Moto & Azione | Caravaggio – Bernini. Baroque in Rome

Teacher or professor: Rijksmuseum
Subject: Arts
Content of the Lesson: The word moto, from the Latin movere, means to cause to move or to agitate. Today we distinguish between movement and emotion, but in the Baroque period these two concepts were inextricably linked, in that outward movement – moto – reflected the affetti, or inner dynamic attending a given action (azione). Gestures, movements and facial expressions therefore not only articulated the emotions of figures in art, but frequently also marked pivotal moments in a story’s action. Artists often attempted to capture the turning point, or peripeteia, of a story; the moment of supreme tension and dynamism when the plot takes an unexpected and in many cases fatal twist. 'Caravaggio-Bernini. Baroque in Rome' (14 February to 7 June 2020) is an exhibition of more than 70 masterpieces by Caravaggio, Bernini and their contemporaries. The paintings and sculptures are on loan to the Rijksmuseum from museums and private collections around the world. www.rijksmuseum.nl/caravaggio-bernini The Caravaggio-Bernini. Baroque in Rome exhibition is made possible in part by Ammodo, ING, Kvadrat, Rijks Patrons and the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.


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