Baroque and Barocchetto
The term "Baroque" has been defined in many, very varied ways over the years. While Eugenio D'Ors spoke of a universal and timeless trend, present in all decorative and ornamental expression, numerous art historians have adopted a more restrictive terminology. For them, Baroque is primarily a Roman phenomenon linked to papal patronage, present in architecture and sculpture from 1630 onwards, with Bernini, Borromini and Pietro da Cortona as its main representatives. In the field of painting, the term is difficult to apply as the two-dimensional character of a picture goes against the unlimited space associated with the Baroque style.
Nevertheless, large decorations like the vault of the church of the Gesu by Gaulli, known as Baciccio, rely on illusion and are described as Baroque. Gaulli's sketch and the large paintings by Antonio Gherardi and Vassallo can all be classified under this heading. For the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th Centuries in Rome, art historians have invented the term "Barocchetto", or Little Baroque, to which the term "Rococo Arcadico" is sometimes preferred. This is a more intimist, delicate style that corresponds to certain Rococo trends. The small paintings by Sebastiano Conca fit well into this category.
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