Rococo

**IV. Rococo (Mid-18th century)**
This is the artistic style of the [|Enlightenment]. In Europe, this was a bright period in which much new knowledge and intellectual disscussions were being valued. It was especially concentrated in the salons of the wealthy in France and England (the countries and people who could afford luxuries). It was purely a decorative art in which delicate, pale, or bright colors were used. This period showed a drastic rejection of the Baroque style.


 * A. Paintings**

Bright colors were used with delicate, sometimes feminine, designs. [Jean-Antoine Watteau] is considered to be a pioneer and the first successful one of the rococo artists, another being [Francois Boucher]. A favorite subject of many of the visual arts was romance.



Francois Boucher, //The Fountain of Love// 1748


 * B. Furniture and decorative objects**

Works of metal and porcelain were common. Wood carvings were also common, but especially in France. Forms in nature served as inspiration such as shells and leaves. The English rococo style concentrated more on curves and less focused on nature. Contraste also became popular (leaving elements unbalanced for effect). Some also took inspiration from the Chinese designs.






 * C. Architecture**

The architecture mainly concerned the inside of the buildings, with much detail on the walls and ceilings. However, some buildings also displayed these characteristics on the outside.





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