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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Compound Microscope and Case
Getty Conversations
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
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
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
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
What's the difference between classic art, classical art, and classicism?
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.
