Baroque sculpture is the

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

associated with the

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

style of the period between the early 17th and mid 18th centuries. In Baroque sculpture, groups of figures assumed new importance, and there was a dynamic movement and energy of human forms—they spiralled around an empty central vortex, or reached outwards into the surrounding space. Baroque sculpture often had multiple ideal viewing angles, and reflected a general continuation of the Renaissance move away from the relief to sculpture created in the round, and designed to be placed in the middle of a large space—elaborate fountains such as

Gian Lorenzo Bernini Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, , ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 159828 November 1680) was an Italian sculptor and architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prominently the leading sculptor of his ...

‘s

Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (''Fountain of the Four Rivers'') is a fountain in the Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy. It was designed in 1651 by Gian Lorenzo Bernini for Pope Innocent X whose family palace, the Palazzo Pamphili, faced onto the piazza a ...

(Rome, 1651), or those in the

Gardens of Versailles The Gardens of Versailles (french: Jardins du château de Versailles ) occupy part of what was once the ''Domaine royal de Versailles'', the royal demesne of the château of Versailles. Situated to the west of the palace, the gardens cover som ...

were a Baroque speciality. The

style was perfectly suited to sculpture, with Bernini the dominating figure of the age in works such as ''

The Ecstasy of St Theresa The ''Ecstasy of Saint Teresa'' (also known as ''Saint Teresa in Ecstasy'' or the ''Transverberation of Saint Teresa''; it, L'Estasi di Santa Teresa or ) is a sculptural group in white marble set in an elevated aedicule in the Cornaro Chapel of ...

'' (1647–1652). Much Baroque sculpture added extra-sculptural elements, for example, concealed lighting, or water fountains, or fused sculpture and architecture to create a transformative experience for the viewer. Artists saw themselves as in the classical tradition, but admired

Hellenistic In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in ...

and later Roman sculpture, rather than that of the more "Classical" periods as they are seen today. Baroque sculpture followed Renaissance and

Mannerist Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, ...

sculpture and was succeeded by

Rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

and

Neoclassical Sculpture Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism w ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

was the earliest centre where the style was formed. The style spread to the rest of Europe, and especially

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

gave a new direction in the late 17th century. Eventually it spread beyond Europe to the colonial possessions of the European powers, especially in Latin America and the Philippines. The

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

had brought an almost total stop to religious sculpture in much of Northern Europe, and though secular sculpture, especially for portrait busts and

tomb monument Funerary art is any work of art forming, or placed in, a repository for the remains of the dead. The term encompasses a wide variety of forms, including cenotaphs ("empty tombs"), tomb-like monuments which do not contain human remains, and comm ...

s, continued, the

Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( nl, Gouden Eeuw ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands, roughly spanning the era from 1588 (the birth of the Dutch Republic) to 1672 (the Rampjaar, "Disaster Year"), in which Dutch trade, science, and Dutch art, ...

has no significant sculptural component outside goldsmithing. Partly in direct reaction, sculpture was as prominent in

Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

as in the late Middle Ages. The Catholic

Southern Netherlands The Southern Netherlands, also called the Catholic Netherlands, were the parts of the Low Countries belonging to the Holy Roman Empire which were at first largely controlled by Habsburg Spain (Spanish Netherlands, 1556–1714) and later by the A ...

saw a flourishing of Baroque sculpture starting from the second half of the 17th century with many local workshops producing a wide range of Baroque sculpture including church furniture, funeral monuments and small-scale sculptures executed in ivory and durable woods such as boxwood. Flemish sculptors would play a prominent role in spreading the Baroque idiom abroad including in the Dutch Republic, Italy, England, Sweden and France.Helena Bussers, ''De baroksculptuur en het barok''
at Openbaar Kunstbezit Vlaanderen In the 18th century much sculpture continued on Baroque lines—the

Trevi Fountain The Trevi Fountain ( it, Fontana di Trevi) is an 18th-century fountain in the Trevi district in Rome, Italy, designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Giuseppe Pannini and several others. Standing high and wide, it is the larg ...

was only completed in 1762. The

style was better suited to smaller works.

Origins and Characteristics

The Baroque style emerged from Renaissance sculpture, which, drawing upon classical Greek and Roman sculpture, had idealized the human form. This was modified by

Mannerism Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, ...

, when artists strived to give their works a unique and personal style. Mannerism introduced the idea of sculptures featuring strong contrasts; youth and age, beauty and ugliness, men and women. Mannerism also introduced the ''figura serpentina'', which became a major characteristic of Baroque sculpture. This was the arrangement of figures or groups of figures in an ascending spiral, which gave lightness and movement to the work.

Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...

had introduced ''figure serpentine'' in ''The Dying Slave'' (1513–1516) and ''Genius Victorious'' (1520–1525), but these works were meant to be seen from a single point of view. In the late 16th century work of the Italian sculptor

Giambologna Giambologna (1529 – 13 August 1608), also known as Jean de Boulogne (French), Jehan Boulongne (Flemish) and Giovanni da Bologna (Italian), was the last significant Italian Renaissance sculptor, with a large workshop producing large and small ...

, ''The Rape of the Sabine Women'' (1581–1583). introduced a new element; this work was meant to be seen not from one, but from several points of view, and changed depending upon the viewpoint, This became a very common feature in Baroque sculpture. The work of Giambologna had a strong influence on the masters of the Baroque era, particularly Bernini. Another important influence leading to the Baroque style was the Catholic Church, which was seeking artistic weapons in the battle against the rise of Protestantism. The

Council of Trent The Council of Trent ( la, Concilium Tridentinum), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trento, Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italian Peninsula, Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation ...

(1545–1563) gave the Pope greater powers to guide artistic creation, and expressed a strong disapproval of the doctrines of

humanism Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "humani ...

, which had been central to the arts during the Renaissance. During the pontificate of

Paul V Pope Paul V ( la, Paulus V; it, Paolo V) (17 September 1550 – 28 January 1621), born Camillo Borghese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 16 May 1605 to his death in January 1621. In 1611, he honored ...

(1605–1621) the church began to develop artistic doctrines to counter the Reformation, and commissioned new artists to carry them out.

Bernini and Roman Baroque sculpture

The dominant figure in Baroque sculpture was

(1598–1680). He was the son of a Florentine sculptor,

Pietro Bernini Pietro Bernini (6 May 1562 – 29 August 1629) was an Italian sculptor. He was the father of one of the most famous artists of Baroque, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, as well as the sculptor-architect Luigi Bernini. Biography Bernini was born in Sesto F ...

, who had been called to Rome by

Pope Paul V Pope Paul V ( la, Paulus V; it, Paolo V) (17 September 1550 – 28 January 1621), born Camillo Borghese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 16 May 1605 to his death in January 1621. In 1611, he honored ...

. The young Bernini made his first solo works at the age of fifteen, and in 1618–25 received a major commission for statues for the villa of Cardinal Scipion Borghese. His works, highly dramatic, designed to be seen from multiple ponts of view, and spiraling upwards, had an immense impact on European sculpture. He continued to dominate Italian sculpture through his works on Roman fountains, the Baldequin of St. Peter and the tomb of Pope Alexander VII within St. Peter's Basilica, and his altar ensemble for the Church of Santa-Maria della Vittoria in Rome. He received his final fountain sculpture commission for the Fountain of the Elephant (1665–1667), followed by a series of angels for the Sant Angelo Bridge in Rome (1667–69). Bernini died in 1680, but his style influenced sculptors across Europe, particularly in France, Bavaria and Austria. File:Rape of Prosepina September 2015-3a.jpg, ''

Rape of Proserpina ''The Rape of Proserpina'' ( it, Ratto di Proserpina), more accurately translated as ''the Abduction of Proserpina'', is a large Baroque marble group sculpture by Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini, executed between 1621 and 1622, when Berni ...

'' (1621–1622) by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Borghese Gallery) File:Apollo and Daphne (Bernini) (cropped).jpg, ''

Apollo and Daphne Apollo and Daphne is a transformation myth from ancient Greek mythology, retold by Hellenistic and Roman authors in the form of an amorous vignette. History The earliest known source of this myth is Parthenius, a Greek poet who lived during t ...

'' (1622–1625) by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Borghese Gallery) File:Джованни Лоренцо Бернини. Давид. 01.JPG, ''

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

'' (1623–1624) by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Borghese Gallery) File:Ecstasy of Saint Teresa September 2015-2a.jpg, The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa (1647-1652), by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Santa Maria Della Victoria, Rome) File:Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, Piazza Navona 01 - Roma - panoramio.jpg, Fountain of the Four Rivers, Rome (1648-1651) File:Domenico Guidi-Angel bearing a lance-Ponte Sant Angelo.jpg, Angel with a Lance (1667-1669) Sant Angelo Bridge, Rome

Maderno, Mochi, and the other Italian Baroque sculptors

Generous papal commissions made Rome a magnet for sculptors in Italy and across Europe. They decorated churches, squares, and, a Rome specialty, the popular new fountains created around the city by the Popes. Stefano Maderna (1576–1636), originally from

Bissone Bissone is a municipality in the district of Lugano, in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. History Bissone is first mentioned in 735 and again in 854 as ''Blixuni''. In German it was known as ''Byssen'', though that name is no longer used. I ...

in Lombardy, preceded the work of Bernini. He began his career making reduced-size copies of classical works in bronze. His major large-scale work was a statue of Saint Cecile (1600, for the Church of Saint Cecilia in the

Trastevere Trastevere () is the 13th ''rione'' of Rome: it is identified by the initials R. XIII and it is located within Municipio I. Its name comes from Latin ''trans Tiberim'', literally 'beyond the Tiber'. Its coat of arms depicts a golden head of a lio ...

in Rome. The saint's body lies stretched out, as if it were in a sarcophagus, evoking a sense of pathos. Another early important Roman sculptor was

Francesco Mochi Francesco Mochi (29 July 1580 – 6 February 1654) was an Italian early-Baroque sculptor active mostly in Rome and Orvieto. He was born in Montevarchi and died in Rome. His early training was with the anti-Mannerist Florentine painter Santi d ...

(1580–1654), born in

Montevarchi Montevarchi is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy. History The town of Montevarchi sprang up around 1100, near to a fortified Benedictine monastery, founded by bishop Elempert (986–1010) of Arezzo. At first the cas ...

, near Florence. He made a celebrated bronze equestrian statue of

Alexander Farnese Alessandro Farnese may refer to: * Pope Paul III (1468–1549), Roman Catholic Bishop of Rome *Alessandro Farnese (cardinal) (1520–1589), Paul's grandson, Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal-nephew * Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma (1545–1592), ...

for the main square of

Piacenza Piacenza (; egl, label= Piacentino, Piaṡëinsa ; ) is a city and in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, and the capital of the eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with over ...

(1620–1625), and a vivid statue of

Saint Veronica Saint Veronica, also known as Berenike, was a woman from Jerusalem who lived in the 1st century AD, according to extra-biblical Christian sacred tradition. A celebrated saint in many pious Christian countries, the 17th-century ''Acta Sanctorum' ...

for Saint Peter's Basilica, so active that she seems to be about to leap from the niche. Other notable Italian Baroque sculptors included

Alessandro Algardi Alessandro Algardi (July 31, 1598 – June 10, 1654) was an Italian high-Baroque sculptor active almost exclusively in Rome, where for the latter decades of his life, he was, along with Francesco Borromini and Pietro da Cortona, one of the major ...

(1598–1654), whose first major commission was the tomb of

Pope Leo XI Pope Leo XI ( it, Leone XI; 2 June 153527 April 1605), born Alessandro Ottaviano de' Medici, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1 April 1605 to his death in April 1605. His pontificate is one of the briefest in his ...

in the Vatican. He was considered a rival of Bernini, though his work was similar in style. His other major works included a large sculpted bas-relief of the legendary meeting between

Pope Leo I Pope Leo I ( 400 – 10 November 461), also known as Leo the Great, was bishop of Rome from 29 September 440 until his death. Pope Benedict XVI said that Leo's papacy "was undoubtedly one of the most important in the Church's history." Leo was ...

and

Attila the Hun Attila (, ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in March 453. He was also the leader of a tribal empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans, and Bulgars, among others, in Central and Ea ...

(1646–1653), in which the Pope persuaded Attila not to attack Rome. The Flemish sculptor

François Duquesnoy François Duquesnoy or Frans Duquesnoy (12 January 1597 – 18 July 1643) was a Flemish Baroque sculptor who was active in Rome for most of his career. His idealized representations are often contrasted with the more emotional character of Ber ...

(1597–1643) was another important figure of the Italian Baroque. He was a friend of the painter

Poussin Nicolas Poussin (, , ; June 1594 – 19 November 1665) was the leading painter of the classical French Baroque style, although he spent most of his working life in Rome. Most of his works were on religious and mythological subjects painted for ...

, and was especially known for his statue of

Saint Susanna Susanna of Rome (fl. 3rd century) was a Christian martyr of the Diocletianic Persecution. Her existing hagiography, written between about 450 and 500, is of no historical value and the relations it attributes to Susanna are entirely fictitious.Mi ...

at Santa Maria de Loreto in Rome, and his statue of

Saint Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( grc-koi, Ἀνδρέᾱς, Andréās ; la, Andrēās ; , syc, ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ, ʾAnd’reʾwās), also called Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Simon Peter ...

(1629–1633) at the Vatican. He was named royal sculptor of

Louis XIII of France Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...

, but died in 1643 during the journey from Rome to Paris. Major sculptors in the late period included

Niccolo Salvi Nicola Salvi or Niccolò Salvi (6 August 1697 (Rome) – 8 February 1751 (Rome)) was an Italian architect; among his few projects completed is the famous Trevi fountain in Rome, Italy. Biography Admitted to the Roman Academy of Arcadia in 1717, ...

(1697–1751), whose most famous work was the design of the

(1732–1751). The fountain also contained allegorical works by other prominent Italian Baroque sculptors, including

Filippo della Valle Filippo della Valle (26 December 1698 – 29 April 1768) was an Italian late-Baroque or early Neoclassic sculptor, active mostly in Rome. Biography Della Valle was born in Florence. Initially apprenticed with Giovanni Battista Foggini in F ...

Pietro Bracci Pietro Bracci (1700–1773) was an Italian sculptor working in the Late Baroque manner. Biography He was born in Rome and became a student of Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari and Camillo Rusconi. His most familiar works are the colossal ''Oceanus' ...

, and Giovanni Grossi. The fountain, in all its grandeur and exuberance, represented the final act of the Italian Baroque style. File:St Cecilia's Martyrdom.jpg, ''Saint Cecilia'' (1599) by

Stefano Maderno Stefano Maderno (''c.'' 1576 – 17 September 1636) was one of the greatest Roman sculptors of the early 17th century. Biography Information about Maderno's life is scarce and often contradictory. He was long supposed to have been a brothe ...

, Santa Cecelia in Travestere File:F Duquesnoy San Andrés Vaticano.jpg, ''Saint Andrew'' by

(1629–33), St. Peter's Basilica File:Francesco Mochi Santa Verónica 1629-32 Vaticano.jpg, ''Saint Veronica'' by

(1640), the Vatican File:Expulsão de átila.jpg, ''The meeting of Attila the Hun and Pope Leo I'' by

France

The major part of French Baroque sculpture was intended to glorify not the Church, but the French monarch,

Louis XIV of France , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Versa ...

, and his successor,

Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reache ...

. Much of it was produced by the sculptors of the new Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, founded in 1648 and later closely supervised by

Jean-Baptiste Colbert Jean-Baptiste Colbert (; 29 August 1619 – 6 September 1683) was a French statesman who served as First Minister of State from 1661 until his death in 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His lasting impact on the organization of the countr ...

the King's Minister of Finance. French sculptors worked closely together with painters, architects, and landscape designers such as

André Le Notre André — sometimes transliterated as Andre — is the French and Portuguese form of the name Andrew, and is now also used in the English-speaking world. It used in France, Quebec, Canada and other French-speaking countries. It is a variation o ...

to create the sculptural effects found in the

Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 19 ...

and its gardens, the other royal residences, and the statues for new city squares created in Paris and other French cities. Colbert also established the

French Academy in Rome The French Academy in Rome (french: Académie de France à Rome) is an Academy located in the Villa Medici, within the Villa Borghese, on the Pincio (Pincian Hill) in Rome, Italy. History The Academy was founded at the Palazzo Capranica in ...

so French sculptors and painters could study classical models. In the early part of the Baroque period, French sculptors were largely influenced by the painters of Flanders and the Netherlands. particularly the Mannerism of

, rather than sculpture the Italy. These artists included Germain Pilon (1525–1590);,

Jean Varin Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jea ...

(1604–1672) and Jacques Sarrazin (1592–1660). Bernini himself, at the peak of his fame, came to Paris in 1665 to present his own plan for the Louvre to Louis XIV. The King did not like Bernini or his work, and the plan was rejected, though Bernini produced a fine bust of Louis XIV now on display at the

. The best French sculptors were engaged to make statues for the fountains gardens of the

and other royal residences. These included

Pierre Puget Pierre Paul Puget (16 October 1620 – 2 December 1694) was a French Baroque painter, sculptor, architect and engineer. His sculpture expressed emotion, pathos and drama, setting it apart from the more classical and academic sculpture of the ...

Jacques Sarazin Jacques Sarazin or Sarrazin (baptised 8 June 1592 in Noyon – died 3 December 1660 in Paris) was a French sculptor in the classical tradition of Baroque art. He was instrumental in the development of the Style Louis XIV through his own work ...

François Girardon François Girardon (10 March 1628 – 1 September 1715) was a French sculptor of the Louis XIV style or French Baroque, best known for his statues and busts of Louis XIV and for his statuary in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles. Biography ...

Jean-Baptiste Tuby Jean-Baptiste Tuby (also known as ''Le Romain'' - born in Rome in 1635, died in Paris 9 August 1700) was a French sculptor of Italian origins, best known for the sculpture in the fountains of the Gardens of Versailles. His work expresses the exub ...

Antoine Coysevox Charles Antoine Coysevox ( or ; 29 September 164010 October 1720), was a French sculptor in the Baroque and Louis XIV style, best known for his sculpture decorating the gardens and Palace of Versailles and his portrait busts. Biography Coysevo ...

, and Edme Bouchardon.

Guillaume Coustou Guillaume Coustou the Elder (29 November 1677, Lyon – 22 February 1746, Paris) was a French sculptor of the Baroque and Louis XIV style. He was a royal sculptor for Louis XIV and Louis XV and became Director of the Royal Academy of Paintin ...

created a particularly fine group of horses for the gardens of the Château de Marly. In the later years of the Baroque era, Jean Baptiste Lemoyne (1704–1778), Director of the French Academy in Rome, was considered the finest

rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

sculptor, though his fame was eclipsed by his pupil,

Jean-Antoine Houdon Jean-Antoine Houdon (; 20 March 1741 – 15 July 1828) was a French neoclassical sculptor. Houdon is famous for his portrait busts and statues of philosophers, inventors and political figures of the Enlightenment. Houdon's subjects included De ...

, who led the transition of French sculpture from the Baroque to

classicism Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for a classical period, classical antiquity in the Western tradition, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. In its purest form, classicism is an aestheti ...

. File:Paris - Palais du Louvre - PA00085992 - 45.jpg, Caryatides on the

Pavillon de l'Horloge The Pavillon de l’Horloge ("Clock Pavilion"), also known as the Pavillon Sully, is a prominent architectural structure located in the center of the western wing of the Cour Carrée of the Palais du Louvre in Paris. Since the late 19th century ...

Louvre Palace The Louvre Palace (french: link=no, Palais du Louvre, ), often referred to simply as the Louvre, is an iconic French palace located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in Paris, occupying a vast expanse of land between the Tuileries Ga ...

(1639–40) File:François Girardon, Bassin de Saturne, Musée national des chateaux de Versailles et de Trianon, Versailles, France (1672–1677) - 01.jpg, Basin of Saturn,

(1672-1677) File:Le chateau de versailles le jardin 35.JPG,

, Chariot of Apollo, gardens of the

(1668–70) File:Fame riding Pegasus Coysevox Louvre MR1824.jpg, ''Fame Riding Pegasus'' by

for Marly, now in Louvre (1701-1702)

The Southern Netherlands

The Southern Netherlands, which remained under Spanish,

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

rule, played an important role in spreading Baroque sculpture in Northern Europe. The Roman Catholic Contrareformation demanded that artists created paintings and sculptures in church contexts that would speak to the illiterate rather than to the well-informed. The Contrareformation stressed certain points of religious doctrine, as a result of which certain church furniture, such as the

confessional A confessional is a box, cabinet, booth, or stall in which the priest in some Christian churches sits to hear the confessions of penitents. It is the usual venue for the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Churches, but sim ...

gained an increased importance. These developments caused a sharp increase in the demand for religious sculpture in the Southern Netherlands. A pivotal role was played by the Brussels sculptor

who worked for most of his career in Rome. His more elaborate Baroque style closer to that of the Classicism of Bernini was spread in the Southern Netherlands through his brother

Jerôme Duquesnoy (II) Jerôme Duquesnoy (II) or Hieronymus Duquesnoy (II) or the Younger (baptized 8 May 1602 – 28 September 1654) was a Flemish architect and sculptor who was particularly accomplished in portraits. He played an important role in the introduction o ...

and other Flemish artists who studied in his workshop in Rome such as

Rombaut Pauwels Rombaut Pauwels or Rombout Pauwels (or Pauli) (1625, in Mechelen – 4 January 1692, in Ghent) was a Southern Netherlands, Flemish architect and sculptor who worked in a moderate Baroque style. Rombaut Pauwels was active mainly in his hometown M ...

and possibly

Artus Quellinus the Elder Artus Quellinus the Elder, Artus Quellinus I or Artus (Arnoldus) Quellijn (20 or 30 August 1609, Antwerp – 23 August 1668, Antwerp) was a Flemish sculptor. He is regarded as the most important representative of the Baroque in sculpture ...

. The most prominent sculptor was

, member of a family of famous sculptors and painters, and the cousin and master of another prominent Flemish sculptor, Artus Quellinus the Younger. Born in Antwerp, he had spent time in Rome where he became familiar with local Baroque sculpture and that of his compatriot François Duquesnoy. On his return to Antwerp in 1640, he brought with him a new vision of the role of the sculptor. The sculptor was no longer to be an ornamentalist but a creator of a total artwork in which architectural components were replaced by sculptures. The church furniture became an occasion for the creation of large-scale compositions, incorporated into the church interior. From 1650 onwards, Quellinus worked for 15 years on the new city hall of Amsterdam together with the lead architect

Jacob van Campen Jacob van Campen (2 February 1596 - 13 September 1657) was a Dutch artist and architect of the Dutch Golden Age, Golden Age. Life He was born into a wealthy family at Haarlem, and spent his youth in his home town. Being of noble birth and wit ...

. Now called the Royal Palace on the

Dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

, this construction project, and in particular the marble decorations he and his workshop produced, became an example for other buildings in Amsterdam. The team of sculptors that Artus supervised during his work on the Amsterdam city hall included many sculptors, mainly from Flanders, who would become leading sculptors in their own right such as his cousin

Artus Quellinus II Artus Quellinus II or Artus Quellinus the Younger (alternative first name: Arnold; variation on family name: Quellijn, Quellyn, Quellien, Quellin, Quellinius) (between 10 and 20 November 1625, Sint-Truiden – 22 November 1700, Antwerp) was a ...

Rombout Verhulst Rombout Verhulst (15 January 1624 – buried 27 November 1698) was a Flemish sculptor and draughtsman who spent most of his career in the Dutch Republic. An independent assistant of the Flemish sculptor Artus Quellinus the Elder in the sculpt ...

Bartholomeus Eggers Bartholomeus Eggers (c. 1637Bartholomeus Eggers
at the

and

Gabriël Grupello Gabriël Grupello (also Gabriël de Grupello or Gabriël Reppeli; 22 May 1644 – 20 June 1730) was a Flemish Baroque sculptor who produced religious and mythological sculptures, portraits and public sculptures. He worked in Flanders, France and ...

and probably also

Grinling Gibbons Grinling Gibbons (4 April 1648 – 3 August 1721) was an Anglo-Dutch sculptor and wood carver known for his work in England, including Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace, St Paul's Cathedral and other London churches, Petworth House and othe ...

. They would later spread his Baroque idiom in the Dutch Republic, Germany and England. Another important Flemish Baroque sculptor was

Lucas Faydherbe Lucas Faydherbe (also spelled Lucas Faijdherbe; he signed as Lucas Fayd'herbe) (Mechelen, 19 January 1617 – Mechelen, 31 December 1697)Mechelen Mechelen (; french: Malines ; traditional English name: MechlinMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical contex ...

, the second important centre of Baroque sculpture in the Southern Netherlands. He trained in Antwerp in Rubens's workshop and played a major role in the spread of High

sculpture in the Southern Netherlands.De Inventaris van het Onroerend Erfgoed: Lucas Faydherbe
While the Southern Netherlands had witnessed as steep decline in the level of the output and reputation of its painting school in the second half of the 17th century, sculpture replaced painting in importance, under the impulse of domestic and international demand and the massive, high-quality output of a number of family workshops in Antwerp. In particular, the workshops of Quellinus, Jan and Robrecht Colyn de Nole,

Jan Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Num ...

and Cornelis van Mildert, Hubrecht and Norbert van den Eynde, Peter I, Peter II and

Hendrik Frans Verbrugghen Hendrik Frans Verbrugghen or Hendrik Frans VerbruggenAlternative first names: Hendrik Fransiscus, Henricus-Franciscus and Frans (Antwerp, 30 April 1654 – Antwerp, 12 December 1724) was a Flemish sculptor and draftsman, who is best known for his ...

Willem Willem () is a Dutch and West FrisianRienk de Haan, ''Fryske Foarnammen'', Leeuwarden, 2002 (Friese Pers Boekerij), , p. 158. masculine given name. The name is Germanic, and can be seen as the Dutch equivalent of the name William in English, Gui ...

and

Willem Ignatius Kerricx Willem Ignatius Kerricx (Antwerp, baptized on 22 April 1682 - Antwerp, 4 January 1745) was a Flemish sculptor, painter, draftsman, architect, engineer, playwright and author active in Antwerp in the first half of the 18th century.< ...

Pieter Scheemaeckers Pieter Scheemaeckers, Pieter Scheemackers, Pieter Scheemaeckers I or Pieter Scheemaeckers the Elder (alternative spellings and form of first name: Peter, Peeter and Petrus) (1640, Antwerp – 1714, Antwerp) was a Flemish sculptor who playe ...

and Lodewijk Willemsens produced a wide range of sculpture including church furniture, funeral monuments and small-scale sculpture executed in ivory and durable woods such as boxwood. While Artus Quellinus the Elder represented the high Baroque, a more exuberant phase of the Baroque referred to as late Baroque commenced from the 1660s. During this phase the works became more theatrical, manifested through religious-ecstatic representations and lavish, showy decorations. File:Luis de Benavides Carillo, markies van Caracena, landvoogd van de Spaanse Nederlanden, Artus Quellinus I, (1664), Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, 701.jpg, ''Luis de Benavides Carrillo, Marquis of Caracena'' by

(1664), Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp File:0 Hercule - Lucas Faydherbe - Victoria and Albert museum.JPG, ''Hercules'', by

Lucas Faydherbe Lucas Faydherbe (also spelled Lucas Faijdherbe; he signed as Lucas Fayd'herbe) (Mechelen, 19 January 1617 – Mechelen, 31 December 1697)Pieter Scheemaeckers Pieter Scheemaeckers, Pieter Scheemackers, Pieter Scheemaeckers I or Pieter Scheemaeckers the Elder (alternative spellings and form of first name: Peter, Peeter and Petrus) (1640, Antwerp – 1714, Antwerp) was a Flemish sculptor who playe ...

(1694-1697), St. James Church in Antwerp File:Hendrik Frans Verbrugghen - Pulpit in the Cathedral of Brussels.jpg, Pulpit of

Brussels Cathedral nl, Kathedraal van Sint-Michiel en Sint-Goedele , native_name_lang = , image = Saints-Michel-et-Gudule Luc Viatour.jpg , imagesize = 200px , imagelink = , imagealt = , landscape ...

, by Hendrik Frans Verbruggen (1695-1699) File:Het Laatste Oordeel (Willem Kerricx).JPG, ''The last judgement'' by Willem Kerricx (1695-1699),

St. Paul's Church, Antwerp , image = Sintpaulus groen.jpg , image_size = 330px , alt = , caption = St. Paul's Church , map_type = , map_size = , map_caption = ...

The Dutch Republic

After breaking sway from Spain, the predominantly

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...

produced one sculptor of international repute,

Hendrick de Keyser Hendrick de Keyser (15 May 1565 – 15 May 1621) was a Dutch sculptor, merchant in Belgium bluestone, and architect who was instrumental in establishing a late Renaissance form of Mannerism changing into Baroque. Most of his works appeared in Amst ...

(1565–1621). He also was the chief architect of Amsterdam, and creator of major churches and monuments. His most famous work of sculpture is the tomb of

William the Silent William the Silent (24 April 153310 July 1584), also known as William the Taciturn (translated from nl, Willem de Zwijger), or, more commonly in the Netherlands, William of Orange ( nl, Willem van Oranje), was the main leader of the Dutch Re ...

(1614–1622) in the Nieuwe Kerk in

Delft Delft () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam, to the southeast, ...

. The tomb was sculpted of marble, originally black but now white, with bronze statues representing William the Silent, ''Glory'' at his feet, and the four Cardinal Virtues at the corners. Since the church was Calvinist, the female figures of the Cardinal Virtues were completely clothed from head to foot. Pupils and assistants of the Flemish sculptor

who from 1650 onwards worked for fifteen years on the new

city hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

in Amsterdam played an important role in the spread of Baroque sculpture in the Dutch Republic. Now called the Royal Palace on the

, this construction project, and in particular the marble decorations he and his workshop produced, became an example for other buildings in Amsterdam. The many Flemish sculptors who joined Quellinus to work on this project had an important influence on Dutch Baroque sculpture. They include

who became the leading sculptor of marble monuments, including funerary monuments, garden figures and portraits.Rombout Verhulst, ''Virgin and Child''
at the

Rijksmuseum The Rijksmuseum () is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history and is located in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough of Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the St ...

Other Flemish sculptors who contributed to the Baroque sculpture in the Dutch Republic were Jan Claudius de Cock,

Jan Baptist Xavery Jan Baptist Xavery or Jan Baptist Xavery (30 March 1697, in Antwerp – 19 July 1742, in Antwerp) was a Flemish sculptor principally active in the Dutch Republic.

Pieter Xavery Pieter Xavery (name variations: Pieter Saverij, Pieter Savoriex, Pieter Xaveri, Pieter Xaverii) (1647 in Antwerp – after 1674 in Antwerp) was a Flemish Baroque sculptor whose principal known works were made during his residence in the Dutch Re ...

Bartholomeus Eggers Bartholomeus Eggers (c. 1637Bartholomeus Eggers
at the

and

Francis van Bossuit Francis van Bossuit (probably 1635, Brussels - 22 September, Amsterdam) was a Flemish sculptor.Ignatius van Logteren.Ignatius van Logteren
at the

Netherlands Institute for Art History The Netherlands Institute for Art History or RKD (Dutch: RKD-Nederlands Instituut voor Kunstgeschiedenis), previously Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (RKD), is located in The Hague and is home to the largest art history center i ...

Van Logteren and his son

Jan van Logteren Jan van Logteren (baptized on 8 March 1709 – buried 11 October 1745), was an 18th-century draftsman and sculptor from the Northern Netherlands. Biography He was born in Amsterdam as the son of the successful sculptor Ignatius van Logteren. ...

left an important mark on the entire 18th century Amsterdam facade architecture and decoration. Their work forms the last summit of the late Baroque and the first Rococo style in sculpture in the Dutch Republic. File:Delft Nieuwe Kerk Innen Grabmal für Willem van Oranje 1 (cropped).jpg, ''Tomb of

'' by

(1614-1622) File:INTERIEUR, GRAFMONUMENT (NA RESTAURATIE) - Midwolde - 20264414 - RCE.jpg, ''Tomb of Van In- en Kniphuisen'' by

and

Bartholomeus Eggers Bartholomeus Eggers (c. 1637Bartholomeus Eggers
at the

(1665–69), church of Midwolde File:Groep van drie kinderen de zomer, BK-1965-21.jpg, ''Allegory of summer'', by

Jan Baptist Xavery Jan Baptist Xavery or Jan Baptist Xavery (30 March 1697, in Antwerp – 19 July 1742, in Antwerp) was a Flemish sculptor principally active in the Dutch Republic.

(1726), Rijksmuseum Amsterdam File:Twee lachende narren, BK-NM-5667.jpg, ''Two laughing fools'', by

(1773), Rijksmuseum Amsterdam File:Jan van logteren, busto di bacco, amsterdam xviii secolo.jpg, ''Bacchus'', by

, Calouste Gulbenkian Museum

England

Early Baroque sculpture in England was influenced by an influx of refugees from the

Wars of Religion A religious war or a war of religion, sometimes also known as a holy war ( la, sanctum bellum), is a war which is primarily caused or justified by differences in religion. In the modern period, there are frequent debates over the extent to wh ...

on the continent. One of the first English sculptors to adopt the style was

Nicholas Stone Nicholas Stone (1586/87 – 24 August 1647) was an English sculptor and architect. In 1619 he was appointed master-mason to James I, and in 1626 to Charles I. During his career he was the mason responsible for not only the building of ...

(Also known as Nicholas Stone the Elder) (1586–1652). He apprenticed with another English sculptor, Isaak James, and then in 1601 with the noted Dutch sculptor

, who had taken sanctuary in England. Stone returned to Holland with de Keyser, married his daughter, and worked in his studio in the Dutch Republic until he came back to England in 1613. Stone adapted the Baroque style of funeral monuments, for which de Keyser was known, particularly in the tomb of Lady Elizabeth Carey (1617–18) and the tomb of Sir William Curle (1617). Like the Dutch sculptors, he also adapted the use of contrasting black and white marble in the funeral monuments, carefully detailed drapery, and made faces and a hands with a remarkable naturalism and realism. At the same time that he worked as a sculptor, he also collaborated as an architect with

Inigo Jones Inigo Jones (; 15 July 1573 – 21 June 1652) was the first significant architect in England and Wales in the early modern period, and the first to employ Vitruvian rules of proportion and symmetry in his buildings. As the most notable archit ...

. In the second half of the 18th century, the Anglo-Dutch sculptor and

wood carver Wood carving is a form of woodworking by means of a cutting tool (knife) in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation ...

(1648 – 1721), who had likely trained in the Dutch Republic created important Baroque sculptures in England, including Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace, St. Paul's Cathedral and other London churches. Most of his work is in lime (''

Tilia ''Tilia'' is a genus of about 30 species of trees or bushes, native throughout most of the temperateness, temperate Northern Hemisphere. The tree is known as linden for the European species, and basswood for North American species. In Britain a ...

'') wood, especially decorative

garlands. England did not have a homegrown sculpture school that could supply the demand for monumental tombs, portrait sculpture and monuments to men of genius (the so-called English worthies). As a result sculptors from the continent played an important role in the development of Baroque sculpture in England. Various Flemish sculptors were active in England from the second half of the 17th century, including

Artus Quellinus III Artus Quellinus III, known in England as Arnold QuellinArtus Quellinus III
at the

John Nost John Nost (Dutch: Jan van Nost) (died 1729) was a Flemish sculptor who worked in England in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Life Originally from Mechelen in what is now Belgium, he moved to England in the second half of the 17th cent ...

Peter van Dievoet Peter van Dievoet (; French: Pierre, Dutch: Peeter, Latin: Petrus; 16611729) was a sculptor, statuary, wood carver, and designer of ornamental architectural features from Brussels. He achieved fame for his work on a number of the Baroque gui ...

and

Laurens van der Meulen Laurens van der Meulen, also Laureys or Laurent van der Meulen, known in England as Laurence Vander Meulen (Mechelen, 1643 – Mechelen 1719), was a Flemish sculptor, painter and frame-maker who, after training in his native Mechelen, worked for s ...

. These Flemish artists often collaborated with local artists such as Gibbons. An example is the equestrian statue of Charles II for which Quellinus likely carved the relief panels for the marble pedestal, after designs by Gibbons. In the 18th century, the Baroque style would be continued by a new influx of continental artists, including the Flemish sculptors

Peter Scheemakers Peter Scheemakers or Pieter Scheemaeckers II or the Younger (10 January 1691 – 12 September 1781) was a Flemish sculptor who worked for most of his life in London. His public and church sculptures in a classicist style had an important influenc ...

Laurent Delvaux Laurent Delvaux (1696, in Ghent – 24 February 1778, in Nivelles) was a Flemish sculptor. After a successful international career that brought him to London and Rome, he returned to the Austrian Netherlands where he was a sculptor to the cour ...

and

John Michael Rysbrack Johannes Michel or John Michael Rysbrack, original name Jan Michiel Rijsbrack, often referred to simply as Michael Rysbrack (24 June 1694 – 8 January 1770), was an 18th-century Flemish sculptor, who spent most of his career in England where h ...

and the Frenchman

Louis François Roubiliac Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also Derived or associated terms * Lewis (d ...

(1707–1767). Rysbrack was one of the foremost sculptors of monuments, architectural decorations and portraits in the first half of the 18th century. His style combined the Flemish Baroque with Classical influences. He operated an important workshop whose output left an important imprint on the practice of sculpture in England.Robert Williams and Katharine Eustace, ''Rysbrack family [Rysbraeck]''
at Grove Art Online, accessed 25 March 2021 Roubiliac arrived in London c. 1730, after training under Balthasar Permoser in Dresden and Nicolas Coustou in Paris. He gained a reputation as a portrait sculptor and later also worked on tomb monuments.Louis-François Roubiliac (c. 1705—1762) sculptor
at Oxford Reference His most famous works included a bust of the composer Handel, made during Handel's lifetime for the patron of the

Vauxhall Gardens Vauxhall Gardens is a public park in Kennington in the London Borough of Lambeth, England, on the south bank of the River Thames. Originally known as New Spring Gardens, it is believed to have opened before the Restoration of 1660, being ...

and the tomb of Joseph and Lady Elizabeth Nightengale (1760). Lady Elizabeth had died tragically of a false childbirth provoked by a stroke of lightning in 1731, and the funeral monument captured with great realism the pathos of her death. His sculptures and busts depicted his subjects as they were. They were dressed in ordinary clothing and given natural postures and expressions, without pretentions of heroism. His portrait busts show a great vivacity and were thus different from the broader treatment by Rysbrack. File:Lady Elizabeth Carey tomb.jpg, ''Tomb of Lady Elizabeth Carey'' by

(1617-1618),

Stowe Nine Churches Stowe may refer to: Places United Kingdom *Stowe, Buckinghamshire, a civil parish and former village **Stowe House **Stowe School *Stowe, Cornwall, in Kilkhampton parish *Stowe, Herefordshire, in the List of places in Herefordshire *Stowe, Lincoln ...

, Northamptonshire File:Grinling gibbons, pannello in onore dell'alleanza tra toscana e inghilterra, 1680-82, 04 (cropped).jpg, ''Panel in honor of the alliance between Tuscany and England'', by

(1680–82) File:Sir John Cutler in Guildhall 7427471362.jpg, ''Sir John Cutler'' by

Artus Quellinus III Artus Quellinus III, known in England as Arnold QuellinArtus Quellinus III
at the

, (1753) British Museum File:Louis-François Roubiliac-George Frederick Handel-Victoria and Albert Museum.jpg, ''

Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...

'' by

Louis-François Roubiliac Louis-François Roubiliac (or Roubilliac, or Roubillac) (31 August 1702 – 11 January 1762) was a French sculptor who worked in England. One of the four most prominent sculptors in London working in the rococo style, he was described by Margar ...

, (1738) Victoria and Albert Museum

Germany and the Habsburg Empire

The Baroque movement flourished especially in the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th century in Germany and the states of the

Habsburg Empire The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...

governed from

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

. A large number of churches and statues had been destroyed by the Protestant iconoclasts during the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

and the

, and large numbers of new works were made to replace them. Many of the new works expressed triumphal themes; Hercules slaying a lion, Saint Michael slaying a dragon, and other subjects which represented the triumph of the Catholic church over th Protestants. A number of sculptors came from the Netherlands to participate in the reconstruction. They included

Hubert Gerhard Hubert Gerhards (c. 1540/1550–1620; born 's-Hertogenbosch) was a Dutch sculptor. Like many of his contemporaries, he may have left the Netherlands in order to escape the religious conflicts and iconoclasm of the 1566–1567 era. He trained in Flo ...

(1550–1622) from Amsterdam, a student of

, who was commissioned by the German banker

Hans Fugger Hans Fugger ''von der Lilie'', full name ''Hans, Freiherr Fugger, Herr zu Kirchheim, Glött, Mickhausen, Stettenfels und Schmiechen'', (4 September 1531 – 19 April 1598; buried in Kirchheim in Schwaben) was a German arts patron, businessman and ...

to make a monumental fountain for his castle at Kirchheim. This was the first Italian Baroque style fountain made north of Alps. Gerhard was soon commissioned to make an Italian-Baroque style fountain for the town square in

Augsburg Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ' ...

, and a statue of St. Michael slaying a dragon for the prince's residence in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

. The sculptors Hans Krumper (1570–1634), Hans Reichle (1570–1624) and the Dutch-born Adrien de Vries (1545–1626) made similar monumental bronze fountains and statues, full of action and drama, for church facades and town squares in Bavaria. One of the most unusual German sculptors in the late Baroque was

Franz Xaver Messerschmidt Franz Xaver Messerschmidt (February 6, 1736 – August 19, 1783) was a German-Austrian sculptor most famous for his "character heads", a collection of busts with faces contorted in extreme facial expressions. Early years Born February 6, 17 ...

, who was known both for religious sculpture and for a series of sculpted portraits portraying extreme expressions.

Balthasar Permoser Balthasar Permoser (13 August 1651 – 18 February 1732) was among the leading sculptors of his generation, whose evolving working styles spanned the late Baroque and early Rococo. Permoser was born in Kammer bei Waging, Salzburg, today a ...

(1651–1732) spent fourteen years in Italy, from 1675 to 1689, before becoming court sculptor in

Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...

. He worked in Venice, Rome and Florence, and brought the Italian Baroque to Dresden, particularly in the gardens, and the interior decoration of the

Zwinger Palace The Zwinger (german: Dresdner Zwinger, ) is a palatial complex with gardens in Dresden, Germany. Designed by architect Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann, it is one of the most important buildings of the Baroque period in Germany. Along with the ...

. His most famous work was a sculpture of ''The Apotheosis of Prince Eugene of Savoy'', the general who had defeated the invasion of the Ottoman Turks. The Prince is portrayed with his foot on a defeated Turk, and with the attributes of Hercules. His sculpted pulpit for the Hofkirche in Dresden is another masterpiece of Baroque sculpture. File:Augsburg Augustusbrunnen 6.JPG,

, ''Fountain of Augustus'' in

, 1589-1594) File:Adriaen de Vries Herkules.jpg,

Adriaen de Vries Adriaen de Vries (c.1556–1626) was a Northern Mannerist sculptor born in the Netherlands but working in Central Europe, whose international style crossed the threshold to the Baroque; he excelled in refined modelling and bronze casting and ...

, ''Hercules slays a dragon'' (now at Waldstein Palace, Prague) File:Erzengel-Michael-Augsburg-1.jpg, Fountain of the Archangel Michael by Hans Reichle in

(1603-1606) File:Augsburg Herkulesbrunnen.jpg, The Hercules Fountain in Augsbourg by

(1596-1602) File:Messerschmidt, Yawning.jpg, ''Yawning'' by

(circa 1770) File:Dresden Katholische Hofkirche 113.JPG, Pulpit of the Hofkirche in Dresden, by

The most dramatic theater for Baroque sculpture in Germany was church architecture. Particularly complex retables and high altars. crowded with statues and rising almost the ceilings, were created by Hans Riechle, Jorg Zurn, Hans Degler, and other artists. The

Michael Zürn Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...

family produced several generations of very productive sculptors, making figures of polychrome or gilded wood and stucco. Other artists producing remarkable retables included

Thomas Schwanthaler Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...

. In Vienna, the later years of the 18th century produced some extraordinary works, that marked the transition from Baroque into

. These included the ''Fall of the Angels'' in Saint Michael's Church in Vienna, by Karl Georg Merville. File:HochaltarUeberlingen.jpg, High Altar at Ueberlingen, by Jorg Zurn (about 1613) File:Martin und Michael Zürn Heiliger Sebastian Liebieghaus 1027.jpg, Saint Sebastian, by

File:Muenchen Asamkirche 2005b.jpg, Interior of the Asamkirche in Munich, by

Egid Quirin Asam Egid Quirin Asam (1 September 1692 – 29 April 1750) was a German plasterer, sculptor, architect, and painter. He was active during the Late Baroque and Rococo periods. Born in Tegernsee, Bavaria, Asam worked mainly together with his brothe ...

, with sculpture blended into the architecture File:Dom Johann-Nepomuk-Kapelle Freising-2.jpg, Friesing Chapel by

File:Michaelerkirche - Engelsturz Carl Merville (1).jpg, The Fall of the Angels, in St. Michaels's Church, Vienna, by Karl Georg Merville (1781)

Spain

The emergence of the Baroque style in Spain, as in Italy, was largely driven by the Catholic Church, which used it during the

Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also called the Catholic Reformation () or the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. It began with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) a ...

as a powerful weapon against the Protestants. The great majority of works were made for tombs, altars and chapels. At the same time, the 17th century was a period of economic decline and political and cultural isolation; few Spanish artists traveled abroad, and only a handful of northern European sculptors, notably the Flemish artist José de Arce, came to Spain. As a result, the Spanish Baroque developed independently of the rest of Europe, and had its own specific characteristics. The crowning of the French

Philip V Philip V may refer to: * Philip V of Macedon (221–179 BC) * Philip V of France (1293–1322) * Philip II of Spain, also Philip V, Duke of Burgundy (1526–1598) * Philip V of Spain Philip V ( es, Felipe; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was ...

the grandson of Louis XIV, as King of Spain, and the debut

Bourbon Dynasty The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a European dynasty of French origin, a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Spanis ...

at the beginning of the 18th century brought a dramatic change in cultural policy, and to the style. Thereafter, commissions for major works of art were controlled by the King, not the church, and the royal Academy of Arts. as in France, determined the subjects, style, and materials. This period continued until about 1770.Redondo, pg. 354 Large numbers of sculptures were commissioned for retables, reliquaries and funereal monuments in churches, as well as statuary for religious processions. New themes appeared, particularly works devoted to the cult of the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...

. The style, designed to popular, inclined toward realism. The materials most commonly used was wood, which was frequently painted in different colors. Beginning in about 1610, one specifically Spanish element of realism appeared; sculptors gave their statues wigs of real hair, used pieces of crystal for teardrops, teeth of real ivory, and skin colors painted with careful realism. There were two important schools of Spanish sculpture in the early 16th century, that of Castile and that of

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a ...

. The emphasis in the Castile school was more on sacrifice and martyrdom, with an abundance vivid suffering. The school of Andalusia generally used greater ornament, and less violence; the infant Christ and the Virgin Mary were more frequent subjects than in Castile. The first center of the Castile style was

Valladolid Valladolid () is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and de facto capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the province o ...

, where King

Philip III of Spain Philip III ( es, Felipe III; 14 April 1578 – 31 March 1621) was King of Spain. As Philip II, he was also King of Portugal, Naples, Sicily and Sardinia and Duke of Milan from 1598 until his death in 1621. A member of the House of Habsburg, Phi ...

resided from 1601 to 1606. The most important artist of the early Castilian school was

Gregorio Fernández Gregorio Fernández (April 1576 – 22 January 1636) was a Spanish Baroque sculptor. He belongs to the Castilian school of sculpture, following the style of other great artists like Alonso Berruguete, Juan de Juni, Pompeyo Leoni, and Juan de Ar ...

(1576–1636). His early work showed extraordinary realism and naturalism, showing all the wounds. His ''Descent from the Cross'' in Valladolid, highly detailed and realistic, was made to be carried in processions. His success enabled him to create a large workshop with many assistants, and to make very large-scale works, most notably the retable of the Cathedral of

Plasencia Plasencia () is a walled market city in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Western Spain. , it has a population of 41,047. Situated on the bank of the Jerte River, Plasencia has a historic quarter that is a consequence of the city's stra ...

made between 1625 and 1632, considered one of the high points of Spanish art in the first half of the 17th century.Redondo, pg. 361 File:Cristo atado a la columna 20131225.jpg, Christ martyred, by

Gregorio Fernandez Gregorio Montemayor Fernandez (May 25, 1904 – March 11, 1973) was a Filipino film actor and director, and father of Rudy Fernandez. Personal life Fernandez was born on May 25, 1904 to Eugenio Araneta Fernandez and Maria Montemayor. He marr ...

(about 1619), polychrome wood,

, Vera Cruz File:Valladolid iglesia Vera Cruz Descendimiento Gregorio Fernandez ni.jpg, Descent from the Cross by

(1623-1625), polychrome wood,

File:San Francisco de Borja-Mtnez Montañés1.JPG, ''Saint Francis Borgia'' by

Juan Martínez Montañés Juan Martínez Montañés (March 16, 1568 – June 18, 1649), known as el Dios de la Madera (''the God of Wood''), was a Spanish sculptor, born at Alcalá la Real, in the province of Jaén. He was one of the most important figures of the Sevill ...

(1624) File:Retablo plasencia.JPG, Retable of Plasencia Cathedral, by

(1625–32) File:Altar mayor 002.jpg, Altar of the Hospital de Caidad in Seville (1670–72) of by Pedro Roldán (1624-1699) The other early center of Spanish baroque sculpture was the city of

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...

, which had been greatly enriched by the wealth of the Spanish colonies in the New World. The most important sculptor of the early Seville school was

(1568–1649), whose works portrayed balance and harmony, with a minimum of violence and blood. Another important Seville sculptor was Pedro Roldán (1624–1699), whose major work was the lavish retable depicting the descent from the Cross of Christ, made for the Hospital de Caidad in Seville (1670–72). The daughter of Roldán,

Luisa Roldán Luisa Ignacia Roldán (8 September 1652 – 10 January 1706), known also as La Roldana, was a Spanish sculptor of the Baroque Era. She is the earliest woman sculptor documented in Spain. Roldán is recognized in the Hispanic Society Museu ...

(1654–1704), also achieved fame for her work, and became the first woman appointed a royal sculptor in Spain. Other notable Spanish Baroque sculptors include

Alonso Cano Alonso Cano Almansa or Alonzo Cano (19 March 16013 September 1667) was a Spanish painter, architect, and sculptor born in Granada.Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...

(1601–1634), who was also active as a painter and sculptor, and whose works featured an idealized naturalism. His pupil,

Pedro de Mena Pedro de Mena y Medrano (August 1628 - 13 October 1688) was a Spanish sculptor. Biography Pedro de Mena was born in Granada, Andalusia. He was a pupil of his father Alonso de Mena as well as of Alonzo Cano. His first success was achieved in work ...

(1628–1688), became one of the most important sculptors of the Seville school, with his delicate and realistic life-size statues of Saints. The early 18th century saw the creation of several lavishly Baroque works, including the altar ''El Transparente'' by

Narciso Tomé Narciso Tomé (1690–1742) was a Spanish architect and sculptor of the late- Baroque or Rococo period. Tomé was born in Toro, Spain. With his brother, Diego, he sculpted the facade of the University of Valladolid in 1715. In 1721, he was named ...

in Toledo, an enormous altar created so that, as light changes, it seems to be moving. It was one of the rare works in Spain to be made of bronze and marble, rather than wood. It was the centerpiece of an enormous complex of art composed of sculpture, painting and architecture which occupies the center of the cathedral.Redondo, pg. 368-69 With the arrival of the Bourbon Dynasty in power, the center of the art world shifted to Madrid, the source of royal commissions. The isolation of Spanish art from the art of the rest of Europe ended, with the arrival of French and Italian artists, who were invited to decorate the royal palace. It also brought new works of art leaning toward the extreme, including the tortured ''The Head of Saint Paul'' by Juan Alonso Villabrille y Ron, along with more delicate works, including a sculpture of Saint Florentine by

Francisco Salzillo Francisco Salzillo y Alcaraz (12 May 1707 – 2 March 1783Malgares Guerrero, José Antonio. XXII Jornadas de Patrimonio Cultural de la Región de Murcia (Spanish). 2011, p. 418. ) was a Spanish sculptor. He is the most representative Spanish ...

. The reign of

Charles III of Spain it, Carlo Sebastiano di Borbone e Farnese , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Philip V of Spain , mother = Elisabeth Farnese , birth_date = 20 January 1716 , birth_place = Royal Alcazar of Madrid, Spain , death_d ...

(1760–1788), brought an abrupt end to the Spanish Baroque, and a transition to neoclassicism. The King decreed in 1777 that all altar sculptures and retables had to be approved in advance by the Royal Academy of San Fernando, and that marble and stone, not wood, should be used whenever possible in sculpture. File:The Entombment of Christ LC-2016 482-001.jpg, The Entombment of Christ, by

(1654-1704) File:Inmaculada del fascistol.jpg, ''The Immaculate Conception'' by

Alonso Cano Alonso Cano Almansa or Alonzo Cano (19 March 16013 September 1667) was a Spanish painter, architect, and sculptor born in Granada.Pedro de Mena Pedro de Mena y Medrano (August 1628 - 13 October 1688) was a Spanish sculptor. Biography Pedro de Mena was born in Granada, Andalusia. He was a pupil of his father Alonso de Mena as well as of Alonzo Cano. His first success was achieved in work ...

(1664) File:Transparente of Toledo Cathedral 09.jpg, The ''Transparente'' by

, marble and bronze,

Toledo Cathedral , native_name_lang = , image = Toledo Cathedral, from Plaza del Ayuntamiento.jpg , imagesize = 300px , imagelink = , imagealt = , landscape = , caption ...

(1704) File:San Francisco Javier (La Granja).jpg, ''Saint Francis Xavier'' by

Luis Salvador Carmona Luis Salvador Carmona (1708, Nava del Rey – 1767, Madrid) was a Spanish Baroque sculptor who came from a family of artists. Biography His parents were of modest means, but when he showed artistic aptitude, they sent him to Segovia to study. ...

(1750) File:Santa florentina.jpg, ''Saint Florentine'' by

(1755)

Latin America

The earliest Baroque sculptor and architect to work in Latin America was Pedro de Noguera (1580-), who was born in Barcelona and apprenticed in

. In 1619 he moved to the

Viceroyalty of Peru The Viceroyalty of Peru ( es, Virreinato del Perú, links=no) was a Spanish imperial provincial administrative district, created in 1542, that originally contained modern-day Peru and most of the Spanish Empire in South America, governed from ...

, where, with Martín Alonso de Mesa, he sculpted the Baroque choir stalls of the Cathedral Basilica of Lima (1619-). The Baroque style of sculpture was transported to other parts of Latin America by Spanish and Portuguese missionaries in the 18th century, who commissioned local artists. It was used primarily in churches. The

Quito School The Quito School (''Escuela Quiteña'') is a Latin American artistic tradition that constitutes essentially the whole of the professional artistic output developed in the territory of the Royal Audience of Quito – from Pasto and Popayán in t ...

in Ecuador was an important group of Baroque sculptors. Prominent artists of the school included

Bernardo de Legarda Bernardo de Legarda (c. 1700 – 1 June 1773) was one of the most important artists of the Quito School movement. Biography Legarda was a mestizo artist and the one who best personified the art of sculpture in the capital of Quito during h ...

and Caspicara. Caspicara (1723–1796) was an Ecuadorean artist who made elegant and ornate figures for display in churches. He was a central figure in what is known as the

Aleijadinho Antônio Francisco Lisboa ( or 1738 – 18 November 1814), better known as Aleijadinho (), was a sculptor, carver and architect of Colonial Brazil, noted for his works on and in various churches of Brazil. Little is known with certainty about his ...

(1730 or 1738 to 1814), was the son of a Portuguese colonist and an African slave. He is notable for a group of monumental

soapstone Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock. It is composed largely of the magnesium rich mineral talc. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occur in the zo ...

statues of Saints (1800–1805) for the ''Santuário de Bom Jesus de Matosinhos'' in

Congonhas Congonhas (Congonhas do Campo until 1948) is a historical Brazilian city located in the state of Minas Gerais. It is situated south from Belo Horizonte, the capital of state of Minas Gerais, by the highway BR-040. As of 2020, the city had a popul ...

, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. He also made a series of life-sized Passion figures, depicting the events leading to the Crucifixion of Christ (1780–90). File:Sillería del coro, Catedral de Lima, Peru-02.jpg, Choir stalls, Cathedral of Lima, Peru, by Pedro de Noguera (1619-) File:Inmaculada concepción de Popayán.jpg, ''Immaculate Conception of Popayan'' by

, of the

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

(18th c.) File:Mary (from a nativity) MET ES2109.jpg, Nativity scene by Caspicara, (Metropolitan Museum of Art) (18th century) File:12 Profetas - Congonhas - Minas Gerais - Brazil 03.jpg, The Prophet Daniel by

(1800-1805) File:Congonhas, MG (7768215598).jpg, Head of Christ, by

, in

, Brazil File:Aleijadinho 01.jpg, The Road to Golgotha by

(1780–90)

Notes

Bibliography

* Boucher, Bruce, ''Italian Baroque Sculpture'', 1998, Thames & Hudson (World of Art), * * * Redondo, José Ignacio Hernánez, ''Baroque Sculpture in Spain'', from ''Baroque Art - Architecture - Sculpture Painting'', H.F. Ullmann, Cologne, 2015. () *

Hugh Honour Hugh Honour FRSL (26 September 1927 – 19 May 2016) was a British art historian, known for his writing partnership with John Fleming (art historian), John Fleming. Their ''A World History of Art'' (a.k.a. ''The Visual Arts: A History''), is now ...

and John Fleming, ''A World History of Art'', 1st edn. 1982 (many later editions), Macmillan, London, page refs to 1984 Macmillan 1st edn. paperback. {{Authority control