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Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, and ''
trompe-l'œil ''Trompe-l'œil'' ( , ; ) is an artistic term for the highly realistic optical illusion of three-dimensional space and objects on a two-dimensional surface. ''Trompe l'oeil'', which is most often associated with painting, tricks the viewer into ...
'' frescoes to create surprise and the illusion of motion and drama. It is often described as the final expression of the Baroque movement. The Rococo style began in France in the 1730s as a reaction against the more formal and geometric
Louis XIV style The Louis XIV style or ''Louis Quatorze'' ( , ), also called French classicism, was the style of architecture and decorative arts intended to glorify King Louis XIV and his reign. It featured majesty, harmony and regularity. It became the officia ...
. It was known as the "style Rocaille", or "Rocaille style". It soon spread to other parts of Europe, particularly northern Italy, Austria, southern Germany, Central Europe and Russia. It also came to influence the other arts, particularly sculpture, furniture, silverware, glassware, painting, music, and theatre. Although originally a secular style primarily used for interiors of private residences, the Rococo had a spiritual aspect to it which led to its widespread use in church interiors, particularly in Central Europe, Portugal, and South America.


Etymology

The word ''rococo'' was first used as a humorous variation of the word '' rocaille''. Rocaille was originally a method of decoration, using pebbles, seashells, and cement, which was often used to decorate grottoes and fountains since the Renaissance. In the late 17th and early 18th century, rocaille became the term for a kind of decorative motif or ornament that appeared in the late
Style Louis XIV The Louis XIV style or ''Louis Quatorze'' ( , ), also called French classicism, was the style of architecture and decorative arts intended to glorify King Louis XIV and his reign. It featured majesty, harmony and regularity. It became the official ...
, in the form of a seashell interlaced with acanthus leaves. In 1736 the designer and jeweler Jean Mondon published the ''Premier Livre de forme rocquaille et cartel'', a collection of designs for ornaments of furniture and interior decoration. It was the first appearance in print of the term ''rocaille'' to designate the style. The carved or moulded seashell motif was combined with palm leaves or twisting vines to decorate doorways, furniture, wall panels and other architectural elements. The term ''rococo'' was first used in print in 1825 to describe decoration which was "out of style and old-fashioned". It was used in 1828 for decoration "which belonged to the style of the 18th century, overloaded with twisting ornaments". In 1829, the author Stendhal described rococo as "the rocaille style of the 18th century". In the 19th century, the term was used to describe architecture or music which was excessively ornamental.Ancien Regime Rococo
. Bc.edu. Retrieved on 2011-05-29.
Since the mid-19th century, the term has been accepted by
art historians The history of art focuses on objects made by humans for any number of spiritual, narrative, philosophical, symbolic, conceptual, documentary, decorative, and even functional and other purposes, but with a primary emphasis on its aesthetic visu ...
. While there is still some debate about the historical significance of the style, Rococo is now often considered as a distinct period in the development of
European art The art of Europe, or Western art, encompasses the history of visual art in Europe. European prehistoric art started as mobile Upper Paleolithic rock and cave painting and petroglyph art and was characteristic of the period between the Paleo ...
.


Characteristics

Rococo features exuberant decoration, with an abundance of curves, counter-curves, undulations and elements modeled on nature. The exteriors of Rococo buildings are often simple, while the interiors are entirely dominated by their ornament. The style was highly theatrical, designed to impress and awe at first sight. Floor plans of churches were often complex, featuring interlocking ovals; In palaces, grand stairways became centrepieces, and offered different points of view of the decoration. The main ornaments of Rococo are: asymmetrical shells, acanthus and other leaves, birds, bouquets of flowers, fruit, musical instruments, angels and
Chinoiserie (, ; loanword from French '' chinoiserie'', from '' chinois'', "Chinese"; ) is the European interpretation and imitation of Chinese and other East Asian artistic traditions, especially in the decorative arts, garden design, architecture, lite ...
(
pagoda A pagoda is an Asian tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist but sometimes Taoist, ...
s, dragons, monkeys, bizarre flowers and Chinese people). The style often integrated painting, moulded stucco, and wood carving, and '' quadratura'', or illusionist ceiling paintings, which were designed to give the impression that those entering the room were looking up at the sky, where cherubs and other figures were gazing down at them. Materials used included stucco, either painted or left white; combinations of different coloured woods (usually oak, beech or walnut); lacquered wood in the Japanese style, ornament of gilded bronze, and marble tops of commodes or tables. The intent was to create an impression of surprise, awe and wonder on first view.


Differences between Baroque and Rococo

Rococo has the following characteristics, which Baroque does not: *The partial abandonment of symmetry, everything being composed of graceful lines and curves, similar to Art Nouveau *The huge quantity of asymmetrical curves and C-shaped
volute A volute is a spiral, scroll-like ornament that forms the basis of the Ionic order, found in the capital of the Ionic column. It was later incorporated into Corinthian order and Composite column capitals. Four are normally to be found on an Ion ...
s *The wide use of flowers in ornamentation, an example being
festoon A festoon (from French ''feston'', Italian ''festone'', from a Late Latin ''festo'', originally a festal garland, Latin ''festum'', feast) is a wreath or garland hanging from two points, and in architecture typically a carved ornament depict ...
s made of flowers *Chinese and Japanese motifs (see also: ''
chinoiserie (, ; loanword from French '' chinoiserie'', from '' chinois'', "Chinese"; ) is the European interpretation and imitation of Chinese and other East Asian artistic traditions, especially in the decorative arts, garden design, architecture, lite ...
'' and '' Japonisme'') *Warm pastel colours (whitish-yellow, cream-coloured, pearl greys, very light blues)


France

The '' Rocaille'' style, or French Rococo, appeared in Paris during the reign of Louis XV, and flourished between about 1723 and 1759. The style was used particularly in salons, a new style of room designed to impress and entertain guests. The most prominent example was the salon of the Princess in Hôtel de Soubise in Paris, designed by Germain Boffrand and Charles-Joseph Natoire (1735–40). The characteristics of French Rococo included exceptional artistry, especially in the complex frames made for mirrors and paintings, which were sculpted in plaster and often gilded; and the use of vegetal forms (vines, leaves, flowers) intertwined in complex designs. The furniture also featured sinuous curves and vegetal designs. The leading furniture designers and craftsmen in the style included Juste-Aurele Meissonier, Charles Cressent, and Nicolas Pineau. The Rocaille style lasted in France until the mid-18th century, and while it became more curving and vegetal, it never achieved the extravagant exuberance of the Rococo in Bavaria, Austria and Italy. The discoveries of Roman antiquities beginning in 1738 at Herculaneum and especially at Pompeii in 1748 turned French architecture in the direction of the more symmetrical and less flamboyant
neo-classicism Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism w ...
. File:Salon de la princesse hotel de soubise.jpg, Salon of the Hôtel de Soubise in Paris (1735–40) by Germain Boffrand File:Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier - Table de Cabinet., 6th Plate (Study for a Table), pl. 47 in Oeuvre de Juste-Aurele Meissonnier - Google Art Project (down table cropped).jpg, Table design by Juste-Aurele Meissonier (1730) File:Hotel de Soubise - Grande chambre de la princesse 3.JPG, Grand Chamber of the Prince, Hotel de Soubise (1735–40) File:Boiserie from the Hôtel de Varengeville MET DP214174.jpg, Woodwork in the Hôtel de Varengeville by Nicolas Pineau (1735) File:Charles Cressent, Chest of drawers, c. 1730 at Waddesdon Manor.jpg, Chest of drawers by Charles Cressent (1730), Waddesdon Manor File:Paris Hôtel de Samuel Bernard 34.JPG, Detail of a door of the Hôtel de Samuel Bernard from Paris (1740s) Consoleklok van verguld en geciseleerd brons, BK-NM-12289-2.jpg, Gilt and hammered bronze corbel of a clock by Jean Joseph de Saint-Germain and J. Boullé ( 1745-1749) File:Hotel de Marsilly, July 4, 2007.jpg, The door of the Hôtel de Marsilly, with two corbels and a cartouche above it, all of them being rococo File:Bordeaux Notre-Dame R01.jpg, Eglise Notre-Dame,
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...
(1684-1707)


Italy

Artists in Italy, particularly
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
, also produced an exuberant rococo style. Venetian commodes imitated the curving lines and carved ornament of the French rocaille, but with a particular Venetian variation; the pieces were painted, often with landscapes or flowers or scenes from
Guardi Francesco Lazzaro Guardi (; 5 October 1712 – 1 January 1793) was an Italian painter, nobleman, and a member of the Venetian School. He is considered to be among the last practitioners, along with his brothers, of the classic Venetian school of ...
or other painters, or
Chinoiserie (, ; loanword from French '' chinoiserie'', from '' chinois'', "Chinese"; ) is the European interpretation and imitation of Chinese and other East Asian artistic traditions, especially in the decorative arts, garden design, architecture, lite ...
, against a blue or green background, matching the colours of the Venetian school of painters whose work decorated the salons. Notable decorative painters included Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, who painted ceilings and murals of both churches and palazzos, and Giovanni Battista Crosato who painted the ballroom ceiling of the
Ca Rezzonico Ca' Rezzonico () is a palazzo and art museum on the Grand Canal in the Dorsoduro ''sestiere'' of Venice, Italy. It is a particularly notable example of the 18th century Venetian baroque and rococo architecture and interior decoration, and displa ...
in the quadraturo manner, giving the illusion of three dimensions. Tiepelo travelled to Germany with his son during 1752–1754, decorating the ceilings of the
Würzburg Residence The Würzburg Residence (German: ''Würzburger Residenz'') is a palace in Würzburg, Germany. Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt and Maximilian von Welsch, representatives of the Austrian/South German Baroque style, were involved in the construction, ...
, one of the major landmarks of the Bavarian rococo. An earlier celebrated Venetian painter was
Giovanni Battista Piazzetta Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (also called Giambattista Piazzetta or Giambattista Valentino Piazzetta) (February 13, 1682 or 1683 – April 28, 1754) was an Italian Rococo painter of religious subjects and genre scenes. Biography Piazzetta was ...
, who painted several notable church ceilings. The Venetian Rococo also featured exceptional glassware, particularly Murano glass, often engraved and coloured, which was exported across Europe. Works included multicolour chandeliers and mirrors with extremely ornate frames. File:Interior of Santi Giovanni e Paolo (Venice) - The Glory of St. Dominic by Piazzetta.jpg, Ceiling of church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Venice, by Piazzetta (1727) File:Giovanni Battista Tiepolo - Juno and Luna - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Juno and Luna'' by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1735–45) File:Lampadario in vetro di Murano - Ca' Rezzonico, Venice.jpg, Murano glass chandelier at the
Ca Rezzonico Ca' Rezzonico () is a palazzo and art museum on the Grand Canal in the Dorsoduro ''sestiere'' of Venice, Italy. It is a particularly notable example of the 18th century Venetian baroque and rococo architecture and interior decoration, and displa ...
(1758) File:Ca' Rezzonico (Venice) - Ceiling of the Ballroom.jpeg, Ballroom ceiling of the
Ca Rezzonico Ca' Rezzonico () is a palazzo and art museum on the Grand Canal in the Dorsoduro ''sestiere'' of Venice, Italy. It is a particularly notable example of the 18th century Venetian baroque and rococo architecture and interior decoration, and displa ...
with ceiling by Giovanni Battista Crosato (1753)


Southern Germany

In church construction, especially in the southern German-Austrian region, gigantic spatial creations are sometimes created for practical reasons alone, which, however, do not appear monumental, but are characterized by a unique fusion of architecture, painting, stucco, etc., often completely eliminating the boundaries between the art genres, and are characterised by a light-filled weightlessness, festive cheerfulness and movement. The Rococo decorative style reached its summit in southern Germany and Austria from the 1730s until the 1770s. There it dominates the church landscape to this day and is deeply anchored there in popular culture. It was first introduced from France through the publications and works of French architects and decorators, including the sculptor Claude III Audran, the interior designer Gilles-Marie Oppenordt, the architect Germain Boffrand, the sculptor Jean Mondon, and the draftsman and engraver Pierre Lepautre. Their work had an important influence on the German Rococo style, but does not reach the level of buildings in southern Germany. German architects adapted the Rococo style but made it far more asymmetric and loaded with more ornate decoration than the French original. The German style was characterized by an explosion of forms that cascaded down the walls. It featured molding formed into curves and counter-curves, twisting and turning patterns, ceilings and walls with no right angles, and stucco foliage which seemed to be creeping up the walls and across the ceiling. The decoration was often gilded or silvered to give it contrast with the white or pale pastel walls. The Belgian-born architect and designer
François de Cuvilliés François de Cuvilliés, sometimes referred to as ''the Elder'' (23 October 1695, Soignies, Hainaut14 April 1768, Munich), was a Belgian-born Bavarian decorative designer and architect. He was instrumental in bringing the Rococo style to the Wi ...
was one of the first to create a Rococo building in Germany, with the pavilion of Amalienburg in Munich, (1734-1739), inspired by the pavilions of the Trianon and Marly in France. It was built as a hunting lodge, with a platform on the roof for shooting pheasants. The Hall of Mirrors in the interior, by the painter and stucco sculptor
Johann Baptist Zimmermann Johann Baptist Zimmermann (3 January 1680, Gaispoint — 2 March 1758, Munich) was a German painter and a prime stucco plasterer during the Baroque. Zimmermann was born in Gaispoint, Wessobrunn. He and his brother Dominikus Zimmermann were ...
, was far more exuberant than any French Rococo. Another notable example of the early German Rococo is
Würzburg Residence The Würzburg Residence (German: ''Würzburger Residenz'') is a palace in Würzburg, Germany. Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt and Maximilian von Welsch, representatives of the Austrian/South German Baroque style, were involved in the construction, ...
(1737–1744) constructed for the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg by Balthasar Neumann. Neumann had travelled to Paris and consulted with the French rocaille decorative artists Germain Boffrand and Robert de Cotte. While the exterior was in more sober Baroque style, the interior, particularly the stairways and ceilings, was much lighter and decorative. The Prince-Bishop imported the Italian Rococo painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo in 1750–1753 to create a mural over the top of the three-level ceremonial stairway. Neumann described the interior of the residence as "a theatre of light". The stairway was also the central element in a residence Neumann built at the Augustusburg Palace in Brühl (1743–1748). In that building the stairway led the visitors up through a stucco fantasy of paintings, sculpture, ironwork and decoration, with surprising views at every turn. In the 1740s and 1750s, a number of notable pilgrimage churches were constructed in
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
, with interiors decorated in a distinctive variant of the rococo style. One of the most notable examples is the Wieskirche (1745–1754) designed by Dominikus Zimmermann. Like most of the Bavarian pilgrimage churches, the exterior is very simple, with pastel walls, and little ornament. Entering the church the visitor encounters an astonishing theatre of movement and light. It features an oval-shaped sanctuary, and a deambulatory in the same form, filling in the church with light from all sides. The white walls contrasted with columns of blue and pink stucco in the choir, and the domed ceiling surrounded by plaster angels below a dome representing the heavens crowded with colourful Biblical figures. Other notable pilgrimage churches include the Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers by Balthasar Neumann (1743–1772). File:Schloss Amalienburg (6317867213).jpg, Amalienburg pavilion in Munich by
François de Cuvilliés François de Cuvilliés, sometimes referred to as ''the Elder'' (23 October 1695, Soignies, Hainaut14 April 1768, Munich), was a Belgian-born Bavarian decorative designer and architect. He was instrumental in bringing the Rococo style to the Wi ...
(1734–1739) File:Amalienburg Spiegelsaal-1.jpg, Hall of Mirrors of Amalienburg by
Johann Baptist Zimmermann Johann Baptist Zimmermann (3 January 1680, Gaispoint — 2 March 1758, Munich) was a German painter and a prime stucco plasterer during the Baroque. Zimmermann was born in Gaispoint, Wessobrunn. He and his brother Dominikus Zimmermann were ...
(1734–1739) File:NRW, Bruhl, Augustusburg 01.jpg, Looking up the central stairway at Augustusburg Palace in Brühl by Balthasar Neumann (1741–1744) File:Wieskirche 003.JPG, The Wieskirche by Dominikus Zimmermann (1745–1754) File:Vierzehnheiligen-Basilika3-Asio.JPG, Interior of the Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers by Balthasar Neumann (1743–1772) File:Kaisersaal Würzburg.jpg, The Kaisersaal in the
Würzburg Residence The Würzburg Residence (German: ''Würzburger Residenz'') is a palace in Würzburg, Germany. Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt and Maximilian von Welsch, representatives of the Austrian/South German Baroque style, were involved in the construction, ...
by Balthasar Neumann (1749–1751) File:Festsaal Schaetzlerpalais.JPG, Festival Hall of the Schaezlerpalais in Augsburg by Carl Albert von Lespilliez (1765–1770) File:КИТАЙСКИЙ ДВОРЕЦ. ЗОЛОТОЙ КАБИНЕТ.jpg, Golden Cabinet of the Chinese Palace, Oranienbaum, Russia, built by Antonio Rinaldi for Catherine the Great (1762–1778)
Johann Michael Fischer was the architect of
Ottobeuren Abbey Ottobeuren is a Benedictine abbey, located in Ottobeuren, near Memmingen in the Bavarian Allgäu, Germany. For part of its history Ottobeuren Abbey was one of the 40-odd self-ruling imperial abbeys of the Holy Roman Empire and, as such, was a v ...
(1748–1766), another Bavarian Rococo landmark. The church features, like much of the rococo architecture in Germany, a remarkable contrast between the regularity of the facade and the overabundance of decoration in the interior.


Britain

In Great Britain, rococo was called the "French taste" and had less influence on design and the decorative arts than in continental Europe, although its influence was felt in such areas as silverwork, porcelain, and silks.
William Hogarth William Hogarth (; 10 November 1697 – 26 October 1764) was an English painter, engraver, pictorial satirist, social critic, editorial cartoonist and occasional writer on art. His work ranges from realistic portraiture to comic strip-like ...
helped develop a theoretical foundation for Rococo beauty. Though not mentioning rococo by name, he argued in his ''Analysis of Beauty'' (1753) that the undulating lines and S-curves prominent in Rococo were the basis for grace and beauty in art or nature (unlike the straight line or the circle in Classicism). Rococo was slow in arriving in England. Before entering the Rococo, British furniture for a time followed the neoclassical Palladian model under designer
William Kent William Kent (c. 1685 – 12 April 1748) was an English architect, landscape architect, painter and furniture designer of the early 18th century. He began his career as a painter, and became Principal Painter in Ordinary or court painter, bu ...
, who designed for Lord Burlington and other important patrons of the arts. Kent travelled to Italy with Lord Burlington between 1712 and 1720, and brought back many models and ideas from Palladio. He designed the furniture for Hampton Court Palace (1732), Lord Burlington's
Chiswick House Chiswick House is a Neo-Palladian style villa in the Chiswick district of London, England. A "glorious" example of Neo-Palladian architecture in west London, the house was designed and built by Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington (1694– ...
(1729), London, Thomas Coke's Holkham Hall, Norfolk, Robert Walpole's pile at
Houghton Houghton may refer to: Places Australia * Houghton, South Australia, a town near Adelaide * Houghton Highway, the longest bridge in Australia, between Redcliffe and Brisbane in Queensland * Houghton Island (Queensland) Canada *Houghton Township, ...
, for Devonshire House in London, and at Rousham. Mahogany made its appearance in England in about 1720, and immediately became popular for furniture, along with
walnut A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true ...
wood. The Rococo began to make an appearance in England between 1740 and 1750. The furniture of
Thomas Chippendale Thomas Chippendale (1718–1779) was a cabinet-maker in London, designing furniture in the mid-Georgian, English Rococo, and Neoclassical styles. In 1754 he published a book of his designs in a trade catalogue titled ''The Gentleman and Ca ...
was the closest to the Rococo style, In 1754 he published "Gentleman's and Cabinet-makers' directory", a catalogue of designs for rococo, ''chinoiserie'' and even Gothic furniture, which achieved wide popularity, going through three editions. Unlike French designers, Chippendale did not employ marquetry or inlays in his furniture. The predominant designer of inlaid furniture were Vile and Cob, the cabinet-makers for King George III. Another important figure in British furniture was Thomas Johnson, who in 1761, very late in the period, published a catalogue of Rococo furniture designs. These include furnishings based on rather fantastic Chinese and Indian motifs, including a canopy bed crowned by a Chinese pagoda (now in the Victoria and Albert Museum). Other notable figures in the British Rococo included the silversmith Charles Friedrich Kandler. File:A Design for a State Bed From Chippendale's Director.jpg, Design for a State Bed by
Thomas Chippendale Thomas Chippendale (1718–1779) was a cabinet-maker in London, designing furniture in the mid-Georgian, English Rococo, and Neoclassical styles. In 1754 he published a book of his designs in a trade catalogue titled ''The Gentleman and Ca ...
(1753–1754) File:Chinese Sopha -Sofa-, in Chippendale Drawings, Vol. I MET DP104166 (cropped).jpg, Proposed Chinese sofa by
Thomas Chippendale Thomas Chippendale (1718–1779) was a cabinet-maker in London, designing furniture in the mid-Georgian, English Rococo, and Neoclassical styles. In 1754 he published a book of his designs in a trade catalogue titled ''The Gentleman and Ca ...
(1753–1754) File:French Commode and Lamp Stands.jpg, Design for Commode and lamp stands by Thomas Chippendale (1753–1754) File:Pair of side chairs MET DP111238.jpg, Side chair; Thomas Chippendale; circa 1755–1760; mahogany;
Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
(New York City) File:Thomas Johnson - Three Designs for Torcheres in the Chinese Taste (Plate 13 of "One Hundred and Fifty New Designs") - Google Art Project.jpg, Design for candlesticks in the "Chinese Taste" by Thomas Johnson (1756) File:Set of fourteen side chairs MET DP110781.jpg, Chippendale chair (1772), Metropolitan Museum File:Brazier MET 202187.jpg, Brazier by silversmith Charles Friedrich Kander (1735), Metropolitan Museum


Russia

The Russian Empress Catherine the Great was another admirer of the Rococo; The Golden Cabinet of the Chinese Palace in the palace complex of Oranienbaum near Saint Petersburg, designed by the Italian Antonio Rinaldi, is an example of the Russian Rococo.


Frederician Rococo

Frederician Rococo is a form of Rococo which developed in
Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...
during the reign of Frederick the Great and combined influences from
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
(especially Saxony) and the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. Its most famous adherent was the architect Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff. Furthermore, the painter Antoine Pesne and even King Frederick himself influenced Knobelsdorff's designs. Famous buildings in the Frederican style include Sanssouci Palace, the
Potsdam City Palace The Potsdam City Palace (german: Potsdamer Stadtschloss) is a building in Potsdam, Germany, located on the Old Market Square, next to the St. Nicholas' Church (''Nikolaikirche''). It was the second official residence (the winter residence) of ...
, and parts of
Charlottenburg Palace Schloss Charlottenburg (Charlottenburg Palace) is a Baroque palace in Berlin, located in Charlottenburg, a district of the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf borough. The palace was built at the end of the 17th century and was greatly expanded during th ...
.


Decline and end

The art of Boucher and other painters of the period, with its emphasis on decorative mythology and gallantry, soon inspired a reaction, and a demand for more "noble" themes. While the Rococo continued in Germany and Austria, the French Academy in Rome began to teach the classic style. This was confirmed by the nomination of De Troy as director of the Academy in 1738, and then in 1751 by Charles-Joseph Natoire. Madame de Pompadour, the mistress of Louis XV contributed to the decline of the Rococo style. In 1750 she sent her brother, Abel-François Poisson de Vandières, on a two-year mission to study artistic and archeological developments in Italy. He was accompanied by several artists, including the engraver Charles-Nicolas Cochin and the architect Soufflot. They returned to Paris with a passion for classical art. Vandiéres became the Marquis of Marigny, and was named director general of the King's Buildings. He turned official French architecture toward the neoclassical. Cochin became an important art critic; he denounced the ''petit style'' of Boucher, and called for a grand style with a new emphasis on antiquity and nobility in the academies of painting and architecture. The beginning of the end for Rococo came in the early 1760s as figures like Voltaire and
Jacques-François Blondel Jacques-François Blondel (8 January 1705 – 9 January 1774) was an 18th-century French architect and teacher. After running his own highly successful school of architecture for many years, he was appointed Professor of Architecture at the Acad ...
began to voice their criticism of the superficiality and degeneracy of the art. Blondel decried the "ridiculous jumble of shells, dragons, reeds, palm-trees and plants" in contemporary interiors. By 1785, Rococo had passed out of fashion in France, replaced by the order and seriousness of Neoclassical artists like Jacques-Louis David. In Germany, late 18th-century Rococo was ridiculed as ''Zopf und Perücke'' ("pigtail and periwig"), and this phase is sometimes referred to as ''Zopfstil''. Rococo remained popular in certain German provincial states and in Italy, until the second phase of neoclassicism, "
Empire style The Empire style (, ''style Empire'') is an early-nineteenth-century design movement in architecture, furniture, other decorative arts, and the visual arts, representing the second phase of Neoclassicism. It flourished between 1800 and 1815 durin ...
", arrived with Napoleonic governments and swept Rococo away.


Furniture and decoration

The ornamental style called '' rocaille'' emerged in France between 1710 and 1750, mostly during the regency and reign of Louis XV; the style was also called '' Louis Quinze''. Its principal characteristics were picturesque detail, curves and counter-curves, asymmetry, and a theatrical exuberance. On the walls of new Paris salons, the twisting and winding designs, usually made of gilded or painted stucco, wound around the doorways and mirrors like vines. One of the earliest examples was the Hôtel Soubise in Paris (1704–05), with its famous oval salon decorated with paintings by Boucher, and Charles-Joseph Natoire. The best known French furniture designer of the period was Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier (1695–1750), who was also a sculptor, painter. and goldsmith for the royal household. He held the title of official designer to the Chamber and Cabinet of Louis XV. His work is well known today because of the enormous number of engravings made of his work which popularized the style throughout Europe. He designed works for the royal families of Poland and Portugal. Italy was another place where the Rococo flourished, both in its early and later phases. Craftsmen in Rome, Milan and Venice all produced lavishly decorated furniture and decorative items. File:Juste-aurèlie messonier, candelabro d'argento, Parigi, 1734-1735 , 02.JPG, Candlelabra by Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier (1735–40) File:Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier - "Chariot of Apollo," Ceiling Design for Count Bielinski's Cabinet, Warsaw, Poland - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Chariot of Apollo'' design for a ceiling of Count Bielinski by
Meissonier Meissonier or Meissonnier is the name of several people: * Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier (1815–1891), French classicist painter and sculptor famous for his depictions of Napoleon, his armies and military themes * Jean-Antoine Meissonnier (1783– ...
, Warsaw, Poland (1734) File:Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier - Canapé executé pour Mr. le Comte de Bielinski Grand M.al de la Couronne de Pologne, en 1735.; Canapé... - Google Art Project.jpg, Canapé designed by Meissonnier for Count Bielinski, Warsaw, Poland (1735) File:Bottega romana, console, 1710 ca., base in legno e piano di marmo.JPG, Console table, Rome, Italy (circa 1710)
The sculpted decoration included fleurettes, palmettes, seashells, and foliage, carved in wood. The most extravagant rocaille forms were found in the consoles, tables designed to stand against walls. The Commodes, or chests, which had first appeared under Louis XIV, were richly decorated with rocaille ornament made of gilded bronze. They were made by master craftsmen including Jean-Pierre Latz and also featured marquetry of different-coloured woods, sometimes placed in draughtsboard cubic patterns, made with light and dark woods. The period also saw the arrival of
Chinoiserie (, ; loanword from French '' chinoiserie'', from '' chinois'', "Chinese"; ) is the European interpretation and imitation of Chinese and other East Asian artistic traditions, especially in the decorative arts, garden design, architecture, lite ...
, often in the form of lacquered and gilded commodes, called ''falcon de Chine'' of ''Vernis Martin'', after the ebenist who introduced the technique to France.
Ormolu Ormolu (; from French ''or moulu'', "ground/pounded gold") is the gilding technique of applying finely ground, high-carat gold– mercury amalgam to an object of bronze, and for objects finished in this way. The mercury is driven off in a kiln le ...
, or gilded bronze, was used by master craftsmen including Jean-Pierre Latz. Latz made a particularly ornate clock mounted atop a cartonnier for Frederick the Great for his palace in Potsdam. Pieces of imported Chinese porcelain were often mounted in
ormolu Ormolu (; from French ''or moulu'', "ground/pounded gold") is the gilding technique of applying finely ground, high-carat gold– mercury amalgam to an object of bronze, and for objects finished in this way. The mercury is driven off in a kiln le ...
(gilded bronze) rococo settings for display on tables or consoles in salons. Other craftsmen imitated the Japanese art of lacquered furniture, and produced commodes with Japanese motifs. File:Secretaire - Bernard II van Risamburgh - Münchner Residenz - DSC07490.JPG, Desk for the
Münchner Residenz The Residenz (, ''Residence'') in central Munich is the former royal palace of the House of Wittelsbach, Wittelsbach List of rulers of Bavaria, monarchs of Bavaria. The Residenz is the largest city palace in Germany and is today open to visitors ...
by Bernard II van Risamburgh (1737) File:Kambli Cartonnier with a clock of Frederick II.jpg, Clock-chest for Frederick the Great (1742) File:Chinese - Bowl Mounted with Two Fish - Walters 492266.jpg, A Chinese porcelain bowl and two fish mounted in gilded bronze, France (1745–49) File:LatzEncoignure1a.jpg, An encoignure by royal cabinetmaker Jean-Pierre Latz (circa 1750) File:Commode.jpg, Lacquered Commode in Chinoiserie style, by Bernard II van Risamburgh, Victoria and Albert Museum (1750–1760)
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
Rococo tended to be more restrained. Thomas Chippendale's furniture designs kept the curves and feel, but stopped short of the French heights of whimsy. The most successful exponent of British Rococo was probably Thomas Johnson, a gifted carver and furniture designer working in London in the mid-18th century.


Painting

Elements of the ''Rocaille'' style appeared in the work of some French painters, including a taste for the picturesque in details; curves and counter-curves; and dissymmetry which replaced the movement of the baroque with exuberance, though the French ''rocaille'' never reached the extravagance of the Germanic rococo. The leading proponent was
Antoine Watteau Jean-Antoine Watteau (, , ; baptised October 10, 1684died July 18, 1721) Alsavailablevia Oxford Art Online (subscription needed). was a French painter and draughtsman whose brief career spurred the revival of interest in colour and movement, a ...
, particularly in ''Pilgrimage on the Isle of Cythera'' (1717), Louvre, in a genre called ''
Fête Galante ''Fête galante'' () (courtship party) is a category of painting specially created by the French Academy in 1717 to describe Antoine Watteau's (1684–1721) variations on the theme of the fête champêtre, which featured figures in ball dress o ...
'' depicting scenes of young nobles gathered together to celebrate in a pastoral setting. Watteau died in 1721 at the age of thirty-seven, but his work continued to have influence through the rest of the century. The ''Pilgrimage to Cythera'' painting was purchased by Frederick the Great of Prussia in 1752 or 1765 to decorate his palace of
Charlottenburg Charlottenburg () is a locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. Established as a town in 1705 and named after Sophia Charlotte of Hanover, Queen consort of Prussia, it is best known for Charlottenburg Palace, the ...
in Berlin. The successor of Watteau and the ''Féte Galante'' in decorative painting was François Boucher (1703–1770), the favorite painter of Madame de Pompadour. His work included the sensual ''Toilette de Venus'' (1746), which became one of the best known examples of the style. Boucher participated in all of the genres of the time, designing tapestries, models for porcelain sculpture, set decorations for the Paris opera and ''opera-comique'', and decor for the Fair of Saint-Laurent. Other important painters of the ''Fête Galante'' style included
Nicolas Lancret Nicolas Lancret (22 January 1690 – 14 September 1743) was a French painter. Born in Paris, he was a brilliant depicter of light comedy which reflected the tastes and manners of French society during the regency of the Duke of Orleans and, late ...
and Jean-Baptiste Pater. The style particularly influenced
François Lemoyne François Lemoyne or François Le Moine (; 1688 – 4 June 1737) was a French rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which co ...
, who painted the lavish decoration of the ceiling of the Salon of Hercules at the Palace of Versailles, completed in 1735. Paintings with fétes gallant and mythological themes by Boucher, Pierre-Charles Trémolières and Charles-Joseph Natoire decorated the famous salon of the Hôtel Soubise in Paris (1735–40). Other Rococo painters include: Jean François de Troy (1679–1752), Jean-Baptiste van Loo (1685–1745), his two sons
Louis-Michel van Loo Louis-Michel van Loo (2 March 1707, Toulon – 20 March 1771, Paris) was a French Painting, painter. Biography He studied under his father, the painter Jean-Baptiste van Loo, at Turin and Rome, and he won a prize at the ''Académie Royale de ...
(1707–1771) and Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo (1719–1795), his younger brother Charles-André van Loo (1705–1765),
Nicolas Lancret Nicolas Lancret (22 January 1690 – 14 September 1743) was a French painter. Born in Paris, he was a brilliant depicter of light comedy which reflected the tastes and manners of French society during the regency of the Duke of Orleans and, late ...
(1690–1743), and Jean Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806). In Austria and Southern Germany, Italian painting had the largest effect on the Rococo style. The Venetian painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, assisted by his son,
Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (August 30, 1727March 3, 1804) was an Italian painter and printmaker in etching. He was the son of artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo and elder brother of Lorenzo Baldissera Tiepolo. Life history Domenico was born in ...
, was invited to paint frescoes for the
Würzburg Residence The Würzburg Residence (German: ''Würzburger Residenz'') is a palace in Würzburg, Germany. Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt and Maximilian von Welsch, representatives of the Austrian/South German Baroque style, were involved in the construction, ...
(1720–1744). The most prominent painter of Bavarian rococo churches was
Johann Baptist Zimmermann Johann Baptist Zimmermann (3 January 1680, Gaispoint — 2 March 1758, Munich) was a German painter and a prime stucco plasterer during the Baroque. Zimmermann was born in Gaispoint, Wessobrunn. He and his brother Dominikus Zimmermann were ...
, who painted the ceiling of the Wieskirche (1745–1754). File:L'Embarquement pour Cythere, by Antoine Watteau, from C2RMF retouched.jpg,
Antoine Watteau Jean-Antoine Watteau (, , ; baptised October 10, 1684died July 18, 1721) Alsavailablevia Oxford Art Online (subscription needed). was a French painter and draughtsman whose brief career spurred the revival of interest in colour and movement, a ...
, ''Pilgrimage on the Isle of Cythera'' (1717) File:Déjeuner de jambon - Nicolas Lancret - musée Condé.jpg, " Luncheon with Ham" by
Nicolas Lancret Nicolas Lancret (22 January 1690 – 14 September 1743) was a French painter. Born in Paris, he was a brilliant depicter of light comedy which reflected the tastes and manners of French society during the regency of the Duke of Orleans and, late ...
(1735) File:François Lemoyne - L'Apothéose d'Hercule - Google Art Project.jpg, Ceiling of the Salon of Hercules by
François Lemoyne François Lemoyne or François Le Moine (; 1688 – 4 June 1737) was a French rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which co ...
(1735) File:The Toilet of Venus, by François Boucher.jpg, ''The Toilet of Venus'' by François Boucher (1746) File:Tiepolo-residenz-wuerzburg.jpg, Ceiling fresco in the
Würzburg Residence The Würzburg Residence (German: ''Würzburger Residenz'') is a palace in Würzburg, Germany. Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt and Maximilian von Welsch, representatives of the Austrian/South German Baroque style, were involved in the construction, ...
(1720–1744) by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo File:Kuppelfreskowieskirche.jpg, Ceiling of the Wieskirche by
Johann Baptist Zimmermann Johann Baptist Zimmermann (3 January 1680, Gaispoint — 2 March 1758, Munich) was a German painter and a prime stucco plasterer during the Baroque. Zimmermann was born in Gaispoint, Wessobrunn. He and his brother Dominikus Zimmermann were ...
(1745–1754)


Sculpture

Antonio Corradini - Dama Velata (Puritas) - Museo del Settecento Veneziano - Ca' Rezzonico, Venice.jpg, ''The "Veiled Dame (Puritas)'' by Antonio Corradini (1722) Edme Bouchardon, Cupid, 1744, NGA 41708.jpg, ''Cupid'' by Edmé Bouchardon, National Gallery of Art (1744) Prometheus Adam Louvre MR1745 edit atoma.jpg, ''Prometheus'' by Nicolas-Sébastien Adam (1762) Vertumnus Pomona Lemoyne Louvre RF2716.jpg, ''Vertumnus and Pomone'' by
Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne (15 February 1704 – 1778) was a French sculptor of the 18th century who worked in both the rococo and neoclassical style. He made monumental statuary for the Gardens of Versailles but was best known for his expressive p ...
(1760) Falconet - Pygmalion & Galatee (1763)-black bg.jpg, Pygmalion et Galatee by Étienne-Maurice Falconet (1763) The Intoxication of Wine MET DP254072.jpg, ''The intoxication of wine'' by Claude Michel (Clodion), terracotta, 1780s-90s
Rococo sculpture was theatrical, colourful and dynamic, giving a sense of movement in every direction. It was most commonly found in the interiors of churches, usually closely integrated with painting and the architecture. Religious sculpture followed the Italian baroque style, as exemplified in the theatrical altarpiece of the Karlskirche in Vienna. Early Rococo or Rocaille sculpture in France sculpture was lighter and offered more movement than the classical style of Louis XIV. It was encouraged in particular by Madame de Pompadour, mistress of Louis XV, who commissioned many works for her chateaux and gardens. The sculptor Edmé Bouchardon represented Cupid engaged in carving his darts of love from the club of Hercules. Rococo figures also crowded the later fountains at Versailles, such as the Fountain of Neptune by
Lambert-Sigisbert Adam Lambert-Sigisbert Adam (10 October 170012 May 1759) was a lorrain sculptor born in 1700 in Nancy. The eldest son of sculptor Jacob-Sigisbert Adam, he was known as Adam l’aîné ("the elder") to distinguish him from his two sculptor brothers Ni ...
and Nicolas-Sebastien Adam (1740). Based on their success at Versailles, they were invited to Prussia by Frederick the Great to create fountain sculpture for
Sanssouci Sanssouci () is a historical building in Potsdam, near Berlin. Built by Prussian King Frederick the Great as his summer palace, it is often counted among the German rivals of Versailles. While Sanssouci is in the more intimate Rococo style and ...
Palace, Prussia (1740s). Étienne-Maurice Falconet (1716–1791) was another leading French sculptor during the period. Falconet was most famous for his statue of Peter the Great on horseback in St. Petersburg, but he also created a series of smaller works for wealthy collectors, which could be reproduced in a series in terracotta or cast in bronze. The French sculptors, Jean-Louis Lemoyne,
Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne (15 February 1704 – 1778) was a French sculptor of the 18th century who worked in both the rococo and neoclassical style. He made monumental statuary for the Gardens of Versailles but was best known for his expressive p ...
, Louis-Simon Boizot, Michel Clodion,
Lambert-Sigisbert Adam Lambert-Sigisbert Adam (10 October 170012 May 1759) was a lorrain sculptor born in 1700 in Nancy. The eldest son of sculptor Jacob-Sigisbert Adam, he was known as Adam l’aîné ("the elder") to distinguish him from his two sculptor brothers Ni ...
and Jean-Baptiste Pigalle all produced sculpture in series for collectors. In Italy, Antonio Corradini was among the leading sculptors of the Rococo style. A Venetian, he travelled around Europe, working for Peter the Great in St. Petersburg, for the imperial courts in Austria and Naples. He preferred sentimental themes and made several skilled works of women with faces covered by veils, one of which is now in the Louvre. File:Wien-Landstraße, Oberes Belvedere, Trägerfigur.JPG, Atlantides in the upper
Belvedere Palace The Belvedere is a historic building complex in Vienna, Austria, consisting of two Baroque palaces (the Upper and Lower Belvedere), the Orangery, and the Palace Stables. The buildings are set in a Baroque park landscape in the third district o ...
, Vienna, by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt (1721–22) File:Kloster Rohr in Nby Detail Hochaltar.JPG, Assumption scene by Egid Quirin Asam (1722–23) former monastery church,
Rohr in Niederbayern Rohr in Niederbayern is a municipality in the district of Kelheim in Bavaria in Germany. Twin towns Rohr in Niederbayern is twinned with: * Castelcucco Castelcucco is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Treviso in the Italian re ...
File:El Transparente.jpg, ''El Transparente'' altar in Toledo Cathedral by Narciso Tomé (1721–32) File:Façana del Palau del Marqués de Dosaigües.JPG, Portal of the Palace of the Marquis de Dos Aguas, Valencia, Spain (1740-1744) File:Versalles Fuente de Neptuno 02.JPG, Fountain of Neptune and Amphitrite Palace of Versailles, by
Lambert-Sigisbert Adam Lambert-Sigisbert Adam (10 October 170012 May 1759) was a lorrain sculptor born in 1700 in Nancy. The eldest son of sculptor Jacob-Sigisbert Adam, he was known as Adam l’aîné ("the elder") to distinguish him from his two sculptor brothers Ni ...
and Nicolas-Sebastien Adam (1740) File:8002.Element Luft-2 Nymphen mit erlegtem Reiher(1739)-Lambert Sigisbert Adam-Sanssouci Steffen Heilfort.JPG, Fountain nymphs by Lambert Sigisbert Adam at
Sanssouci Sanssouci () is a historical building in Potsdam, near Berlin. Built by Prussian King Frederick the Great as his summer palace, it is often counted among the German rivals of Versailles. While Sanssouci is in the more intimate Rococo style and ...
palace, Prussia (1740s)
The most elaborate examples of rococo sculpture were found in Spain, Austria and southern Germany, in the decoration of palaces and churches. The sculpture was closely integrated with the architecture; it was impossible to know where one stopped and the other began. In the
Belvedere Palace The Belvedere is a historic building complex in Vienna, Austria, consisting of two Baroque palaces (the Upper and Lower Belvedere), the Orangery, and the Palace Stables. The buildings are set in a Baroque park landscape in the third district o ...
in Vienna, (1721-1722), the vaulted ceiling of the Hall of the Atlantes is held up on the shoulders of muscular figures designed by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt. The portal of the Palace of the Marquis of Dos Aguas in Valencia (1715-1776) was completely drenched in sculpture carved in marble, from designs by Hipolito Rovira Brocandel. The ''El Transparente'' altar, in the major chapel of Toledo Cathedral is a towering sculpture of polychrome marble and gilded stucco, combined with paintings, statues and symbols. It was made by Narciso Tomé (1721–32), Its design allows light to pass through, and in changing light it seems to move.


Porcelain

A new form of small-scale sculpture appeared, the
porcelain Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises main ...
figure, or small group of figures, initially replacing sugar sculptures on grand dining room tables, but soon popular for placing on mantelpieces and furniture. The number of European factories grew steadily through the century, and some made porcelain that the expanding middle classes could afford. The amount of colourful
overglaze decoration Overglaze decoration, overglaze enamelling or on-glaze decoration is a method of decorating pottery, most often porcelain, where the coloured decoration is applied on top of the already fired and glazed surface, and then fixed in a second firing ...
used on them also increased. They were usually modelled by artists who had trained in sculpture. Common subjects included figures from the commedia dell'arte, city street vendors, lovers and figures in fashionable clothes, and pairs of birds. Johann Joachim Kändler was the most important modeller of
Meissen porcelain Meissen porcelain or Meissen china was the first European hard-paste porcelain. Early experiments were done in 1708 by Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus. After his death that October, Johann Friedrich Böttger continued von Tschirnhaus's work an ...
, the earliest European factory, which remained the most important until about 1760. The Swiss-born German sculptor Franz Anton Bustelli produced a wide variety of colourful figures for the Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory in Bavaria, which were sold throughout Europe. The French sculptor Étienne-Maurice Falconet (1716–1791) followed this example. While also making large-scale works, he became director of the Sevres Porcelain manufactory and produced small-scale works, usually about love and gaiety, for production in series. File:The Music Lesson MET DP-14272-001 (cropped).jpg, ''The Music Lesson'', Chelsea porcelain, Metropolitan Museum (c. 1765) File:Karlskirche October 2006 005.jpg, High altar of the Karlskirche in Vienna (1737) File:Cup and Saucer LACMA 47.35.6a-b (1 of 3).jpg, Cup with saucer; circa 1753; soft-paste porcelain with glaze and enamel; Los Angeles County Museum of Art File:Mezzetin, Johann Joachim Kaendler, Meissen Porcelain Factory, c. 1739, hard-paste porcelain - Wadsworth Atheneum - Hartford, CT - DSC05311.jpg, Mezzetin, by Kaendler, Meissen, c. 1739 File:Harlequin and Columbine MET DP169015 (cropped).jpg, '' Harlequin and Columbine'', Capodimonte porcelain, c. 1745 File:Bustelli Liebesgruppe Der gestörte Schläfer BNM.jpg, ''Pair of lovers'' group of
Nymphenburg porcelain The Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory (German: ''Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg'') is located at the ''Nördliche Schloßrondell'' in one of the ''Cavalier Houses'' in front of the Nymphenburg Palace in Munich, Germany, and since its establi ...
, c. 1760, modelled by Franz Anton Bustelli File:Bustelli Käsmann BNM.jpg, Figure of a cheese seller by Bustelli,
Nymphenburg porcelain The Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory (German: ''Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg'') is located at the ''Nördliche Schloßrondell'' in one of the ''Cavalier Houses'' in front of the Nymphenburg Palace in Munich, Germany, and since its establi ...
(1755)


Music

A Rococo period existed in
music history Music history, sometimes called historical musicology, is a highly diverse subfield of the broader discipline of musicology that studies music from a historical point of view. In theory, "music history" could refer to the study of the history o ...
, although it is not as well known as the earlier Baroque and later Classical forms. The Rococo music style itself developed out of baroque music both in France, where the new style was referred to as ''style galant'' ("gallant" or "elegant" style), and in Germany, where it was referred to as ''empfindsamer Stil'' ("sensitive style"). It can be characterized as light, intimate music with extremely elaborate and refined forms of ornamentation. Exemplars include Jean Philippe Rameau,
Louis-Claude Daquin Louis-Claude Daquin (or D'Aquino, d'Aquin, d'Acquin; July 4, 1694 – June 15, 1772) was a French composer, writing in the Baroque and Galant styles. He was a virtuoso organist and harpsichordist. Life Louis-Claude Daquin was born in Paris to a f ...
and François Couperin in France; in Germany, the style's main proponents were C. P. E. Bach and Johann Christian Bach, two sons of J.S. Bach. In the second half of the 18th century, a reaction against the Rococo style occurred, primarily against its perceived overuse of ornamentation and decoration. Led by Christoph Willibald Gluck, this reaction ushered in the
Classical era Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ...
. By the early 19th century, Catholic opinion had turned against the suitability of the style for ecclesiastical contexts because it was "in no way conducive to sentiments of devotion". Russian composer of the Romantic era Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote The '' Variations on a Rococo Theme'', Op. 33, for cello and orchestra in 1877. Although the theme is not Rococo in origin, it is written in Rococo style.


Fashion

Rococo fashion was based on extravagance, elegance, refinement and decoration. Women's fashion of the seventeenth-century was contrasted by the fashion of the eighteenth-century, which was ornate and sophisticated, the true style of Rococo. These fashions spread beyond the royal court into the salons and cafés of the ascendant bourgeoisie. The exuberant, playful, elegant style of decoration and design that we now know to be 'Rococo' was then known as ''le style rocaille, le style moderne, le gout.'' A style that appeared in the early eighteenth-century was the ''robe volante'', a flowing gown, that became popular towards the end of King Louis XIV's reign. This gown had the features of a bodice with large pleats flowing down the back to the ground over a rounded petticoat. The colour palette was rich, dark fabrics accompanied by elaborate, heavy design features. After the death of Louis XIV the clothing styles began to change. The fashion took a turn to a lighter, more frivolous style, transitioning from the baroque period to the well-known style of Rococo. The later period was known for their pastel colours, more revealing frocks, and the plethora of frills, ruffles, bows, and lace as trims. Shortly after the typical women's Rococo gown was introduced, ''robe à la Française,'' a gown with a tight bodice that had a low cut neckline, usually with a large ribbon bows down the centre front, wide panniers, and was lavishly trimmed in large amounts of lace, ribbon, and flowers. The ''Watteau pleats'' also became more popular, named after the painter Jean-Antoine Watteau, who painted the details of the gowns down to the stitches of lace and other trimmings with immense accuracy. Later, the '''pannier''' and '''mantua''' became fashionable around 1718. They were wide hoops under the dress to extend the hips out sideways and they soon became a staple in formal wear. This gave the Rococo period the iconic dress of wide hips combined with the large amount of decoration on the garments. Wide panniers were worn for special occasions, and could reach up to 16 feet (4.8 metres) in diameter, and smaller hoops were worn for the everyday settings. These features originally came from seventeenth-century Spanish fashion, known as ''guardainfante'', initially designed to hide the pregnant stomach, then reimagined later as the pannier. 1745 became the Golden Age of the Rococo with the introduction of a more exotic, oriental culture in France called ''a la turque''. This was made popular by Louis XV's mistress, Madame Pompadour, who commissioned the artist, Charles Andre Van Loo, to paint her as a Turkish sultana. In the 1760s, a style of less formal dresses emerged and one of these was the ''polonaise'', with inspiration taken from Poland. It was shorter than the French dress, allowing the underskirt and ankles to be seen, which made it easier to move around in. Another dress that came into fashion was the ''robe a l'anglais'', which included elements inspired by the males' fashion; a short jacket, broad lapels and long sleeves. It also had a snug bodice, a full skirt without panniers but still a little long in the back to form a small train, and often some type of lace kerchief worn around the neck. Another piece was the 'redingote', halfway between a cape and an overcoat. Accessories were also important to all women during this time, as they added to the opulence and the decor of the body to match their gowns. At any official ceremony ladies were required to cover their hands and arms with gloves if their clothes were sleeveless.


Gallery


Architecture

File:Igreja de São Francisco de Assis (Ouro Preto, MG) por Rodrigo Tetsuo Argenton.jpg, Church of São Francisco de Assis in Ouro Preto, Brazil, 1749–1774, by
Aleijadinho Antônio Francisco Lisboa ( or 1738 – 18 November 1814), better known as Aleijadinho (), was a sculptor, carver and architect of Colonial Brazil, noted for his works on and in various churches of Brazil. Little is known with certainty about his ...
File:Czap6DSC 1080.jpg, Czapski Palace in
Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
, Poland, 1712–1721, reflects the rococo fascination with oriental architecture File:St. Andriy's Church in Kyiv.jpg, St. Andrew's Church in Kyiv, 1744–1767, designed by
Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli (russian: Франче́ско Бартоломе́о (Варфоломе́й Варфоломе́евич) Растре́лли; 1700 in Paris, Kingdom of France – 29 April 1771 in Saint Petersburg, Russian Emp ...
File:Dresden-Zwinger-Wallpavillion-gp.jpg, Zwinger in Dresden File:Esterházy-kastély (4051. számú műemlék) 2.jpg, Eszterháza in Fertőd,
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
, 1720–1766, sometimes called the "''Hungarian Versailles''" File:150913 Branicki Palace in Białystok - 09.jpg, The Rococo Branicki Palace in Białystok, sometimes referred to as the "''Polish Versailles''" Trier Kurfuerstliches Palais BW 1.JPG, Electoral Palace of Trier File:Convento Santo Domingo - Lima.jpg, Basilica of Santo Domingo in Lima, Peru, completed in 1766, by Manuel d'Amat i de Junyent


Engravings

File:Allegories of astronomy and geography.jpg, Unknown artist. Allegories of astronomy and geography. France (?), ca. 1750s File:A. Avelin after Mondon le Fils.jpg, A. Avelin after Mondon le Fils. L′Heureux moment. 1736 File:Mondon le Fils.jpg, A. Avelin after Mondon le Fils. Chinese God. An engraving from the ouvrage «Quatrieme livre des formes, orneė des rocailles, carteles, figures oyseaux et dragon» 1736


Painting

File:Jean-Antoine Watteau - Pierrot, dit autrefois Gilles.jpg,
Antoine Watteau Jean-Antoine Watteau (, , ; baptised October 10, 1684died July 18, 1721) Alsavailablevia Oxford Art Online (subscription needed). was a French painter and draughtsman whose brief career spurred the revival of interest in colour and movement, a ...
, ''Pierrot'', 1718–1719 File:Antoine Watteau - L'imbarco per Citera.jpg,
Antoine Watteau Jean-Antoine Watteau (, , ; baptised October 10, 1684died July 18, 1721) Alsavailablevia Oxford Art Online (subscription needed). was a French painter and draughtsman whose brief career spurred the revival of interest in colour and movement, a ...
, ''Pilgrimage to Cythera '', 1718–1721 File:Vanloo, Triumph of Galatea.jpg, Jean-Baptiste van Loo, ''The Triumph of
Galatea Galatea is an ancient Greek name meaning "she who is milk-white". Galatea, Galathea or Gallathea may refer to: In mythology * Galatea (Greek myth), three different mythological figures In the arts * ''Aci, Galatea e Polifemo'', cantata by H ...
'', 1720 File:FdeTroyLectureMoliere.jpg, Jean François de Troy, ''A Reading of
Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and worl ...
'', 1728 File:Francis Hayman 001.jpg,
Francis Hayman Francis Hayman (1708 – 2 February 1776) was an English painter and illustrator who became one of the founding members of the Royal Academy in 1768, and later its first librarian. Life and works Born in Exeter, Devon, Hayman begun his arti ...
, ''Dancing Milkmaids'', 1735 File:Charles-André, dit Carle Vanloo - Halte de chasse (1737).JPG, Charles-André van Loo, ''Halt to the Hunt'', 1737 File:François Boucher - The Triumph of Venus - Google Art Project.jpg, François Boucher, ''
The Triumph of Venus ''The Triumph of Venus'' is a 1740 oil-on-canvas painting by François Boucher. It inspired ''The Birth of Venus'' by Jean-Honoré Fragonard. The painting was one of the large number of drawings and paintings acquired by Carl Gustaf Tessin during ...
'', 1740 File:Boucher par Gustav Lundberg 1741.jpg, Gustaf Lundberg, ''Portrait of François Boucher'', 1741 File:Boucher Diane sortant du bain Louvre 2712.jpg, François Boucher, ''Diana Leaving the Bath'', 1742 File:Giambattista Tiepolo - The Banquet of Cleopatra - Google Art Project.jpg, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, '' The Banquet of Cleopatra'', 1743 File:Resting Girl by François Boucher (1753) - Alte Pinakothek - Munich - Germany 2017 (crop).jpg, François Boucher, ''
Marie-Louise O'Murphy Marie-Louise O'Murphy (; 21 October 1737 – 11 December 1814), also variously called ''Mademoiselle de Morphy'', ''La Belle Morphise'', ''Louise Morfi'' or ''Marie-Louise Morphy de Boisfailly'', was one of the lesser mistresses (''petites maî ...
'', 1752 File:Pompadour6.jpg,
Maurice Quentin de La Tour Maurice Quentin de La Tour (5 September 1704 – 17 February 1788) was a French Rococo portraitist who worked primarily with pastels. Among his most famous subjects were Voltaire, Rousseau, Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour. Biography Maurice ...
, ''Full-length portrait of the
Marquise de Pompadour Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour (, ; 29 December 1721 – 15 April 1764), commonly known as Madame de Pompadour, was a member of the French court. She was the official chief mistress of King Louis XV from 1745 to 1751, and re ...
'', 1748–1755 File:Madame de Pompadour.jpg, François Boucher ''Portrait of the
Marquise de Pompadour Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour (, ; 29 December 1721 – 15 April 1764), commonly known as Madame de Pompadour, was a member of the French court. She was the official chief mistress of King Louis XV from 1745 to 1751, and re ...
'', 1756 File:Fragonard - swing.jpg, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, '' The Swing'', 1767 File:Jean-Honoré Fragonard - Inspiration.jpg, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, ''Inspiration'', 1769 File:Denisdiderot.jpg, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, '' Denis Diderot'', 1769 File:The Progress of Love - The Meeting - Fragonard 1771-72.jpg, Jean-Honoré Fragonard ''The Meeting (Part of the Progress of Love series)'', 1771 File:Louise Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun - Marie-Antoinette dit « à la Rose » - Google Art Project.jpg,
Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
, '' Marie Antoinette à la Rose'', 1783


Rococo era painting

File:Jean-Baptiste Siméon Chardin 029.jpg, Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, ''Still Life with Glass Flask and Fruit'', c. 1750 File:Thomas Gainsborough - Mr and Mrs Andrews.jpg,
Thomas Gainsborough Thomas Gainsborough (14 May 1727 (baptised) – 2 August 1788) was an English portrait and landscape painter, draughtsman, and printmaker. Along with his rival Sir Joshua Reynolds, he is considered one of the most important British artists of ...
, '' Mr and Mrs Andrews'', 1750 File:Greuze, Jean-Baptiste - The Spoiled Child - low res.jpg,
Jean-Baptiste Greuze Jean-Baptiste Greuze (, 21 August 1725 – 4 March 1805) was a French painter of portraits, genre scenes, and history painting. Biography Early life Greuze was born at Tournus, a market town in Burgundy. He is generally said to have formed h ...
, ''The Spoiled Child'', c. 1765 File:Joshua Reynolds - George Clive and his Family with an Indian Maid - WGA19338.jpg, Joshua Reynolds, '' Robert Clive and his family with an Indian maid,'' 1765 File:Kauffman-Garrick.jpg, Angelica Kauffman, ''Portrait of David Garrick'', c. 1765 File:Denis Diderot by Louis-Michel van Loo.jpg,
Louis-Michel van Loo Louis-Michel van Loo (2 March 1707, Toulon – 20 March 1771, Paris) was a French Painting, painter. Biography He studied under his father, the painter Jean-Baptiste van Loo, at Turin and Rome, and he won a prize at the ''Académie Royale de ...
, ''Portrait of Denis Diderot'', 1767 File:The Blue Boy.jpg,
Thomas Gainsborough Thomas Gainsborough (14 May 1727 (baptised) – 2 August 1788) was an English portrait and landscape painter, draughtsman, and printmaker. Along with his rival Sir Joshua Reynolds, he is considered one of the most important British artists of ...
, '' The Blue Boy'', 1770 File:Thomas_Gainsborough_-_The_Honourable_Mrs_Graham_(1757_-_1792)_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg,
Thomas Gainsborough Thomas Gainsborough (14 May 1727 (baptised) – 2 August 1788) was an English portrait and landscape painter, draughtsman, and printmaker. Along with his rival Sir Joshua Reynolds, he is considered one of the most important British artists of ...
, ''
Portrait of Mrs Mary Graham ''Portrait of Mrs Mary Graham'' or ''The Honourable Mrs Graham'' is a 1777 oil on canvas painting by the British artist Thomas Gainsborough, produced shortly after Mary's marriage to Thomas Graham, the future Lord Lynedoch on 26 December 1774. ...
'', 1777


See also

* Italian Rococo art * Rococo painting *
Rococo in Portugal Rococo architecture entered Portugal through the north, while Lisbon, due to the court pomp, remained in the Baroque. It is an architecture that follows the international taste in decoration, and, as a result of the contrast between dark granite a ...
*
Rococo in Spain The Spanish Rococo style of the 18th century is relatively unexplored and bears little resemblance to its French equivalent. Under the reign of Philip V of the Bourbon Dynasty, architectural commissions were primarily awarded to Italian architects, ...
*
Cultural movement A cultural movement is a change in the way a number of different disciplines approach their work. This embodies all art forms, the sciences, and philosophies. Historically, different nations or regions of the world have gone through their own i ...
*
Gilded woodcarving Wood carving is one of the oldest arts of humankind. Wooden spears from the Middle Paleolithic, such as the Clacton Spear, reveal how humans have engaged in utilitarian woodwork for millennia. However, given the relatively rapid rate at which ...
* History of painting *
Timeline of Italian artists to 1800 Following is a list of Italian painters (in alphabetical order) who are notable for their art. A *Niccolò dell'Abbate (1509/12–1571) *Giuseppe Abbati (1836–1868) *Angiolo Achini (1850–1930) *Pietro Adami (c. 1730) *Livio Agresti (1508� ...
*
Illusionistic ceiling painting Illusionistic ceiling painting, which includes the techniques of perspective ''di sotto in sù'' and ''quadratura'', is the tradition in Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo art in which ''trompe-l'œil'', perspective tools such as foreshortening, an ...
* Louis Quinze, Louis XV style * Louis XV furniture


Notes and citations


Bibliography

* * * * (French translation from German) * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

* * * Arno Schönberger and Halldor Soehner, 1960. ''The Age of Rococo''. Published in the US as ''The Rococo Age: Art and Civilization of the 18th Century'' (Originally published in German, 1959). * *


External links


All-art.org: Rococo in the "History of Art"
*
History of Rococo. Art, architecture & luxury
History & Culture Academy of Latgale


Barock- und Rococo- Architektur, Volume 1, Part 1, 1892(in German)
Kenneth Franzheim II Rare Books Room, William R. Jenkins Architecture and Art Library, University of Houston Digital Library. {{Authority control Rococo art, Rococo architecture, Baroque art, * 18th century in art 18th century in the arts Art movements Art movements in Europe Catholic art by period Decorative arts Early Modern period