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Baroque 1620-1800 Style in Age of Magnificence

Major Exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum

Mar 31, 2009 Frances Spiegel

The V&A's new exhibition looks at the style known as Baroque. How and why did it spread across Europe? Why did the Roman Catholic Church adopt it so avidly?

Baroque 1620-1800: Style in the Age of Magnificence is the first exhibition to explore every aspect of the style known as Baroque, including art and architecture, design, theatre and performance. The V&A will investigate how the fashion spread across the globe. The display will also show how and why the Roman Catholic Church adopted the Baroque style with a vengeance.

The installation features more than 200 items and has been designed by Land Design Studio. The exhibition will include portraits, sculpture, ceramics, a royal bed, court tapestries and textiles, silver furniture, religious objects and religious paintings by Rubens and Tiepolo.

Visitors are left in no doubt about the magnificence of both the secular and religious world of Baroque Europe, as seen at Louis XIV's court at Versailles, or the splendour of St Peter's in Rome.

The exhibition includes a number of memorable highlights:

Portraits of Louis XIV

The exhibition includes several portraits of Louis XIV. The portrait shown is by Hyacinthe Rigaud and was painted in Paris, France. It dates from about 1701.

Bust of Charles II

This marble sculpture of Charles II was created by Honore Pelle (act.1679-1694) in Genoa in 1684. Pelle signed and dated the piece on the statue's arm.

Rare and Historic Furniture

Also on display are beautiful items of rare and historic furniture including a 17th century cabinet made by Domenico Cucci in the Parisian Gobelins workshop, and a magnificent state bed presented by Louis XIV to Nils Bielke, the Swedish ambassador.

The Descent from the Cross - Peter Paul Rubens

Another importance piece is the centre panel of the triptych entitled: The Descent from the Cross, which was painted by Peter Paul Rubens, in 1611, for the cathedral in Antwerp.

Baroque 1620 - 1800: Style in the Age of Magnificence - Publication

The exhibition is accompanied by a 368-page book of the same name, edited by Nigel Llewellyn (Head of Research at Tate), and Michael Snodin (Senior Research Fellow in the V&A's Research Department). The publication contains more than 350 illustrations and explores the complexity and sophistication of Baroque art.

Baroque 1620 - 1800: Style in the Age of Magnificence will be open from 4th April to 19th July 2009.

Europe and the English Baroque: Architecture in England 1660-1715

To accompany the Baroque show the V&A and RIBA Architecture Gallery will have a display devoted to English and Baroque architecture. The exhibition will focus on Easton Neston, a Northamptonshire country house designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor in 1694. The display will include the original architectural model of Easton Neston, together with studies, sketches and engravings architects Sir Christopher Wren, Sir John Vanbrugh and others.

This display will be open from 17th April to 10th November 2009.

Further details of both exhibitions are available from the V&A.

The copyright of the article Baroque 1620-1800 Style in Age of Magnificence in Art Galleries/Museums is owned by Frances Spiegel. Permission to republish Baroque 1620-1800 Style in Age of Magnificence in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.