Links we’re loving: Going for Baroque

It was a time of intrigue, of artistic greatness…and of lumpy pearls? The Baroque era ended in Europe almost 300 years ago, but it lives on in the art of Peter Paul Rubens and in the news. In honour of our exhibition Early Rubens and one of history’s most enduring aesthetic ages, we’ve rounded up some of the quirkiest arts and culture stories to prove the Baroque is still as hot as it was in its day.

Is this a portrait of a Baroque love triangle? Professor Dr. John Harvey thinks so. He's convinced that Anthony van Dyck’s 1621 portrait of Isabella Brant (a.k.a. Mrs. Peter Paul Rubens) is proof of a love affair. While Harvey admits “there is no hard evidence”, he believes the portrait raises “some odd questions". 

Speaking of oddities, did you know the word Baroque was originally used to describe irregular, lumpy pearls? Prized by European jewellers, these unusual finds were turned into decorative figurines, collected by members of the Hapsburg dynasty.  

Not surprising really. Spanish geneticists have determined, thanks to an intensive study of 65 Baroque portraits, that the infamous Hapsburg jaw (a highly pronounced physical trait that causes an elongated lumpy face) was in fact hereditary, the result of years of inbreeding. 

Despite their lineage, Baroque pearls are still highly prized – a collection of them was among the many priceless objects stolen from Dresden's Green Vault museum last month.

But all was not lost. Visitors are flocking to The Met to see the Dresden Collection’s famed 41-carat Green Diamond, and a miraculous writing machine from 1760, both on display as part of Making Marvels: Science and Splendor at the Courts of Europe.

A day in court is exactly what Italian luxury fashion company Versace is looking for. It’s suing clothing retailer Fashion Nova for what it’s calling “flagrant infringement” of its iconic “Baroque trade dress”, among others. 

A very different kind of infringement led to a Baroque painting being removed from a Cambridge University dining hall last month. Seems some students objected to eating under so many carcasses. 

Understandable, but at least they didn’t have to smell it. A museum in Edinburgh is now offering smell interventions, designed to whisk visitors to the 17th century through eight aromas, ranging from bread to unwashed linen.

Ultimately, Rubens reminds us that all Baroque roads lead to Antwerp. Or do they? Seems even in that jewel box of a city, Winnipeg must have its due.

With all this talk of Baroque, we would be remiss to leave out Early Rubens. Don’t miss your chance to see the incredible work of Peter Paul Rubens in-person. The exhibition is on view now at the AGO through January 5, 2020 on Level 2 in the Sam & Ayala Zacks Pavilion.

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