Baroque and Rococo Art

What this unit covers

The unit sits in the Renaissance and Baroque strand of Art history. Most of it is Baroque, with a smaller amount on Rococo. Many resources centre on Bernini and Rome, and there are also notes on Dutch painting of the seventeenth century, with its small-scale, everyday scenes and its realism.

Where to start

Begin with the Baroque Art mind map. It sets out the movement as an artistic and cultural movement of the 17th and 18th centuries, with more emotion and complexity, shapes formed by colour and light, and curved forms. Then try the Renaissance and Baroque Art quiz. It asks you to recognise artists and name artworks, such as who made The Last Supper, so it shows quickly what you already know.

Going deeper

1. Read the notes on Bernini and Baroque Rome to see how his art responded to its setting.
2. Move to the notes on Dutch painting, then the mind maps on Las Meninas, Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer and Rembrandt.
3. Look at the Rococo note for the later phase.
4. Use the Rome and Baroque period maps to place works in context.

Using quizzes and maps together

Take a quiz first and note which artists, titles or dates you missed. Then open a mind map on that topic and read only those branches. Retake the quiz afterwards to see what has stuck. Flashcard decks such as Art of the Baroque and Blanchard Flashcards suit short sessions. They list patrons, churches and works by artist, title and place. Some decks come from university courses, and the resources mention AP Art History. Students at school level will find the overview maps most approachable.

Make it your own

Every resource was made by GoConqr users, so styles vary. Pick one deck or map that matches your course, work through it, and then build a set of your own for the works you find hardest.