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An Introduction To Baroque Architecture

The term “Baroque” is believed to originate from the Portuguese word “barocco” meaning grotesque or deformed pearl. The term used to be applied in an uncomplimentary fashion.

What are the characteristics of Baroque?

Masses of curved shapes
Strong lines and rich colours
Highly decorative
Theatrical, embellished and lavish
Little attention to proportion

Baroque did not enjoy any degree of longegevity in Britain and was most prolific between 1690 and 1730. Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard are two of the most striking examples of Baroque and both are the work of Sir John Vanbrugh (1664 – 1726.)

Nicholas Hawksmoor was another champion of Baroque style in England. He worked with Vanbrugh for a period before going it alone as an architect, he contributed to the design of Westminster Abbey and a succession of London churches.

By 1730 the opulence and exaggerated style of the Baroque period had given way to the graceful and understated proportions of the Georgian period.

Blenheim Palace was conceived as a monumental homage to the Duke Of Marlborough. Designed by Vanbrugh, in quintessential Baroque style, it is the closest thing that Britain has to a Versailles.

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