Atlas of the Baroque World. Painting and Sculpture.

Baroque: an intercultural bridge between civilizations.

Between the XVIth and the XVIIIth century western civilization had a deep change resulting from the impact of the great inventions, scientific and astronomical discoveries of Gallileo and Keplero and from the discovery of new lands.The term Europe appears for the first time and, from Italy, the new artistic and cultural reality named ';Baroque' extended in Europe and in South America integrating with local traditions and religion in painting, sculpture, architecture, music and theatre, becoming the first international cultural movement and a precious element for dialogue among different cultures.Unesco started the project Atlas of the Baroque World to analyze the itineraries of ideas and shapes, the conditions of civilizations, and the rich and varied creations realized between the XVIth and the XVIIIth century in 50 countries in three continents.The spectacular Baroque art style was born in Rome and it spread through Northern Europe and Latin America.

Paintings are dominated by illusionistic expressions that aim to the marvelousness and rich decorative emotions, while in sculpture there is the extreme form of the artistic movement.

The volume, edited by professor Jacques Thuillier, of the College de France, illustrates the relationship between the demand of images from civil and religious authorities and the sacred and profane creations of artists and artisans.