The style began at the start of the 17th century in Rome, then spread rapidly to the rest of Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal, then to Austria, southern Germany, and Poland. The Baroque style used contrast, movement, exuberant detail, deep color, grandeur, and surprise to achieve a sense of awe. It was encouraged by the Catholic Church as a means to counter the simplicity and austerity of Protestant architecture, art, and music, though Lutheran Baroque art developed in parts of Europe as well. It followed Renaissance art and Mannerism and preceded the Rococo (in the past often referred to as 'late Baroque') and Neoclassical styles. The Baroque ( UK: / b ə ˈ r ɒ k/, US: /- ˈ r oʊ k/ French: ) or Baroquism is a Western style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from the early 17th century until the 1750s. Top: Venus and Adonis by Peter Paul Rubens (1635–1640) centre: The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa by Bernini (1651) bottom: the Palace of Versailles in France ( c.
