Baroque Architecture and Ornament: Spectacle, Emotion and Playfulness with Dr Christopher Gribbin

Baroque architecture is a highly decorative style, marked by movement, contrast and breaking the rules of Classical design. Emerging in Italy in the late 16th century, it spread rapidly across Europe during the 17th century, giving rise to extraordinary creations such as St Peter’s Square in Rome, the Trevi Fountain and St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Baroque design was often all-encompassing, shaping not only the buildings themselves but also their interiors, decoration, sculpture and furnishings. The result was immersive and dramatic environments designed to engage the senses and stir emotion, spaces that continue to captivate and inspire visitors today.

This extensively illustrated talk will explore the defining features of the Baroque style through some of its most impressive and well known examples. It will examine what architects and patrons hoped to achieve through Baroque design, the historical forces that shaped its emergence and how the style evolved over time, culminating in the Rococo. The talk will also consider how similar architectural impulses appeared in antiquity, leading to an ancient “Baroque”, and we’ll explore how the ancient Baroque compares with the style that developed from the 16th century onwards.

Dr Christopher Gribbin is a public historian specialising in ancient Greece and Rome and an Adjunct Lecturer at La Trobe University. He has a particular interest in understanding how people make sense of the world, whether through religion, philosophy, myth, art or architecture. He is passionate about bringing the ancient world to life for modern audiences. He runs the Hellenic Museum Summer School for the general public each January, has recorded podcasts and videos and regularly speaks with community groups. He has worked on creative projects with the ABC and the Hellenic Museum. He has written for the History Teachers’ Association of Victoria and ran the University of Melbourne’s Classics Summer School for 15 years. He also leads tours to Europe with Australians Studying Abroad.

Your ticket includes tea or Market Lane coffee served before the presentation, and time to browse our exclusive range of books, gifts, and homewares at TJC Emporium.

This event is presented on-site at The Johnston Collection. Please see your ticket for details. NOTE: Tickets for this event do not include access to our house museum, Fairhall. Guided tours of the current exhibition can be booked separately.

This event is supported by The Colin Holden Charitable Trust.

Image: Carington Bowles after Nicola Salvi, The Great Cascade of Spring Water at Rome call'd Travi Fountain, 1724–1793.