It's September and things are already cooling down here in Germany. With the cooler weather I'm already conjuring visions of Fall and Fall colors. But rather than use fall as my inspiration I'm going to talk about Baroque or Louis XIV style, interiors, and furniture. It is worth noting though that Baroque also had prominence in art and music. Baroque is very similar to Rococo, in fact Rococo is sometimes called "late Baroque" and this is because Baroque pre-dates Rococo and blends seamlessly into Rococo style but with noticeable differences. While Rococo is full of pastel colors and asymmetrical designs, Baroque is full of rich, deep, dark, luxurious colors and symmetrical designs. The differences in Rococo are in response to the style that pre-dated it. Baroque is beautiful and extravagant, and largely inaccessible to those during its time and now especially. I think most people (myself included) get Baroque and Rococo confused because they are so similar and pieces today are hard to identify without taking a close look. I'm always learning and eager to see pieces of both styles in books, magazines, and sometimes in person.
Whereas Rococo flourished in France, Baroque began in Italy, specifically Rome beginning in the late 16th century. You can see Baroque interior in many Catholic churches in Europe and this is because the churches were a way for the Italians to show of their grandeur and promote religion and power through beauty. It's not hard to see why Baroque style churches are some of the most beautiful. Living in Germany, I see plenty of these style of churches, even in small towns and they never fail to blow me away with their visually stunning architecture and design. Here are some examples of Barqoue architecture:
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Fontana Di Trevi in Rome, Italy
Berlin Cathedral in Berlin G
Below are some examples of Baroque interiors:
Ettal Abbey in Ettal, Germany
And my favorite; examples of Baroque style furniture. Baroque furniture is a lot bigger and sturdier than Rococo. It is meant to make a statement and is ominous and elegant with deep colors in reds, greens, blues, and purples.
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Estoi Palace
 
While it's difficult to find genuine Baroque furniture and even images, there is no short of repro and modern takes on Baroque style furniture. Here are some examples of new and pretty interesting interpretations below:
 
So there's my September inspiration. Yes, it's a little tacky for today's tastes, but visually appealing nonetheless. What do you think? Do you think one style is better than the other or are they both tacky?
Sources:
pic 1: N/A
pic 2: wikipedia.com
pic 3: wikipedia.com
pic 4: algarveresident.com
pic 5: wikipedia.com
pic 6: vam.ac.uk
pic 7:socialbliss.com
pic 8:decorating.vistacasas.com
pic 9:axsorsis.com
Linking up at: Dagmar's Home Savvy Southern Style Ivy and Elephants Lavender Garden Cottage Dwellings Knick of Time Common Ground Twigg Studios The Dedicated House A Stroll Thru Life Coastal Charm The Brambleberry Cottage No Minimalist Here From My Front Porch To Yours Rooted in Thyme Pret-a-Vivre French Country Cottage Miss Mustard Seed A Dose of Paige The Tablescaper Sunday View Kathe With An E |
It's not tacky at all! If I had millions my house would probably resemble Marie Antoinette's summer house! I am loving that black bed, so luxurious.
ReplyDeleteHaha how about it. I wish I could afford some real Baroque up in hurr!
DeleteGorgeous photographs as always! I would love to see places like this up close!
ReplyDeleteJennelise
Thanks Jennelise! Me too, although I could go see the Berlin Cathedral in person. Hmm maybe a Thanksgiving trip...
DeleteFascinating look at Baroque architecture. We stayed at a hotel in France where our Baroque-style chair was made of black rubber. Very hip.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Jennie, sounds like an awesome hotel! I also love the quote on your blog. I can totally identify!
DeleteLove it! Do you have any favorite flea markets or antique stores around here? I'm in the market for a china hutch...
ReplyDeleteYes, my favorite antique store is the one on the way to Amberg, you'll see it on the left and there is a Tremplemarkt in Nurnberg this Saturday that only happens twice a year. I went in May, it's huge and awesome. I'm going if you need a ride.
DeleteLove the black bed. I've been coveting one for a long time.
ReplyDeleteGreat baroque :). Thank you for partying with us!
ReplyDeleteI very much enjoyed your post on baroque inspiration! I've always been confused with the two styles. I live near Ludwigsburg (Baden-Würrtemberg) and it has a beautiful castle "Blühendes Barock". If you take a tour of the inside you will see many examples of baroque and rococo styles. I've lived here for so long yet just this year took a tour of the inside and I was amazed. Here is the link to the official site if you're interested: http://www.blueba.de/
ReplyDeleteI've saved your blog to my "blogs to read" file and look forward to visiting again. I love reading about fellow Americans living in and discovering Germany.
Enjoy your years here ... and who knows, maybe you'll be tempted to stay?
Greetings,
Siggie
Hi, I posted a link of the "Blühendes Barock", well that was just for the outside gardens, sorry about that. Here is the link for the castle (Schloss Ludwigsburg) itself: http://www.schloss-ludwigsburg.de/en/
ReplyDeleteHope you take a look, it's worth it.
Siggie
I love it and you are in such a great location to be able to visit and see so many examples of the Rococo period. Have you had the chance to visit St. Coloman Church near Fussen? It's one of my favorite! Love your site and I'm glad to have spotted your blog on Seasonal Sunday.
ReplyDeleteThanks, and thanks for visiting. I haven't visited the St. Coloman Church. Never even heard of it. It looks pretty rural! How does the inside look?
DeleteI love Baroque style, especially in music with period instruments. Both styles are too ornate for my 60s tract home, but I admire them anyway. Thanks for linking up this interesting post with Inspired Sunday.
ReplyDelete