Following the Italian Renaissance among other things, Europe had now.

             on a whole experienced significant change in artistic development and.

             sophistication. This new visually intense form of expression took on very.

             different characteristics in different regions of Europe, largely in part.

             due to the movement sparked by Martin Luther as well as the Catholic.

             Church's response. In Northern Europe and largely in the Netherlands, the.

             Baroque movement took on a significantly non-secular undertone as a result.

             of the predominance of the Protestant faith in the region. Meanwhile,.

             Catholic countries of Southern Europe like Italy and Spain produced works.

             of art that were restricted to only religious and sacred themes. So,.

             whereas the artistic work produced from the reformation and.

             counterreformation were both characterized by a more definitively.

             naturalistic and realistic approach, the disparity between Catholic and.

             Protestant art arises from two divergent worldviews of the divine and its.

             relationship with man.

             .

             Despite major differences in content among these two Christian.

             denominational pieces, both the work of Protestant and Catholic artists.

             showed advances in technique, where both groups constructing their works in.

             such a realistic manner that showed both attention to physical detail while.

             giving focus to emotion and drama. As John Rupert Martin explains, "The.

             whole art of the Baroque expresses an acceptance of the material world,.

             through the realistic representation of man and nature, through the.

             affirmation of the senses and the emotions and through a new perception of.

             space and infinity" (Martin 39). Take for example the peasant pictures of.

             Louis le Nain, which are among the most remarkable documents of Baroque.

             naturalism in that they combine unidealized observation of simple humanity.

             with an almost classical gravity and calm. Another pristine example is.

             Gian Lorenzo Bernini's "David," a sculpture depicting the biblical story of.