Baroque

Term describing a style in art and architecture. Originally developed in Italy in the late 16th century.

Baroque architecture is characterised by basic symmetry with asymmetrical ornamentation and a combination of many art forms: architecture and painting, music and performance (often with a blurring of boundaries and attempts to play with the perception of the spectators). “Stone and mortar were often blended with statuary and painting; indeed it was difficult to see where one art left off and the other began” (Guisepi n.p.). Probably the most famous example of Italian baroque architecture is St Peter's Cathedral in Rome, designed by Giovanni Bernini (1598-1660).

Sources

The Baroque Era In The Arts. Ed. R.A. Guisepi. Web. 16 Jun 2013. <http://history-world.org/baroque_era.htm>

http://architecture.about.com/od/periodsstyles/ig/Historic-Styles/Baroque.htm (16.06.2013)