LONDON, ENGLAND.- The National Gallery presents "Baroque Painting in Genoa", on view through June 16, 2002. Baroque' is a term which is used of a certain style of art in the 17th century, but it is also used more loosely to define the 17th century as a historical period. Originally the word Baroque, which derives from the Portuguese word for an irregularly shaped pearl, was a derogatory term referring to an art that was perceived as excessive and self-indulgent. This negative connotation has largely disappeared and Baroque is understood as a style which is grandiose, flamboyant and dynamic.

In 17th-century Italy the main practitioners of the Baroque style in painting were Pietro da Cortona, Giovanni Lanfranco (1582 - 1647) and Luca Giordano. They painted vast illusionistic frescoes on the ceilings of churches and palaces. Rome provided the stage for the development of the Baroque style and a pivotal role was played by Gian Lorenzo Bernini who was a painter, sculptor, architect and designer of astounding ability and invention. Thanks to the Catholic Church which keenly promoted a kind of painting that was highly impressive and celebratory, the Baroque style was rapidly disseminated throughout Italy. It had very distinctive variations in Naples, Genoa, Florence and Venice,