The Baroque period began in the 17th century, immediately after the Reformation period. The definition of baroque in Italian is another word for "baroque", or an irregularly shaped pearl, as a jeweler would define it. There were many important artists in this period, but before the Baroque period began, it all started with Martin Luther and his movement. Conflicts between Catholics and Protestants began when Martin Luther issued the 95 Theses in 1517. He protested when the Catholic Church was corrupted and thus the Protestant Reformation was created. However, the Catholic Church began with the Baroque when it launched “its own internal reform to both cleanse corruption and clearly define its doctrines and theology” (McKay). The Church thought that the reform should help people better understand their faith and educate them, even though “The Council of Trent declared that art should be used to explain the deep dogmas of the faith to everyone, not just educated people ” (McKay). What the Council of Trent said and thought that the work of art should inspire others by making them feel what was happening, not just make the viewer reflect on the work, and this became known as the Baroque period. They thought that by expressing everything through art, this corruption that was happening would be cleaned up or fixed on its own. Baroque art and sculptures expressed much drama and emotion related to the Bible. The sculptures and paintings of this period were balanced, referencing ancient Greece and Rome, dramatic and emotional. Contrast and colors were dark to light or light to dark (chiaroscuro). There were numerous artists during the 17th century; many of them included the famous...... medium of paper......Artemisia continued to paint, following Caravaggio's techniques painting “Judith and her servant and with the head of Holoferness”, “Minerva”, “Cleopatra”, “Self-portrait as an allegory of painting”, and many others. Although Artemisia went through many hardships and became a famous painter earning many friends in high places, she also interpreted her relationship with her paintings by the struggle she went through "claiming her rightful place in a male-dominated art world bullies" (Stokstad &Cothren 726). During the 17th century many artists joined the Baroque art period, painting vivid and emotional paintings that referenced the Bible. Whether artists like Artemisia had a horrible story behind her paintings or like Caravaggio who was a wonderful painter who started as a man with no money and ended up becoming a famous baroque painter that many artists were concerned with.