The last age of art that we waded through was The Renaissance, the Golden Era of painting that valued all things sacred and serene. Where Renaissance paintings were very ordered and pristine often evoking a feeling of calm and assurance no matter the image, Baroque paintings are the storm. Baroque paintings are rich and intense in color, they are full of movement and excitement and are often dark and moody. This style of art was meant to evoke emotion, rebelling from the coldness and calm of the Renaissance.

This was also truly the dawn of secular paintings. Rather than only portraiture and religious scenes, artists were now commonly painting landscapes, still lifes and paintings of everyday scenes, which were very popular at the time. In its day baroque painting was somewhat controversial, it was not recognized as a true art movement until it's end. The term baroque originally had a derogatory slant, meaning too much, extravagant or froufrou.

Among the greatest painters of the Baroque period were Rembrandt, Rubens , Poussin, and Vermeer. The same moody dark and light is what comes to mind with each of these artists. These paintings in my opinion are very emotional and mysterious. Take Vermeer's everyday scene paintings, often of working class Dutch women going about their chores. Now, that does not sound very exciting, yet with the dramatic hues and emotional undertones these pieces are made exceptional. Vermeer's Girl with Pearl Earring (also known as the Dutch Mona Lisa) has been speculated about widely, that this girl was his mistress, that it was painted by copying a photo taken on an extremely early camera, it also famously had a novel and film made from these speculations starring Scarlett Johansson as our Dutch Mona Lisa. The piece itself holds such emotion and mystery (who is the girl tilting her head towards, what exactly is the look on her face) it is easy to see why we keep trying to unravel it.

This is what makes baroque art an interesting piece to have in your home. After all, if we have spent centuries trying to unlock the enigma of these oil paintings, isn't it worth owning this piece so you may spend as much time as you like on these puzzle pieces of art? Let Oil Painting Express bring an expressive and rich baroque piece to your home. Because of their richness and intrigue, Baroque style paintings are a great addition to any home, just be sure to hang it somewhere where you can study the piece, working to unlock its mystery.