A picture is worth a thousand words. In the 17th century, the Baroque period became one of the most important artistic styles in the Western world (Sayre 309). Baroque is stylistically complex and even contradictory, such as using both light and dark to add more drama to the artwork. Even the term itself is complex and contradictory, since Baroque derives from the Portuguese “Baroque”, which means deformed pearl (Baroque Passions). The reason why the Baroque style developed was because the Catholic Church tried to win back its followers and believers from the Protestant Reformation. This movement against the Protestant Reformation is called the Counter-Reformation (Sayre 310). One method the Catholic Church used to tempt people into its religion was art. According to Sayre, art is a sensual fascination not only intellectually, but also emotionally; the Church believed that the use of emotional appeal was the key to the success of the Church. One work in particular linked to the Baroque and Counter-Reformation was the Triumph of Saint Ignatius of Loyola by Andrea Pozzo. Andrea Pozzo created the artwork around 1691-94 in the church of Sant'Ignazio in Rome, Italy (Sayre 317). The painting on the ceiling is a magnificent work of art created in the Baroque period, but what exactly makes it a Baroque work of art? Claiming that it was painted in that era is not sufficient evidence as to why it is Baroque, so there are two points to evaluate to ascertain the painting's relationship to the Baroque era: the styles and features used in the painting and the way in which the content of the painting refers to the Counter-Reformation. Let's start with the characteristics of the artwork. The baroque style commonly with...... middle of the card ...... gives the viewer a simulated experience as if they are seeing Heaven in the sky. While looking at the masterpiece, many thoughts may flow through one's mind, allowing one to discover the variety of immense details. With his extravagant work, Andrea Pozzo demonstrates that it is possible for a picture to be worth a thousand words. Works Cited Baroque Passions. Fullerton, CA: Professor Angeles Sancho-Velasquez, April 8, 2014. PPT. "Glorification of Sant'Ignazio di Pozzo". Intelligent story. Khanacademy, November 26, 2012. Web. April 17, 2014. Sayre, Henry M. Discovering the Humanities: Culture, Continuity, and Change. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2010. Print.Development, N Foundation. “Andrea Pozzo, Glory of St. Ignatius (1685).” Haltadefinition. Np, nd Web. April 17. 2014.