College of DuPage Library

Baroque and Rococo

Revised art guide in progress by Dominican University / COD practicum student Kathleen Gomez - sp 2016

Baroque art was the result of the Catholic response to the Protestant reformation at the Council of Trent (1545-63). The Catholic church wanted to reestablish itself as the eminent church in Europe, and commissioned art basically as propaganda against the Protestants. The art of the Baroque era tends to be monumental, staggering, with dizzying compositions and a strong sense of spectacle and illusion. It was coined "Baroque," a word meaning "elaborate," at first used derogatorily, because some found it too much after the cool and collected art of the Renaissance. Art objects of this period include oil paintings and marble sculpture.

Rococo art rose in France as a direct response to the Baroque movement. While the Baroque is grand, symmetrical, and abundant in religious themes, Rococo is light and playful; ironic, once you consider it occurred the same time as the frivolous Louis XIV's reign. Rococo has many architectural elements and applications, as can be seen in palaces and gardens. Paintings as well as mirrors, cabinets, and sculpture survive from this period.

Art Guide Home

  1. Reference Books
  2. Circulating Books
  3. Databases and Websites

Reference Books

Confused about your topic, or not sure where to begin? Start here! Reference books are written to give you a good general overview of a topic. Print reference works are for in-library use only; ebooks can be viewed on and off campus if you have a current COD library card. The reference section is on the first floor of the library, behind the staircase. You can use the catalog or Reference Universe to find both print and electronic reference books.

Baroque

  • … isms: Understanding Art - N6447.5 .L58 2004
    • This neat little resource defines art movements from the Renaissance forward. Each chapter is color coded by movement, and it uses icons to tell you similar and different movements, glossary terms, and more. Features a table of contents; color photos; glossary; and timeline.
    • See Chapter 2: “Baroque & Rococo” pgs 41-67
  • 30,000 Years of Art - N5300 .A14 2015
    • This little book is a huge timeline of art, from prehistory to contemporary! Each page contains a color photo of an artwork, the bibliographic information, and a short article. Each entry is color coded on the bottom edge of the page depending on the continent the work originated from. There is a smaller timeline of just text at the end, before the index.
    • See “Baroque Style” in the index, pg 646
  • Arts & Humanities Through the Eras - NX440 .A787 2005
    • This set has 5 volumes dedicated to different eras. Topics covered include music, fashion, architecture, visual arts, theater, and much more! Each book has an era overview, chronology, and table of contents at the beginning of each book and each chapter. Also included are black and white photos, maps, and illustrations; a bibliography after each entry; glossary; and index.
    • See Volume 5: “The Age of the Baroque and Enlightenment”
  • The Encyclopedia of Sculpture - NB198 .E53 2004
    • This encyclopedia contains longer articles on sculptors, famous works, works by period, style, and country/continent, and materials and techniques. There is a table of contents in the first volume by both alphabet and theme, with the index in the last volume. Also featured are black and white photos and a bibliography after each entry.
    • See Volume 1: “Baroque style” pgs 124-9
  • Grove Dictionary of Art - N31 .D5 1996
    • This is an older resource, but one of the most comprehensive art resources there is. The articles and biographies are a little longer, and features black and white photos and illustrations, maps, and an index. Also part of Oxford Art Online!
    • See “Baroque” Volume 3, pgs 261-8
  • The Oxford Companion to to Western Art - N33 .O923 2001
    • Oxford is one of the premier publishers for art and architecture. This book offers concise articles on Western art movements, artists, and art history. Also available in e-book.
    • See “Baroque” pgs 50-1

Rococo

  • … isms: Understanding Art - N6447.5 .L58 2004
    • This neat little resource defines art movements from the Renaissance forward. Each chapter is color coded by movement, and it uses icons to tell you similar and different movements, glossary terms, and more. Features a table of contents; color photos; glossary; and timeline.
    • See Chapter 2: “Baroque & Rococo” pgs 41-67
  • 30,000 Years of Art - N5300 .A14 2015
    • This little book is a huge timeline of art, from prehistory to contemporary! Each page contains a color photo of an artwork, the bibliographic information, and a short article. Each entry is color coded on the bottom edge of the page depending on the continent the work originated from. There is a smaller timeline of just text at the end, before the index.
    • See “Rococo Style” in the index, pg 653
  • Arts & Humanities Through the Eras - NX440 .A787 2005
    • This set has 5 volumes dedicated to different eras. Topics covered include music, fashion, architecture, visual arts, theater, and much more! Each book has an era overview, chronology, and table of contents at the beginning of each book and each chapter. Also included are black and white photos, maps, and illustrations; a bibliography after each entry; glossary; and index.
    • See Volume 5: “The Age of the Baroque and Enlightenment”
  • The Encyclopedia of Sculpture - NB198 .E53 2004
    • This encyclopedia contains longer articles on sculptors, famous works, works by period, style, and country/continent, and materials and techniques. There is a table of contents in the first volume by both alphabet and theme, with the index in the last volume. Also featured are black and white photos and a bibliography after each entry.
    • See Volume 1: “Rococo style” pgs 124-9
  • Grove Dictionary of Art - N31 .D5 1996
    • This is an older resource, but one of the most comprehensive art resources there is. The articles and biographies are a little longer, and features black and white photos and illustrations, maps, and an index. Also part of Oxford Art Online!
    • See “Rococo” Volume 26, pgs 491-500
  • The Oxford Companion to to Western Art - N33 .O923 2001
    • Oxford is one of the premier publishers for art and architecture. This book offers concise articles on Western art movements, artists, and art history. Also available in e-book.
    • See “Rococo” pgs 637-8

Circulating Books

These are books you can check out! They can get more specific than reference books and are located on the second floor of the library. You can search the catalog before going up or click the box below to see the call numbers for art books so you can browse the shelves. If you find a book while searching that looks awesome but that we don't own, you can submit an inter-library loan request through I-Share and another library will send you the book for free! You will need a COD library card to check books out.

Click Here to See Call Number Ranges

Ask a Library staff member to show you where the "N" and "T" books are located.

N - general works of art
NA - works on architecture
NB - sculpting
NC - drawing
ND - painting
NE - print media
NK - decorative arts & ceramics
NX - special topics in art
TR - photography


Baroque

  • 17th and 18th century art: Baroque Painting, Sculpture, Architecture - N6415 .B3 H4
    • A look at Baroque art organized by century, country, and medium. Features a table of contents; black and white and color photos; a bibliography; and index.
  • Art Past, Art Present - N5300 .W64 1997
    • A world look at art in chronological order from ancient to publication in 1997. The chapters are short, basically an overview of each art period, with a timeline at the end of each chapter. Features a table of contents; black and white and color photos and maps; bibliography; index; and glossary.
  • Baroque and Rococo - N6415.B3 B355 2012
    • A Phaidon publication that looks at Baroque and Rococo in Europe, and how and where it spread. Features a table of contents; black and white and color photos; a glossary; brief biographies of artists; a timeline; bibliography; and index.
  • How to Recognize Baroque Art - N6415 .B3 C6613 1979
    • A really short, easy to read introduction to Baroque art. There's unfortunately no table of contents but there are headings are at top of each page so you know where you’re at. Features color photos and diagrams; a glossary; bibliography; and index.
  • Sculpture of the World: A History - NB60 .C55 1968
    • A chronological view of sculpture from primitive and ancient to the 1960’s. Features a table of contents; black and white photos and maps; bibliography; and index.

Rococo

  • Art Past, Art Present - N5300 .W64 1997
    • A world look at art in chronological order from ancient to publication in 1997. The chapters are short, basically an overview of each art period, with a timeline at the end of each chapter. Features a table of contents; black and white and color photos and maps; bibliography; index; and glossary.
  • Baroque and Rococo - N6415.B3 B355 2012
    • A Phaidon publication that looks at Baroque and Rococo in Europe, and how and where it spread. Features a table of contents; black and white and color photos; a glossary; brief biographies of artists; a timeline; bibliography; and index.
  • Painting in Italy in the Eighteenth Century: Rococo to Romanticism - ND616 .C5
    • A catalog of an exhibition organized by the Art Institute of Chicago, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and the Toledo Museum of Art. Each painting has a short essay attached as well as the bibliographic information. Features a table of contents and black and white and color photos.
  • Sculpture of the World: A History - NB60 .C55 1968
    • A chronological view of sculpture from primitive and ancient to the 1960’s. Features a table of contents; black and white photos and maps; bibliography; and index.

Databases and Websites

All these are web resources that the COD library has subscribed to or that have been gathered from the internet that are helpful for this topic!

Baroque

Databases - Best Bets

Below are library databases where you can access journal articles and other content. Most of these may be accessed from off-campus, but you must have a COD library card to do so.

Some suggested keywords and subject terms to use when searching for articles on this subject are:
- “Baroque art”
- “Baroque architecture”

  • Academic OneFile
    • Contains nearly 13,000 indexed journals, newspapers, and magazines, most peer reviewed and many full-text. The research is very current, not much historical content, but there are a wide range of topics covered. There's a really cool topic finder on the search results page, which gives you keywords related to your search! You have the option to save, download, or email the text or MP3 of the article, and you can make a free account to highlight and make notes on the article within the database.
  • Academic Search Complete
    • Contains over 9000 journals, about 7000 of which are full-text. Some journals go back to 1880’s so you can get historical and recent publications on any given topic. There are plenty of options to narrow your search and to save and cite your article.
  • Art & Architecture Complete
    • Similar to Academic Search Complete except it contains only art-specific publications! If you're looking for the subject browsing function, it's titled Thesaurus.
  • Artstor
    • Find images of artworks that can be used in papers and presentations! You can search or browse by geography, media, or museum/gallery collections. Make a free account to save, organize, cite, or export images. Take a look through their subject guides to get ideas for your next project! See the Artstor Quick Start Guide for tips on using this resource.
  • Oxford Art Online
    • An art major's best friend. This database includes the full text of Grove Art Online, the Oxford Companion to Western Art, the Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, and The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms. Your one-stop shop for scholarly articles, biographies, and definitions of all things art-related.

Websites

These resources were compiled from the internet. No library card required!

  • Google Art Project
    • The Google Art Project is the result of a partnership with museums and galleries to put the art online for free! You can search and browse by museum, collection, artist, or artwork. If you have a Google account, you can create your own "gallery" so you can save and categorize your favorite artwork.
  • Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History - Baroque Art
    • Links to the "keyword" feature of the Timeline, which lists all the essays, artworks, and timeline with the "Baroque Ar" tag. Curated by the Met.
  • The Walter’s Art Museum - Baroque Europe
    • Browse through the Baroque Europe collection at the Walter’s Art Museum in Baltimore. There is a really cool slider that goes through the pages! Hovering over a picture will give you a quick overview of object, and clicking on will take you to the full bibliographic record, where you can explore the object by zooming in and clicking different views.
  • Victoria and Albert Museum - Baroque
    • Explore the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection of Baroque art. There are links to articles, related content, and pieces in the collection.

Rococo

Databases - Best Bets

Below are library databases where you can access journal articles and other content. Most of these may be accessed from off-campus, but you must have a COD library card to do so.

Some suggested keywords and subject terms to use when searching for articles on this subject are:
- “Rococo art”
- “Rococo architecture”

  • Academic OneFile
    • Contains nearly 13,000 indexed journals, newspapers, and magazines, most peer reviewed and many full-text. The research is very current, not much historical content, but there are a wide range of topics covered. There's a really cool topic finder on the search results page, which gives you keywords related to your search! You have the option to save, download, or email the text or MP3 of the article, and you can make a free account to highlight and make notes on the article within the database.
  • Academic Search Complete
    • Contains over 9000 journals, about 7000 of which are full-text. Some journals go back to 1880’s so you can get historical and recent publications on any given topic. There are plenty of options to narrow your search and to save and cite your article.
  • Art & Architecture Complete
    • Similar to Academic Search Complete except it contains only art-specific publications! If you're looking for the subject browsing function, it's titled Thesaurus.
  • Artstor
    • Find images of artworks that can be used in papers and presentations! You can search or browse by geography, media, or museum/gallery collections. Make a free account to save, organize, cite, or export images. Take a look through their subject guides to get ideas for your next project! See the Artstor Quick Start Guide for tips on using this resource.
  • Oxford Art Online
    • An art major's best friend. This database includes the full text of Grove Art Online, the Oxford Companion to Western Art, the Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, and The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms. Your one-stop shop for scholarly articles, biographies, and definitions of all things art-related.

Websites

These resources were compiled from the internet. No library card required!

  • Google Art Project
    • The Google Art Project is the result of a partnership with museums and galleries to put the art online for free! You can search and browse by museum, collection, artist, or artwork. If you have a Google account, you can create your own "gallery" so you can save and categorize your favorite artwork.
  • Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History - Rococo
    • Links to the "keyword" feature of the Timeline, which lists all the essays, artworks, and timeline with the "Rococo" tag. Curated by the Met.
  • National Gallery of Art - French and Italian Painting: 18th Century
    • The National Gallery of Art is a world-class museum of art in Washington D.C. Here they have put together a portal to virtual tours of 18th century European art.
  • Victoria and Albert Museum - Rococo
    • Explore the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection of Baroque art. There are links to articles, related content, and pieces in the collection.