Pictures with Soul

Catholic or Protestant, the world image and everyday life of the Baroque bore the stamp of religion and Christian moral values. A major impetus came in the sixteenth century from the Council of Trent, the Roman Catholic Church’s reaction to the triumphal march of Protestantism. What was needed now was the common touch and an emotional appeal to the faithful.

The artists responded with pictorial themes that invited beholders to immerse themselves with humility in the scenes, and emotionally relive the salvation story. The piety depicted in their works is not otherworldly, but highly sensuous. This is true of altarpieces as well as religious cabinet paintings, which were collected not as objects of devotion, but as works of art. But Baroque portraits and genre paintings, too, are a testimony to a living faith.

With ingenuity and pleasure in narrative, the Baroque masters clothed traditional motifs in a new guise. Ambitiously, they searched for modern stylistic devices to enhance the persuasiveness of their work. Naturalistic, expansive figures and a rich play of gestures and facial expressions all played their part, as did colour. Opulent colour lends a stirring vitality, while cool pallor creates a contemplative mood for martyrdom or Passion scenes. A major role was now played by light. Vigorous chiaroscuro and spotlight techniques create dramatic lighting effects. As a spiritual light, it became a bearer of meaning in its own right.

In this room, artists from the southern and northern Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Spain invite you to compare their work. Their journeys and the flourishing international art market gave rise to a fruitful exchange and rivalry between the different cultural landscapes.