Based in France, Rococo was a decorative style most often used in interior design, painting, architecture, and sculpture. Normally associated with the reign of King Louis XV, the movement actually began in the 17th century. With the rise of the middle class, the death of Louis XIV at this time, the high society in Paris became the pinnacle of fashion. Louis XIV was succeed by the Duke of Orleans in 1715, who was know for enjoying the privileges of his office, moving social life away from the formal courts and into salons. This attitude was continued with the following reign of Louis XV. Rococo was manifested out of this new era of thought where society abandoned the formality of the earlier years and began pursuing personal amusement and happiness. One of the first Rococo painters was Jean-Antoine Watteau, whose work began to epitomize the movement with its idyllic and charming approach. Another artist that represented the Rococo period was Francois Boucher, who created paintings and designed tapestries for the French royalty and nobility.

The term Rococo was derived from the French word, rocaille, meaning rock and shell garden ornamentation. The style appealed to the senses rather than intellect, stressing beauty over depth. The movement portrayed the life of the aristocracy, preferring themes of romance, mythology, fantasy, every day life to historical or religious subject matter. Rococo was a light, ornamental, and elaborate style of art, identified by elegant and detailed ornamentation and the use of curved, asymmetrical forms. Other elements of the style included graceful movement, playful use of line, and delicate coloring. Dominated by feminine taste and influence, the lively colors and playful subject matter made it suitable for interior decoration. The Rococo style was also used in portraiture and furniture and tapestry design

The Rococo style is sometimes considered to be the end of the Baroque period and was eventually replaced by Neoclassicism during the American and French Revolutions at the end of the eighteenth century.

Artists: (biography & artworks) Related Paintings Reproductions

Amigoni, Jacopo - 1685 - 1752
Boucher, Francois - 1703 - 1770
Clodion, - 1738 - 1814
Cressent, Charles - 1685 - 1768
Falconet, Etienne-Maurice - 1716 - 1791
Feuchtmayer, Joseph Anton - 1696 - 1770
Fragonard, Jean-Honore - 1732 - 1806
Gainsborough, Thomas - 1727 - 1788
Greuze, Jean-Baptiste - 1725 - 1805
Gunther, Franz Ignaz - 1725 - 1775
Huet, Christophe - 1700 - 1759
Huet, Jean-Baptiste - 1745 - 1811
La Tour, Maurice-Quentin de - 1704 - 1788
Lamerie, Paul de - 1688 - 1751
Largilliere, Nicolas de - 1656 - 1746
Le Moyne, Francois - 1688 - 1737
Longhi, Pietro - 1701 - 1785
Natoire, Charles-Joseph - 1700 - 1777
Nattier, Jean-Marc - 1685 - 1766
Pater, Jean-Baptiste Joseph - 1695 - 1736
Pellegrini, Giovanni Antonio - 1675 - 1741
Perroneau, Jean-Baptiste - 1715 - 1783
Piazzetta, Giovanni Battista - 1683 - 1754
Pigalle, Jean-Baptiste - 1714 - 1785
Pittoni, Giovanni Battista - 1687 - 1767
Ricci, Sebastiano - 1659 - 1734
Rocca, Michele - 1666 - 1751
Roubiliac, Louis-Francois - 1702 - 1762
Serpotta, Giacomo - 1656 - 1732
Subleyras, Pierre - 1699 - 1749
Tiepolo, Giovanni Battista - 1696 - 1770
Tiepolo, Giovanni Domenico - 1727 - 1804
Tour, Maurice Quentin de La - 1704 - 1788
Trevisani, Francesco - 1656 - 1746