How did Baroque art differ from Mannerism?

Baroque art and architecture emerged as a departure from the preceding Mannerist style, which had become increasingly viewed as an inadequate and overly artificial means of expression by the late 16th century. While Mannerism was characterized by a self-conscious focus on technical bravura, complex and often contorted poses, and an intellectual aestheticism that frequently prioritized style over subject matter, the Baroque movement sought to engage the viewer through direct emotional and sensory appeal.123

Key differences include:

• Spatial Conceptions: Mannerist architecture is noted for its frustrating, unbalanced, and conflicting spatial arrangements. In contrast, Baroque space is dynamic and directional, designed to invite participation and provide changing perspectives.4
• Composition and Movement: Where Mannerist works often flattened space into decorative arrangements, Baroque compositions are defined by movement, tension, and dynamism, frequently surging along diagonal lines to create a sense of vitality.231
• Purpose and Intent: The Baroque style was often employed by the Roman Catholic Church as a propagandistic tool to stimulate piety and propagate faith through dramatic, illusionistic effects. This contrasted with the Mannerist tendency toward sophisticated, sometimes bizarre, and highly stylized pictorial fantasies.143