Which period of art began in the early 1600s in Rome as a response of the Catholic Church to the Protestant Reformation? Gian Lorenzo Bernini was the leading artist of the movement.

The Apotheosis of St Ignatius

(1694) San Ignazio, Rome, by Pozzo.

One of the Baroque's most inspiring

religious paintings ever created.

Definition: What is Baroque Art?

In fine art, the term Baroque (derived from the Portuguese 'barocco' meaning, 'irregular pearl or stone') describes a fairly complex idiom, originating in Rome, which flowered during the period c. 1590-1720, and which embraced painting, and sculpture as well as architecture. After the idealism of the Renaissance (c. 1400-1530), and the slightly 'forced' nature of Mannerism (c. 1530-1600), Baroque art above all reflected the religious tensions of the age - notably the desire of the Catholic Church in Rome (as annunciated at the Council of Trent, 1545-63) to reassert itself in the wake of the Protestant Reformation. Thus it is almost synonymous with Catholic Counter-Reformation Art of the period.

Many Catholic Emperors and monarchs across Europe had an important stake in the Catholic Church's success, hence a large number of architectural designs, paintings and sculptures were commissioned by the Royal Courts of Spain, France, and elsewhere - in parallel to the overall campaign of Catholic Christian art, pursued by the Vatican - in order to glorify their own divine grandeur, and in the process strengthen their political position. By comparison, Baroque art in Protestant areas like Holland had far less religious content, and instead was designed essentially to appeal to the growing aspirations of the merchant and middle classes.