The Rococo
THE AGE OF LUXURY
Gold, gold, and more gold! The Rococo period is characterized by an ornate style that originated in the decorative arts. After the death of Louis XIV, the French aristocracy moved away from the formality of Versailles to the salons of Paris. They furnished their new townhouses with an eye for intimate details and pastel colors rather than the darker grandiosity of the Baroque royal palace. Inspired by natural patterns, Rococo artisans designed luxurious rooms where paintings fought for attention amongst lavish drapery and elaborate wall ornamentation.
WHEN & WHERE
18th century France, England, Germany, Italy, Austria
Rococo paintings were rendered in a soft palette and echoed the curvilinear forms of 18th century decorative arts. Many paintings were escapist and erotic, featuring pastoral landscapes, theatrical myths of love, and porcelain-toned aristocrats on leisurely outings. Portraiture of the upper classes was also in vogue. Highlighting feminine beauty in this age of romance was paramount, and no decent lady would be seen in a portrait without her jewels, furs, flowers, and big, big hair!
The Rococo style spread from France throughout Europe, but as bourgeois tastes moved toward the Neoclassical, this sumptuous style was dismissed as a frivolous fashion. However, it is now considered a major period in art history and an excellent record of the spirit of the time. —ARR
Selected artists: Francois Boucher, Etienne-Maurice Falconet, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Thomas Gainsborough, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Marie-Louise-Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun, Jean-Antoine Watteau
FUN FACT
The name Rococo is a combination of the French word Rocaille (rock and shell garden decoration) and the Italian word Barocco (Baroque).