17th Century & The Arts

The 17th Century began the shift away from dependence on religion for the arts.

Composers started to develop their own styles. Instruments were being invented.  Pieces were written for only instruments, no vocal.  Opera was born in Florence out of an attempt to revive the music of Classical Greece.

Arcangelo Corelli (17 February 1653 – 8 January 1713) was the first composer to make a career off selling printed music, free of church control and restriction.

There were academies of art (visual arts) through out Europe starting in Italy and France. 


Dance in the 17th Century was not that big of a factor in education. Louis XIV was a big fan of dance. He was the Sun King and the state of the court was perceived by the level of performance. Here’s a clip from the “The King is Dancing”:

This is pretty awesome.