CATHOLIC BAROQUE VS. THE PROTESTANT BAROQUE IN NORTHERN EUROPE Catholic Baroque in Italy vs. the Protestant Baroque in Northern Europe

The following study compares the theatricality of the Catholic Baroque in Italy to the Protestant Baroque in Northern Europe. The discussion will focus on Caravaggio's "the Crucifixion of Saint Peter" to Rembrandt's "The Return of The Prodigal Son." It also extends to include the way each artist handles the religious subject reflecting both the different sensibilities of these two artistic styles and the religious thinking of these two areas.

The Baroque period is argued to have taken place between the 1500s and 1700s. As the 16th approached, Western Europe experienced a reformation that divided Christianity between Protestants and Catholics. Most countries in Northern Europe (Switzerland, Holland and Britain) became Protestants whereas Southern countries (Spain and Italy) became Catholics. The sharp divide caused different art styles. In their churches, the Protestants no more commissioned vast biblical pieces because they were believed to be idolatry and thus replaced these with art that depicted unadorned and personal Christianity. In contrast, Catholic churches maintained a dramatic and dark art that varied from theatrical sculptures to fully painted ceilings designed to appear like heaven. The aim of such paintings was to teach people about Catholicism and the Bible (Forster 2001).

Italy is perceived as the core of counter-reformation art. From the paintings of Michelangelo Caravaggio, topics like "The Taking of Christ" were dramatically portrayed against a dark background to Gianlorenzo Bernini's theatrical sculptures and illusionistic ceiling paintings. The latter pulling back the ceiling and sky to expose heaven, art in religion endeavored to dazzle and inspire the public to the glory of the Roman Catholic Church. In comparison, Northern Europe is hailed as the core of the...

From the distaste for the rich artwork that decorated formerly Catholic churches all over Northern Europe, many churches and cathedrals were stripped bare their statues and paintings destroyed to create a very simple space for worship.
Caravaggio is among the most influential Catholic Baroque artists in history. His influence in the field of art remains relevant to date. His masterpiece, "The Crucifixion of Saint Peter" contains three dishonest figures whose faces are concealed. In essence, they are thrusting the cross to which Peter is nailed by the feet with his head pointing down. As Caravaggio portrays it, the Saint Peter cannot be termed as a martyr (Franchot, 1994). Rather, he is an old man living in fear of death due to Pang. Caravaggio's obscure and impermeable background draws the audience's gaze back again to the illuminated characters. Equally significant is Caravaggio's dramatic application of chiaroscuro; contrasting spaces of dark and light (Strickland, & Boswell. 2007).

Caravaggio's influence in art is significant because he turned a great part of European art away from the idealistic perspective of the Renaissance to a viewpoint whereby daily reality is of prime significance. He is among the first artists to portray human beings are ordinary looking. His primary topics are religious-based, which he embodies with actual courage. He boasts of a powerful plastic modeling of form; this artist puts an oil paint over a canvas with dabs and applies a strong contrast of shadow and light to improve the dramatic effects of his paintings. In some cases, his pieces attained such a realistic force the audience declined from them not seeing the proper ideality and piety in the images (Franchot, 1994).

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was one of the first Protestant artists in…