti, Domenico - 1589 - 1624
Fetti, Domenico - 1589 - 1623
Flinck, Govaert - 1615 - 1660
Foggini, Giovanni Battista - 1652 - 1725
Gaulli, Giovanni Battista - 1639 - 1709
Gelder, Aert de - 1645 - 1727
Gentileschi, Orazio - 1563 - 1639
Gentileschi, Artemisia - 1593 - 1652
Gheyn II, Jacques de - 1565 - 1629
Giordano, Luca - 1632 - 1705
Goltzius, Hendrick - 1558 - 1617
Gras, Caspar - 1585 - 1674
Grebber, Pieter de - 1600 - 1653
Helmbreker, Dirk - 1633 - 1696
Helst, Bartholomeus van der - 1613 - 1670
Herrera the Younger, Francisco de - 1627 - 1685
Heyden, Jan van der - 1637 - 1712
Hondecoeter, Melchior d?- 1636 - 1695
Jongh, Ludolf de - 1616 - 1679
Juvarra, Filippo - 1678 - 1736
Kessel, Jan van - 1612 - 1679
Koninck, Philips - 1619 - 1688
La Fosse, Charles de - 1636 - 1716
La Hyre, Laurent de - 1606 - 1656
La Tour, Georges de - 1593 - 1652
Lanfranco, Giovanni - 1582 - 1647
Lastman, Pieter - 1538 - 1633
Le Brun, Charles - 1619 - 1690
Le Nain, Antoine - 1600 - 1640
Le Nain, Louis - 1602 - 1648
Le Nain, Mathieu - 1607 - 1677
Lely, Sir Peter - 1618 - 1680
Lievens, Jan - 1607 - 1674
Lingelbach, Johannes - 1622 - 1674
Liss, Johann - 1597 - 1631
Lisse, Dirck van der - 1635 - 1669
Lorrain, Claude - 1604 - 1682
Maderno, Stefano - 1576 - 1636
Maes, Nicolaes - 1634 - 1693
Maffei, Francesco - 1605 - 1660
Man, Cornelis de - 1621 - 1706
Manfredi, Bartolomeo - 1582 - 1622
Maratta, Carlo - 1625 - 1713
Maratti, Carlo - 1625 - 1713
Mayno, Juan Bautista - 1578 - 1649
Mazzoni, Sebastiano - 1611 - 1678
Meulen, Adam Frans van der - 1632 - 1690
Mignard, Pierre - 1612 - 1695
Millet, Francisque - 1642 - 1679
Mochi, Francesco - 1580 - 1654
Moeyaert, Claes - 1591 - 1655
Mola, Pier Francesco - 1612 - 1666
Moucheron, Frederic de - 1633 - 1686
Muller, Jan H. - 1571 - 1628
Mytens, Jan - 1614 - 1670
Neer, Aert van der - 1603 - 1677
Ostade, Adriaen van - 1610 - 1685
Ostade, Isaack van - 1621 - 1649
Oudry, Jean-Baptiste - 1686 - 1755
Patel, Pierre - 1605 - 1676
Patel, Pierre-Antoine - 1648 - 1707
Permoser, Balthasar - 1651 - 1732
Pickenoy, Nicolaes Eliasz - 1588 - 1655
Pietro da Cortona, - 1596 - 1669
Poelenburgh, Cornelis van - 1586 - 1667
Post, Frans - 1612 - 1680
Potter, Paulus - 1625 - 1654
Pozzo, Andrea - 1642 - 1709
Preti, Mattia - 1613 - 1699
Puget, Pierre - 1620 - 1694
Rembrandt, Harmenz van Rijn - 1606 - 1669
Ribalta, Francisco - 1565 - 1628
Rigaud, Hyacinthe - 1659 - 1743
Rizi, Francisco - 1614 - 1685
Roldan, Luisa - 1650 - 1704
Romanelli, Giovanni Francesco - 1610 - 1662
Rosa, Salvator - 1615 - 1673
Rusconi, Camillo - 1658 - 1728
Sacchi, Andrea - 1599 - 1661
Saraceni, Carlo - 1579 - 1620
Schalcken, Godfried - 1643 - 1706
Snyders, Frans - 1579 - 1657
Soldani, Massimiliano - 1656 - 1740
Solimena, Francesco - 1657 - 1747
Stanzione, Massimo - 1585 - 1656
Steen, Jan - 1626 - 1679
Streeter, Robert - 1621 - 1679
Strozzi, Bernardo - 1581 - 1644
Swanevelt, Herman van - 1600 - 1665
Sweerts, Michael - 1618 - 1664
Tacca, Pietro - 1577 - 1640
Tournier, Nicolas - 1590 - 1638
Valdes Leal, - 1622 - 1690
Velde, Adriaen van de - 1636 - 1672
Venne, Adriaen van de - 1589 - 1662
Victors, Jan - 1619 - 1676
Vouet, Simon - 1590 - 1649
Wijnants, Jan - 1630 - 1684
Zurbaran, de Francisco - 1598 - 1664