by Jurate Macnoriute .....
In the 17th century the Late Renaissance or Mannerism was changed by more realistic, more emotional and simpler baroque with its developers Caravaggio, Bernini, Carracci, Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Velázquez, and others.
Hot and friendly atmosphere of feast scenes, soft bodies of portly men and stout women with joyful enthusiasm vivaciously twist in curling up spaces of baroque pictures (Fig.145). Men and women bodies beautiful for their liveliness and joy. Fatness was identified with beauty, thinness with ugliness. Stand of personages unconstrained, unembarrassed, relaxed. In group compositions especially liked touch cue -- embrace.
Fig. 145. Rubens. The Three Graces. 1639. Museo del Prado, Madrid.
Baroque personages are less refined than Greek, Roman, or of the Renaissance, and that let them laugh boisterously, smile, cry, and show other contorted facial expressions. Richness of grimaces characteristic especially for art of the Netherlands and Holland where middle-classes grew faster, and secular art was in great demand (Fig.146-1). Another kind of smile, a bit rueful, was showed by Spanish painter Murillo having a turn to sentimentality (Fig.146-2).
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Fig. 146. 1. Frans Hals. Jester with a Lute. 1620-25. Musée du Louvre. Paris. 2. Bartolome Esteban Murillo. A Girl and Her Duenna. 1670.
Self touch tactile sign is frequent -- women touch their faces with hands, one from them hiding her smile (Fig.146-2).
From the Renaissance posture arm cross came to Baroque painting. These same qualities remained. Heroes gracefully cross not arms, but wrists. That posture fits well for extremely dramatic scenes (Fig.147-1, Fig.147-2). Together with great demand in secular portraits arm cross appeared in portraits (Frans Hals, The Fisher Boy). Arm cross posture contains also self touch tactile sign -- hands touch breast or one hand touches other.
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Fig. 147. 1. José Antonilez. Assumption of Mary Magdalene. Museo del Prado, Madrid; 2. Annibale Carracci. Mocking of Christ. 1596. Pinacoteca Nazionale, Bologna
Display arm show frequent, because it helps to express freedom and defection of Baroque spirit. It can be related with sexual appeal or competition, but mostly its function is interest and beauty (Fig.148-1). Often we see not only arm show, but legs and breasts show represented as well (Fig.148-2). Tactile sign self touch -- hand to hair, hand on thigh. Touch cue (Fig.148-2) in comb hair.
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Fig. 148. 1. Salomon de Bray. Young Woman Combing Her Hair; Rubens. Bathsheba at the Fountain. 1635. Gemäldegalerie, Dresden.
Another kind of arm show can be called show of hand holding and demonstrating some thing -- book, gloves, flower, feather. A person is dressed, and arm is invisible. Such portraits were Hals Frans, Portrait of a Man; Frans Hals, Portrait of a Man Holding A Book; Frans Hals, Isabella Coymans.
Posture body bend used for some working in regale or terror scenes (Fig. 149-1). It can contain also touch cue (Fig.149-2). Sit posture graceful, elaborate, almost American -- on high chair, one leg lifted onto another (Fig.149-1).
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Fig. 149. 1. Willem Buytewech. Merry Company. 1620-22. Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest; 2. Caravaggio. David. 1600. Museo del Prado, Madrid.
Gesture (or posture) hand behind head was used for sleep state, and it seen in Fig.150. Of course it has no functions of gesture hand behind head in watch state. Sleeping nymph also contains self touch tactile sign. In reclined figure we can notice also posture bow.
Fig. 150. Jan Gerritsz van Bronchost. Sleeping Nymph and Shepherd. 1645-50. Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum, Braunschweig.
Posture hands on hips was liked by Frans Hals (Company of Captain Reinier Reael known as the -Meagre Company; Jacob Pietersz Olycan; Jasper Schade; Claes Duyst Van Voorhout; The Laughing Cavalier; Banquet of the Officers of the St George Civic Guard). In Baroque version that posture expresses wish to seem more noble (Fig.151).
Fig. 151. Giuseppe Ghislandi. Count Galeatius Secco Suardo. 1710-20.
Gesture steeple used in Baroque in that same way like in the Renaissance (Giovanni Battista Salvi, Virgin in Prayer by Sassoferrato).
Broadside display swagger walk expressed by straight stand, one hand on hip, other's palm up, wear of red and gold colors, crown (Fig.152).
Fig. 152. Andrea Celesti. Detail of Queen Jezabel Being Punished by Jehu.
Emotion disgust infrequent in art but sometimes it is met. Some horrible touches and disgust are characteristic for acts like beheading (Fig.153). Caravaggio's disgust contains from facial expression and pose of body pulling back -- bow, but head forward.
Fig.153. Caravaggio. Judith Beheading Holofernes. 1598. Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome.
Head tilt back, head tilt side, and posture bow is noticed in pose of boy holding a basket (Fig.154-1). In other example head tilt side and downwards, hands put for defense (Fig.154-2).
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Fig. 154. 1. Caravaggio. Boy with a Basket of Fruit. 1593. Galleria Borghese, Rome; 2. Caravaggio. Magdalene. 1596-97. Galleria Doria-Pamphili, Rome.
In Baroque gesture point used to indicate the presence or location of objects (Fig.155-2) and forces (Fig.155-1). Other point's characteristic -- it became a playful gesture of drunken company with doubtful function of indication (Frans Hals, Shrovetide Revellers).
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Fig. 155. 1. Pietro da Cortona. The Guardian Angel. 1656. Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome; 2. Bernardo Cavallino. Finding of Moses.
Intention cue is met in some Baroque play scenes as we see Rubens's Boy with Bird (Fig.156). It is clear that in next moment boy will touch bird with point fingertip.
Fig. 156. Rubens. Boy with Bird. 1616. Staatliche Museen, Berlin.
Baroque submission pose is infrequent and it expressed by kneeling (Fig.157), touch cue (Fig.157-2) or being touched (Fig.157-1).
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Fig. 157. 1. Rembrandt. Detail of The Return of the Prodigal Son. 1669. The Hermitage, St. Petersburg; 2. Guercino. Apparition of Christ to the Virgin. 1628-30. Pinacoteca Civica, Cento
Baroque precision grip though subtle, but less refined and more soft than in the Renaissance (Frans Hals, Jean De La Chambre; Frans Hals, St Luke; Caravaggio, Bacchus Fig.157).
Fig. 157. Caravaggio. Datail of Bacchus. 1596. Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.
Baroque decision grip in comparison with the revival seems as if unhealthy and rudy (Fig.158).
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Fig. 158. 1. Caravaggio. Sick Bacchus. 1593. Galleria Borghese, Rome; 2. Rubens. Cupid Making His Bow. 1614. Alte Pinakothek, Munich.
In Rubens's Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus one of daughters that beneath can be considered as being in state ready response fight or flight (Fig.159). Her state is expressed by lifted hand with spread fingers and gaze to one of invaders. She want to defense herself, but her body is too hard, powers limited.
Fig. 159. Rubens. Detail of Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus.
In emotionally emphatic strong Baroque art power grip especially forceful (Fig.160).
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Fig. 160. Caravaggio. Burial of St Lucy. 1608. Bellamo Museum, Syracuse; 2. Rubens. Descent from the Cross (outside left). 1612-14. Vrouwekathedraal, Antwerp.
Francesco del Cairo's Herodias with the Head of St. John the Baptist (Fig.161), is a good example of emotion disgust (fell in syncope feeling disgust), balance cue (already fell in syncope), touch cue or decision grip (holds tongue of St. John).
Fig.161. Francesco del Cairo, Herodias with the Head of St. John the Baptist, 1625-30, oil on canvas, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Fear expression sometimes takes place in emotionally rich Baroque art too. In the first example (Fig.162-1) frequently usable theme Susanna and the Elders. Rubens shows Susanna's fear by suddenly turned head, widely opened eyes, opened mouth, hiding her nakedness under cloth. In the second image (Fig.162-2) yet more lurid event -- two scared women run towards sitting man whose son's head they hold. Fear is shown by lifted hand, spanking run, adequate facial expression. In the second example we see touch cue appliance for intensification of expression of running. In Baroque touch cue widely used for figures' coherence.
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Fig. 162. 1. Rubens. Detail of Susanna and the Elders. 1607-08. Galleria Borghese. Rome; 2. Rubens. Detail of Tereus Confronted with the Head of his Son Itylus. 1636-38. Museo del Prado. Madrid.
Love emotion shown by Rubens applying embrace, kiss, and touch (Fig.163).
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Fig. 163. 1. Rubens. Detail of Garden of Love. 1633. Museo del Prado, Madrid; 2. Rubens. Detail of Christ at Simon the Pharisee. 1618-20. The Hermitage, St Petersburg.
Pain cue can be detected in religious scenes representing saint martyrs like St. Sebastian (Fig.164-1) or in some secular pictures like in Caravaggio's Boy Bitten by a Lizard and The Tooth Drawer (Fig.164-2,164-3). Cramp movement, turn from straight body position, spread fingers, open mouth, protruding eyes show pain cue.
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Fig. 164. 1. Rubens. St Sebastian. 1614. Staatliche Museen, Berlin; Caravaggio. Boy Bitten by a Lizard. 1594. National Gallery, London; 3. Caravaggio. The Tooth Drawer.
In Caravaggio Narcissus in my opinion very interesting eye contact of hero and his image on surface of water (Fig.165-1). Hero's gaze goes down and striking against reflection returns. Through gaze Narcissus receives so great pleasure, that he can not get back from that state.
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Fig. 165. 1. Caravaggio. Narcissus. 1598-99. Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome; 2. Adriaen Brouwer. Smoking Men. 1637. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; 3. Willem Buytewech. Merry Company. 1622-24. Staatliche Museen, Berlin.
Sit posture -- on high chair of triangular form, legs put very broadly (Fig.165-3) -- expresses afferent signal pleasure received from drinking with merry company. In mid image pleasure is received through smoking (Fig.165-2). One of smokers blows smoke upwards showing his excellent mood.
Sadness and sorrow expressed by clasped hands, touching other figure, kissing, embracing of sorrow object (Fig.166). In figures on the left bow posture is seen.
Fig. 166. Rubens. Detail of Christ on the Cross. 1627. Rockox House, Antwerp.
Relationship rapport in Baroque art especially frequent -- drinkers, smokers, mothers with children.
Fig. 167. Giovanni Bilivert. Isabelle d'Aragon implorant Charles VIII en faveur de son père, Alphonse, roi de Naples, et de son mari, Giovanni Galeazzo Sforza, au moment de la conquête du royaume de Naples par les Français en 1494.
Status signal dominance shown by placing it in centre and giving to dominant figure conspicuous colors (Fig. 167).
