Understanding Art: Baroque & Rococo

As the Reformation rocks the Catholic Church in Italy, Caravaggio keeps the faith by bringing biblical scenes to life in vivid, dramatic canvases. Architects Bernini and Borromini design cathedrals with sensual curves and playful geometric patterns. In Naples, art turns deadly as painters ruthlessly defend their turf.

Spanish painter Velázquez renders an incestuous royal family in grotesque glory, while Zurbarán paints the fervent ecstasy of martyrs and monks. In Holland, Vermeer and Rembrandt break new ground with intimate portraits of locals at work and play, while Rubens pursues voluptuous passions in Belgium.

Baroque lands in England, and King Charles I champions painters Rubens and Van Dyck--with deadly consequences. In the wake of a devastating fire, Christopher Wren designs 51 cathedrals in London in grand baroque style. In the countryside, Blenheim Palace takes baroque to absurd new heights.

In Heidelberg, pilgrims loosen their purse strings after thrilling to Balthasar Neumann's extravagant Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. Saxony's Augustus the Strong ruthlessly unlocks the secrets of porcelain manufacturing, fueling a craze for exotic figurines. On the Adriatic, Canaletto's sunny paintings of Venice gloss over its gritty reality.

France's Watteau populates canvases with delirious lovers, while England's Gainsborough paints a new view of childhood. In Versailles, a social climber leaves a lasting legacy in nail polish, champagne glasses, and hairstyles. Between conquests, Frederick the Great finds respite in Sanssouci, a single-story rococo sanctuary.

A member of England's notorious Hellfire Club, William Hogarth paints scathing attacks on Catholicism. Throughout Europe, masked revelers break taboos in balls inspired by the harlequin. Tiepolo signals Venice's decline with frescoes haunted by a menacing hunchback, and in Spain, Goya's nightmares spill over into haunting paintings.

Januszczak examines the life and work of underrated English artist William Dobson, who as exiled King James's court painter, brought the English Civil War to life.