Written by: Raina Tian
Rococo emerged in early 18th century Paris as France’s reaction to Baroque. The construction of the Palace of Versailles led artists to criticize the extravagance and melancholy nature of Baroque and its often religious themes. After the end of the reign of Louis XIV, the center of affluence returned to Paris as nobility returned from Versailles. The emergence of Rococo served to satisfy the needs of the nobility as they sought a new style of decoration for salons in homes. As salons served as the center of entertainment and influence for the nobility, the Rococo style spread throughout France and later to Germany and Italy. In Germany, Rococo once again became a style of religious architecture as the original French Rococo merged with the existing southern German Baroque styles. The fusion of Rococo and Baroque maintained the dramatism present in buildings such as the Amalienburg and the Residenztheater. By the mid-18th century, Rococo spread to Italy but focused in the city of Venice as an architectural style. Artists such as Antoine Watteau represented the transitionary period between Baroque and Rococo art. He is recognized as the father of fete galante, painting outdoor scenes of garden parties and festivals. His graceful, but melancholy style retained some of the characteristics of Baroque, but often he included mythological figures rather than religious figures. Watteau, as one of the early Rococo artists, popularized the movement. Francois Boucher translated the lighthearted style of Rococo into the female figure, as much of his work consisted of studies of the female nude. His interpretation of Rococo embodied itself in his emphasis of intricate details such as the costumes of women and decorative depictions of the sky. Jean-Honore Fragonard created the iconic palette and attitude of the Rococo movement with The Swing which depicted a young woman in a pastel pink dress on a swing, delicately tossing her shoe. The pastel palette and light-hearted gesture were motifs repeated throughout Rococo art. Rococo initially began in interior design, but quickly became a multi-faceted movement as artists adopted and extended its tendencies to painting and sculpture. However, through all of these, a sense of lightness and elegance persists. Most commonly, Rococo was utilized in the salons of wealthy nobles. The curves of the furniture sought to emulate natural form and movement with layers of curves and counter curves. This was often achieved through ocean and leafy motifs such as curling leaves and delicate shells. The asymmetrical result of these natural forms contrasted with the symmetrical nature of Baroque art. Mirrors and mirrored walls created an illusion of openness and space. Porcelain was utilized in both home furnishings and sculpture, as it was physically lighter compared to marble and more versatile for daily use. Furniture with lighter woods was more easily moved in preparation for social events while porcelain in sculpture was seen as more delicate and light in appearance. Both paintings and sculpture shared common subjects from nature and mythology, but the innocence of cherubs meshed with themes of love to introduce a touch of religion. Paintings were characterized by rich brushwork and pastel and gold-based palettes. This translated into portraits and landscapes of forests and seas as they embodied fluidity. Rococo eventually declined in France by the 1750s as many began to criticize it for the excessive ornamentation which originally began as a criticism of the extravagance of Baroque. Although Rococo persisted in southern Germany and Italy for a period afterwards, Rococo in France was wholly replaced in the 1760s by Neoclassicism.
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ContributorsJACQUELINE YU is the co-founder of the MLWGS art history online magazine. She is an incredible artist and devotes much of her time to both participating in, experiencing, and appreciating art. Archives
April 2019
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