A style favored by the aristocracy — particularly in France.
c. 1700 - 1775
Beginner's guide
The sensuality of the Rococo style will soon give way to the seriousness of Neoclassicism on the brink of the French Revolution.
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Antoine Watteau, The Pleasures of the Ball
This painting exemplifies the Rococo pursuit of pleasure—but look closely and you’ll see that it also makes us think about the costs of that pleasure.
Compound Microscope and Case
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Scientific instruments, like this ornate microscope, were a powerful tool during the Age of Enlightenment.
Maria Sibylla Merian’s Metamorphosis of a Small Emperor Moth on a Damson Plum
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Using vibrant and varied colors, Maria Sibylla Merian systematically illustrated different stages of the development of the small emperor moth.
Meissen Porcelain Animals
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A Fox with a Chicken and A Turkey were part of a menagerie of over 500 life-sized porcelain animals commissioned by Augustus II "The Strong."
Joachim Michael Salecker, Cup with cover with Hebrew inscriptions
This ornamented silver cup tells a story about a prominent Jewish man close to rulers and European courts at a time when Jewish life was restricted
Jean-Honoré Fragonard, The Swing
What’s that dog yapping about? This mischievous woman throws caution—and her slipper—to the wind.
Architecture in 18th-century Germany
German architecture in the 18th century refashioned the imported French Rococo and Italian Baroque styles to create something distinct.
The Formation of a French School: the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture
The Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture oversaw—and held a monopoly over—the arts in France until 1793.
Printmaking in Europe, c. 1400−1800
The portability and affordability of prints contributed to the exchange of information and ideas between cultures.
Vigée Le Brun, Self-Portrait with her Daughter
Artificial? Moi? This genuine portrait of familial affection challenged assumptions about the aristocracy.
Jean-Baptiste Greuze, The Village Bride
Complete with barnyard guests, this rural wedding party embodies the Enlightenment idea of “natural” man.
Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, Self-Portrait
She fled France in disguise, but Vigée Le Brun does little to conceal her face—or her sympathy to Marie Antoinette.
