Kekoaiki's List: Baroque Artists

Pieter de Hooch was a Dutch painter from Rotterdam. His art was a part of the Dutch Golden Age and he specialized in genre scenes, bringing simple domestic images to life. Chose a favorite work, explain why it inspired you, and where it is located.

"Caravaggio" Michelangelo Merisi was an Italian artist from Milan. During time, he was as famous as Da Vinci and as notorious as well, exiled, and possibly murdered for his transgressions. Caravaggio took the shadow technique of chiaroscuro and mixed it into his detailed recreation of specific scenes. He brought bible stories to life, making his works famous and extremely popular. Chose a favorite work, explain why it inspired you, and where it is located.

"El Greco" Doménikos Theotokópoulos was a Greek painter, sculptor and architect. His works generally included elongated lines and shapes, creating a truly spectacular image. Although he was not well received during his time, his style eventually inspired the expressionists and the cubists. Chose a favorite work, explain why it inspired you, and where it is located.

Annibale Carracci was an Italian painter from Bologna. His style was similar to Raphael's and Andrea del Sarto, painting frescoes, landscapes, caricatures, and self-portraits. His work would continue to inspire artists of his time and he even draws comparison to Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. Chose a favorite work, explain why it inspired you, and where it is located.

Frans Hals was a Dutch painter from Antwerp. Part of the Dutch Golden Age, he was famous for painting portraits. His painting style evolved over time, and he gradually began to leave clear, noticeable brushstrokes in his work. He inspired Dutch portrait artists and continues to inspire portrait artist today. After his death, his work fell out of favor, but overtime, he became a Dutch favorite. Chose a favorite work, explain why it inspired you, and where it is located.

Barolome Esteban Murillo was a Spanish artist from Seville. He was famous for his realist approach in his paintings and drawings. His particular Spanish style was well received and he painted for Churches and the wealthy. Chose a favorite work, explain why it inspired you, and where it is located.

Nicolas Poussin was the leading French painter of the classical French Baroque style. He was born in Les Andelys in Normandy and traveled around, learning different techniques along the way. He trained with the Flemish, the French, and the Italians, making a name for himself. King Louis XIII became enamored with his work, amassing a private collection. Poussin’s landscape and attention to detail launched classical severity in France’s art scene. He inspired painters around Europe and continues to have a strong influence in the academic world of painting. Chose a favorite work, explain why it inspired you, and where it is located.

Rembrandt van Rijn is Dutch artist from Leiden. He is considered one of the greatest artist in art. Part of the Dutch Golden Age, his paints and prints are highly sought after today. He was a famous teacher, portrait painter, and scene painter. He has a catalog of nearly 3,000 works of etchings, paintings, and drawings. His style changed throughout his career, growing, evolving, and inspiring. He painted in all shapes, sizes, colors, and styles, mastering multiple techniques as well as teaching a variety of disciplines to his disciples. Chose a favorite work, explain why it inspired you, and where it is located.

Peter Paul Rubens was a Flemish painter born in Siegen. His use of colors, movement, and sensuality make him a perfect example of the Baroque period. The scenes he created transformed history texts to brilliant images and he was very popular during his time, and is still very popular today. He was a student of da Vinci, and even shared da Vinici’s admiration of full figured women. Chose a favorite work, explain why it inspired you, and where it is located.

“Rosa da Tivoli” Philipp Peter Roos, was a German painter from Fankfurt. His paintings caught the attention of the German King, who financed Rosa da Tivoli’s trip to Rome, where his style and skill level grew. He painted simple pictures of the Italian countryside and farm animals. Chose a favorite work, explain why it inspired you, and where it is located.

Anthony van Dyck was a Flemish painter from Antwerp. He studied around Europe and became famous for painting the royals from the English court. He was a master portrait painter, printmaker, and etcher. He developed a large collection of work, making his work very popular in England today. Chose a favorite work, explain why it inspired you, and where it is located.

Diego Velazquez was a Spanish painter from Seville. King Phillip commissioned Velazquez to paint portraits of the royal court, and through this favor and profit, Velazquez was able to travel to Italy to grow as a painter. His portraits evolved to landscapes, and he remained close with the royals. He is one of the most respected artist in Spanish history, influencing Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, and the majority of the realists and impressionists. Chose a favorite work, explain why it inspired you, and where it is located.

Jan Vermeer was a Dutch painter from Delft. He created bright works, using expensive pigments and colors, and is recognized as one the greatest painter of the Dutch Golden Age. Da Vinci served as an inspiration for Vermeer, using colors to represent light in his pictures. During his time, his paintings were labeled modest, and his works quickly lost favor after his death. Art historians reflected on his work, increasing his popularity and status. Chose a favorite work, explain why it inspired you, and where it is located.

Georges de La Tour was a French painter from Vic-sur Seille. He opened up a small studio and lived a modest quiet life until the King of France hired him to paint royal portraits. Not much is known about his life, and his works disappeared until the 20th century. He mastered shading and light effects, something few artists of the time were able to do. Chose a favorite work, explain why it inspired you, and where it is located.

Guido Reni was an Italian painter from Bologna. He painted frescoes, churches, and ceilings of chapels, drawing comparisons to Michelangelo. He developed the standard for printmaking in Italy, which helped continue his legacy in Italian art. Chose a favorite work, explain why it inspired you, and where it is located.