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The Baroque is a style of art that embraces both formal and theatrical themes. It is a style that attempts to capture strong emotions from the viewer. Whether it is the striking contrast of light and dark, the strong diagonals used, or the story being told, Baroque has a way with the viewer where every emotion is heightened and pulled to the fullest. However, although the concept of Baroque pieces are generally similar, in Holland and Italy there are striking dissimilarities due to economical, political, and religious differences.

In Holland during the seventeenth century, there was no monarchy or aristocracy. The middle class was started to become very prevalent and started to want pictures and paintings. But it wasn’t just the middle class; it was everyone—everyone right down to lower class social levels. It was almost a way of showing your status, and your ability to buy extraordinary pieces, and your ability to choose.

Dutch painters during this time generally focused on images of everyday life. There were no longer paintings of the biblical divinities of life, and there were no longer paintings of mythological creatures. Everyday living and everyday people were now the focus, and these were the paintings that were admired.

In seventeenth century Italy, Baroque artists tended to see their work like scientists saw things. The vision of man began to spread outside of the World to larger spaces. The three most prevalent trends in paintings included classicism, where artists followed the hands of Michelangelo, Tission, Rapheal, and all the great artists of the Renaissance; Naturalism, where artists based their pieces on observations of nature and real life; and the last one, where exuberance, drama, and brilliance was emphasized.

A good example of a Classicist during this period is Annibale Carraci. Carraci often used mythical and biblical subject matter. But he did not use...