Baroque is commonly used to describe a historic period and artistic style which evolved in Southern Europe during the seventeenth century. Although it is primarily associated with dynamic composition and a heightened sense of drama, this display shows that in fact, the Baroque period encompassed a broad range of artistic styles, from the naturalistic to the emotive; demonstrated through works by Velazquez, Murillo and El Greco.

During the same period, a more restrained, classical style emerged in opposition to the flamboyant elements of the Baroque style; particularly associated with the French painters Nicolas Poussin and Claude Lorrain, their work made fundamental contributions to the development of landscape painting, which is also represented in this display.