Text 26. The meaning of Baroque

Words and word combinations:

disparagingly- пренебрежительно

depart from- отклоняться

etymological origin-источник

refer- ссылаться

flourish- преуспевать

hostile – враг

subdivision- подразделение

pearl – жемчужина

distinction –различие

shape- форма

shellwork- оболочка

The term ’Baroque’ like Gothic was first used disparagingly to describe, from a later point of view, a style of art and architecture that departed from a Classic norm. There is some argument about the etymological origin of the word – perhapsf rom the Portuguese, barocco, describing pearls of irregular shape – but it’s clear that it referred to aspects of seventeenth century Italian art that, in relation to Classicism, seemed bizarre, grotesque and irregular.

Eventually it served as a conventional umbrella under which to gather a variety of international styles that flourished in Europe from around 1600 to the middle of the eighteenth century. It included not only chronological subdivisions such as Early, High, and Late Baroque, but also the special French variant referred to as Classicism Baroque or Baroque Classicism, and the new style of Rococo that arose in France around 1700 partly in to the Baroque style that preceded it. The term is used primarily to refer to the art and architecture of the seventeenth century. It’s also used for convenience, as, an adjective to describe the art of Italy in that period in distinction to seventeenth century French classicism.

Rococo, also originally a hostile term coined after the fact (though to a combination of rocaille, referring to shellworks and stonework decoration used in grottoes and barocco) refers to a new style created in France at the beginning of the eighteenth century and that was displaced by the next style – Neoclassicism.

Exercises:

1.Give Russian equivalents of the following phrases:

mark of distinction, a hostile army, words of Latin origin, to depart a word, grotesque, chronological subdivisions, that remark refers to him, stonework, grottoes, create, was displayed, irregular shape.

2.Say if the following sentences are true or false :

1. The term of Baroque was first used to describe a style of architecture that departed from the Gothic norm.

2. Barocco means “ pearls of irregular shape”

3. This term included only chronological subdivisions such as Early, High, and Late Baroque.

4. Rococo preceded Baroque.

5. Baroque arose in France, Italy.

6. The term isn’t used primarily to refer to the art and architecture of the seventeenth century.

3. Give English equivalents of the following phrases:

c точки зрения; стиль архитектуры; по отношению к; жемчужина неправильной формы; различные международные стили; оно включало не только хронологические подразделения; термин использовался в основном.

4.Insert the missing words and word combinations:

1.The term is used primarily to refer to the…2. Rococo refers to a new style and created in…….3. It included not only chronological subdivisions such as ….. 4. Barocco means….. 5. It served as a conventional umbrella which to gather………….6. It’s also used for…, as, an adjective to describe the art of Italy in that period in distinction to seventeenth century French classicism.7. Eventually it served as a … umbrella under which to gather a variety of international styles that … in Europe from around 1600 to the middle of the eighteenth century.