The Counter-Reformation and the Baroque

Answer 1

The Catholic reform or Catholic revival (called Counter-Reformation by protestants and secular scholars) started in the 16th century and was a renewal and "shot-in-the-arm" to the Catholic Church, it resulting in many new Religious Orders, new missionary activity, a purification in the Church, and greatly improved clergy education. It ran from about 1522 to around 1648. One of the primary objectives of the Catholic reform was in response to the heretical movement known as the protestants. One of the key elements of the protestant heresy was an iconoclasm that removed and destroyed many of the elements of Catholic art that had been used for centuries to teach and instruct the people. The Baroque was an "artistic style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur" (Wikipedia) that was in part a response to the iconoclasm of the protestants.

Answer 2

The Counter-Reformation was a period of Catholic revival in response to the Protestant Reformation. The Baroque was a cultural movement that emerged in the 17th century characterized by ornate and elaborate artistic styles. The Baroque period in art and architecture was greatly influenced by the Catholic Church's efforts during the Counter-Reformation to reassert its power and attract followers through the beauty and grandeur of art.