Baroque is the general term given to the style of artistic expression from the late 16th century to the middle of the 18th. Ironically, the term was first used contemptuously by critics to describe architecture and paintings that failed to meet their standards of beauty. Baroque art is an "intense movement of explosive energy." It is a powerful, awe inspiring, resplendent style that is full of flamboyant concepts and an overall dramatic quality. There are three categories of Baroque art: Counter-Reformation Church of Rome; the aristocratic courts of Louis XIV of France and the Stuarts of England; and the bourgeois merchants of Holland. .

             Counter-Reformation Baroque was created by the Jesuits in 1534. Michelangelo Merssisi da Caravaggio startled the world with his The Conversion of St. Paul. The paintings' biblical scene was that of one never seen before. Caravaggio displayed chiaroscuro throughout the entirety of the canvas which first shocked then enthralled contemporary artists. When of Saul of Tarsus experiences his vision of Christ, he seems to be weighted to the ground with energy not allowing him to arise. The drama is overwhelmingly resilient. Another example is Gianlorenzo Bernini's David. It was unlike any of the previous sculptures of David because this one brings life to the moment of action. He creates David with a stern glare while biting his lip in concentration. Bernini combined intensive energy with solid movement and forces one to do a double-take for assurance that it is not a photograph of the actual moment. .

             Aristocratic Baroque's first leader was Peter Paul Rubens. With his rich pleasing attributes, Rubens created The Assumption of the Virgin and almost instantly established his reputation as a renown artist. This reputation-creating painting was stunning with it's bold coloring and consistent energy flowing throughout the painting. The Assumption of the Virgin is a brilliant portrayal of the Aristocratic style.