The Baroque era, which lasted from roughly 1580 and 1780, was a time of enormous contrasts: Opulence and innovation, on the one hand; death and crises, on the other. Ongoing religious wars and the opening of global trade networks led to mass migration and cultural exchange, but there was also famine and exploitation. A new exhibition at the Swiss National Museum in Zürich – Baroque, Age of Contrasts – presents exquisite objects from Baroque architecture, garden culture, fashion and art, highlighting the historical context of these items in order to illuminate this creative epoch in all its glorious ambiguity.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2088/baroque-age-of-contrasts---exhibition-interview-sc/.
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- Why do you think the Baroque era mixed beauty with suffering?
- Which Baroque object or idea in the article seems most interesting to you, and why?
- Do you think art and gardens can show power as well as beauty?
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