Rococo

Rococo is a French word meaning "baroque" in the sense of "excessively ornate" Rococo art emerged as an international style by around 1720 and remained popular until the mid-1760s. It is characterized by asymmetrical compositions, luxuriant decoration, and the depiction of sensual delight in aristocratic subjects. The style was pioneered by artists like François Boucher (1703-1770) and Nicolas Lancret (1690-1743) in France; Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770) and Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (1682-1754) in Italy; and Sir William Beechey (1753-1839), John Flaxman, and Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788) in England. Rococo emerged as a style shortly after the Baroque period had ended. While the two styles share characteristics, Rococo artists reduced the intensity and drama of Baroque compositions. They also tended to focus on themes that were more secular than religious or mythological like portraiture, still-life and landscape. Rococo preceded Neoclassicism in France but was later replaced by it during the mid-to-late 18th century. Prior to this, Rococo had also been spreading across Europe for some time, and although it never became as popular in Northern European countries such as Germany and Poland as it did elsewhere, it nonetheless strongly influenced the art of those regions. The intention of Rococo artists was to depict intense emotion and feelings in their paintings. They also wanted to provide a pleasant experience for the observer so they often included small jokes or hidden details that could only be seen from certain angles or that looked different depending on the light or shade. Rather than taking a literal approach to subjects, Rococo artists portrayed scenes that were suggestive of emotions and ideas with the use of color and imagination. More specifically, Rococo artists applied lighter colors to their paintings and often used pastel hues. They also preferred less-detailed areas so that the color could stand out even more. Their goal was never to depict idealized scenes but rather to create pleasant works of art.