Rococo
Post-Baroque French style
Rococo is an 18th-century European artistic movement that emerged in France and spread across the continent, characterized by elaborate ornamentation, asymmetrical designs, soft colors, and playful themes.
It appeared in painting, architecture, furniture, and decorative arts, representing a lighter reaction against the grandeur of Baroque.
Rococo interiors featured gilded mirrors and delicate pastoral scenes. (Lowercase rococo describes anything ornate or excessively elaborate.)
- cabrioleLeaping dance step
- ormoluGold-imitating brass alloy
- marquetryDecorative veneer patterning
- commodeToilet or storage chest
console · chaise longue · secretaire · chinoiserie · lacquer · veneer · inlay · upholstery
Translucent fired clay
- ormoluGold-imitating brass alloy
- gildingApplying decorative gold coating
- marquetryDecorative veneer patterning
- lacquerGlossy protective coating
filigree · scrollwork · damask · brocade · velvet · fretwork · inlay · chandelier
French royal palace complex
- pilastersShallow rectangular wall projections
- boiserieOrnate wooden wall covering
- stuccoDecorative wall plaster
- plasterworkMolded wall or ceiling decoration
salons · ballrooms · pavilions · folly · grotto · orangery · interiors · paneling
Absence of balanced form
- curvilinearCharacterized by curved lines
- serpentineCurving in repeated bends
- shellHard outer covering
- S-curveTwo opposing consecutive bends
naturalistic · organic · flowing · undulating · sinuous · irregular · dynamic · movement
French Rococo-era artist
- pastelPale, gentle shade
- cherubsWinged infant figures
- puttiWinged child figures
- nymphsMinor female nature deities
mythological · portraiture · courtship · allegory · pastoral · idyllic · amorous · coquettish
Pre-1789 French system
- aristocracyRule by hereditary elite
- courtTrial venue or sports surface
- Frederick the GreatEnlightened Prussian king
- NeoclassicismRevival of ancient aesthetics
Marie Antoinette · Enlightenment · decadence · frivolity · hedonism · excess
Louis XV
commode · console · chaise longue · secretaire · chinoiserie · lacquer · veneer · inlay · upholstery · damask
porcelain
Translucent fired clay
- ormoluGold-imitating brass alloy
- gildingApplying decorative gold coating
- marquetryDecorative veneer patterning
lacquer · filigree · scrollwork · damask · brocade · velvet · fretwork · inlay · chandelier · candelabra
Versailles
French royal palace complex
- pilastersShallow rectangular wall projections
- boiserieOrnate wooden wall covering
- stuccoDecorative wall plaster
plasterwork · salons · ballrooms · pavilions · folly · grotto · orangery · interiors · paneling · mirrors
asymmetry
Absence of balanced form
- curvilinearCharacterized by curved lines
- serpentineCurving in repeated bends
- shellHard outer covering
S-curve · naturalistic · organic · flowing · undulating · sinuous · irregular · dynamic · movement · lightness
Fragonard
French Rococo-era artist
nymphs · mythological · portraiture · courtship · allegory · pastoral · idyllic · amorous · coquettish · trompe-l'oeil
Ancien Régime
Pre-1789 French system
- aristocracyRule by hereditary elite
- courtTrial venue or sports surface
- Frederick the GreatEnlightened Prussian king
Marie Antoinette · Neoclassicism · Enlightenment · decadence · frivolity · hedonism · excess
- art movementsPop Art, pop art, Impressionism, impressionism, Surrealism
- artfine art, Renaissance, painters, masterpieces, paint
- art formspainting, drawing, sculpture, photography, music
- furniturebed, beds, chair, chairs, table
- art stylesimpressionism, surrealism, cubism, realism, pop art
- Fine Artoil painting, portrait, landscape, sketch, watercolor
Rococominimalism
Aesthetic of reduction
austerity · minimalist · austere · spare · stark
RococoNeoclassicism
Revival of ancient aesthetics
Bauhaus · Modernism · International Style · Purism · Brutalism