Rococo

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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Maria Sybilla Merian’s <i>Metamorphosis of a Small Emperor Moth on a Damson Plum</i><br>Getty Conversations
Maria Sybilla Merian’s Metamorphosis of a Small Emperor Moth on a Damson Plum
Getty Conversations

Using vibrant and varied colors, Maria Sibylla Merian systematically illustrated different stages of the development of the small emperor moth.

Meissen Porcelain Animals<br>Getty Conversations
Meissen Porcelain Animals
Getty Conversations

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
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

Classic, classical, and classicism explained
Classic, classical, and classicism explained

What's the difference between classic art, classical art, and classicism?

Jean-Honoré Fragonard, <em>The Swing</em>
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
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 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
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, <em>Self-Portrait with her Daughter</em>
Vigée Le Brun, Self-Portrait with her Daughter

Artificial? Moi? This genuine portrait of familial affection challenged assumptions about the aristocracy.

Jean-Baptiste Greuze, <em>The Village Bride</em>
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, <em>Self-Portrait</em>
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.

Bernard II van Risenburgh, Writing table
Bernard II van Risenburgh, Writing table

With its organic curves and elegant lines, this meticulously crafted table encapsulates Rococo design.

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