The 18th century is believed to have begun in 1715 with Louis XIV’s death and ended in 1815 when Napoleon I and Congress of Vienna fell. The term “Enlightenment”, is used to refer to a cultural-philosophical movement that dominated Europe, and in particular France. Enlightenment was also given to them (in French: Lumiere), who led to democracy’s birth in England and America with the American Revolution and France with its Revolution. This was the time when Rococo was created in Paris. It was later adopted by Austrian and German. To help you get an idea of the Rococo Style, I’ll first describe it and then present two of its pioneers.
Delecluze says that the term “rococo,” was coined in denigration by Pierre Maurice Quays, in 1797. It’s a combination of “rocaille,” a French term that denotes ornamentation mimicking natural stones, certain shell shapes and rocks, and “rocaille”, a Portuguese word Baroco which means “baroque.” Rococo was first accepted by art historians at the turn of the 19th century. This style is used in architecture, decorative arts, and sculpture. It was developed in France in 1715-1780. Later, it was adopted by the Holy Roman Empire. There is a striking difference between classical and Rococo art. I’ll expose it in a grid below.Characteristics of Classical Art Characteristics of Rococo
Love was an idealized representation of the subject.
Life is bigger than the sum of its parts
* Emphasized fitness & strength
Nude*
Contrapposto
Pale colors, Cherubs*
Light-hearted, flirty, graceful figures*
Many backgrounds include delicate representations of nature.
Romantic scenes of romance enjoying leisure activities
Popularity of portraiture using perspective and balance
Francois Bocher. Francois Boucher. Francois Hogarth, Jean-Baptiste Greuze, were two of the first to embrace Rococo. William Hogarth is a Glorious Revolution ancestor, and was recognized early by critics. Denis Diderot, France’s first French ambassador, identified him as a brilliant person in 1753. Hogarth, who was an artist in all its forms, whose influence lasted until the early twenty-first century, is still a major figure. He is the first free and unique artist to be born in the English school.
The Louvre Museum received the famed Wedding-a la mode series from the National London Gallery. It is based upon real facts as well as a Dryden comedy. Also, a bit of previous work by David Garrick. The paintings were created in anticipation that they would be reversed when engraving takes place. This series depicts an unhappy marriage between a young woman and an impoverished aristocrat. Six episodes feature the ridiculous, frivolous, misunderstandings, ruin, and death. Here again, however, the freedom and vanity displayed by the characters, their gestures and accoutrements as well as the care given to pets and interiors, reveal the protagonists’ tastes. This episode is one of the Lights.
Jean-Baptiste Greuze, who was born in Tournus 1725, also occupied a prominent place in French 18th-century art. It is hard to believe that he became a famous celebrity. He is remembered as a skilled draftsman and prolific painters. Greuze painted Broken Eggs, Rome. This image represents the loss or virginity. “The inability to comprehend childhood’s innocence is symbolized by the little boy who attempts to fix one of its eggs. When it was displayed at the Salon de 1757 in Paris, it received positive comments. One critic observed that the young girl posed so elegantly that it could be used as a background for a history painting. Its pendant, The Neapolitan Gesture of 1757 (Worcester Art Museum), featured four identical models but are defeated by an old woman.
The Rococo design was a popular style in the Glorious Century. This style was adopted by many artists who became well-known. Artists were attracted to the Rococo’s unique features. It featured a lot of activity and familiar symbol scenes. This style also has a different color choice – the pale ones. Greuze, Hogarth and others shined in presenting such paintings and treating social of holy scene or bourgeoisie.
