Baroque and Rococo notes.pdf - DMHScommunity

The Rococo (c. 1700 - 1760)
"Rococo" describes a movement in the arts in the early 18th century, primarily in France. Rococo has been
born from the Baroque era, during the Age of Enlightenment. That was a time when new ideas about human
existence were introduced and Rococo art is the visual representation of the optimism people felt in response
to that.
The word "rococo" is derived from "rocaille", meaning "rock work" or "shell work," a favorite motif of the time.
It stresses purely ornamental, light, casual, irregular design.
Rococo is seen both as the climax and fall of Baroque art. After the heavy works created in the Baroque
style, artists were ready for a change. The Rococo manner was a reaction against the” grand manner" of art
identified with the baroque formality and rigidity of court life. The movement toward a lighter, more charming
manner began in French architectural decoration at the end of Louis XIV's reign (d.1715) and quickly spread
across Europe. During the regency of Duke of Orleans, regent for the minor heir Louis XV, the formalities of
the court gave way to a more casual and intimate atmosphere. Rococo art portrayed a world of artificiality,
make-believe, and game-playing. Although less formal, it was essentially an art of the aristocracy and
emphasized what seems now to have been the unreflective and indulgent lifestyles of the aristocracy rather
than piety, morality, self-discipline, reason, and heroism, which were found in the baroque.
The Rococo style is characterized by pastel colors, gracefully delicate curving forms, fanciful figures, and a
lighthearted mood (visually and physically). The essence of Rococo art is light. Extreme highlights are placed
on the subject matter and the overall work is light in color, effect, and emotion. Artists paid special attention to
fine detail. Form is characterized by delicacy of color, dynamic compositions, and atmospheric effects.
Antoine Watteau is considered to be one of the first Rococo painters. Others include Jean-Honore
Fragonard, Francois Boucher, Thomas Gainsborough, and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.
Eventually the Rococo art was replaced by the more serious style, Neoclassicism. Critics condemned rococo
as "tasteless, frivolous, and symbolic of a corrupt society".