What are the principal characteristics of Baroque art?

Some people say that
"less is more", but fans of the Baroque period, usually described as occurring roughly
between the 1600's and 1800's, would be of the philosophy that "more is more".  The
Baroque period was characterized by paintings that exuded boldness, drama, emotional
tension, fluidity and movement, and often a sense of grandeur.  This period preceded the Rococo
in European art, and the term "baroque" at one time even presented a negativeof sorts
as it was sometimes used to mean overdone or florid.  Caravaggio's name is generally considered
synonomous with the Italian movement, and although the Baroque style spread throughout Europe,
it did so with various adaptations, toned down in some countries, dramatized even further in
others, or, as in the case of Holland, barely making a wave.  Interestingly, the monarchy of
France in the person of Louis XIV, latched on to the grandeur and over-the-top ornamentation of
the Baroque style in everything from the artwork to the architecture to the gardens of
Versailles themselves.