Rococo painting, which originated in early 18th century Paris, is characterized by soft colors and curvy lines, and depicts scenes of love, nature, amorous encounters, light-hearted entertainment, and youth. The word “rococo” derives from rocaille, which is French for rubble or rock. Rocaille refers to the shell-work in garden grottoes and is used as a descriptive word for the serpentine patterns seen in the Decorative Arts of the Rococo period. Show  Pair of Louis XV chairs, sold at Koller Auktionen Zürich on Thursday, March 21, 2013 After the death of Louis XIV, the French court moved from Versailles back to their old Parisian mansions, redecorating their homes using softer designs and more modest materials than that of the King’s grand baroque style. Instead of surrounding themselves with precious metals and rich colors, the French aristocracy now lived in intimate interiors made with stucco adornments, boiserie, and mirrored glass. This new style is characterized by its asymmetry, graceful curves, elegance, and the delightful new paintings of daily life and courtly love, which decorated the walls within these spaces. Jean Antoine Watteau, La Surprise – A couple embracing while a figure dressed as Mezzetin tunes a guitar, sold at Christie’s London on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 The father of Rococo painting was Jean Antoine Watteau (French, 1684–1721), who invented a new genre called fêtes galantes, which were scenes of courtship parties. Born close to the Flemish border, Watteau was influenced by genre scenes of everyday life that were quite popular in Flanders and the Netherlands. He is best known for his depictions of elegantly dressed figures gathered in outdoor spaces, exchanging pleasantries and enjoying music. Though educated thought was cultivated throughout the 18th century, a new kind of intellectual exchange began to develop, which became known as the Enlightenment. Out of this new cultural movement, ideas about art changed, and Rococo ideals of frivolity and elegant eroticism became less and less relevant. Art critics like Diderot sought for a “nobler art,” and enlightened philosophers like Voltaire criticized its triviality. While some Rococo artists continued to paint in their own provocative style, others developed a new kind of art, known as Neoclassicism, which appealed to the art critics of the time. Jean Honoré Fragonard, La coquette fixée (The Fascinated Coquette), sold at Christie’s New York on Thursday, April 6, 2006 Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806) was one such painter who attempted to adapt his style to the artistic changes of the period; unlike Watteau, Fragonard’s skill wasn’t recognized until well after his death. Today, Fragonard is best known for his Rococo-style paintings like La coquette fixée (The Fascinated Coquette), which depicts an amorous encounter between a female and two males. The lustful male gazes establish the female figure as the focal point of the painting. As a work of light-hearted entertainment, there is no complex meaning or story behind the piece. It is a bright, cheerful scene meant for amusement and delight. In comparison to the preceding art style, Rococo art reflected lack of depth and its portrayal of an upper class pursuing personal amusement was in itself a reaction against the formality of the Baroque style. While Baroque art was serious, Rococo was playful. Baroque art depicted heroism, martyrs and biblical stories, but Rococo painters showed lovey-dovey themes and aristocracy at play. Larger-than-life religious or political themes were replaced with light-hearted themes revolving around fun, lovers and naughty behaviour. Baroque used dark colours, Rococo used soft and bright colours in a very optimistic “life is beautiful” ambiance. Also, unlike Baroque, Rococo art was not intellectually deep or provocative. Even the size of paintings went through a drastic change, Baroque paintings with propaganda aims (for the Church or the State) had to be large and easily visible from afar, but Rococo paintings were much smaller in order to make them ideal for decoration. Being purely decorative was the reason why Rococo art did not earn much respect from art scholars. Neither the Church nor governments played any role in the rise of this art movement. It was a sign that French society was less devoted to religion. While some churches were built in and decorated in the Rococo style, generally the religious element was nonexistent in Rococo paintings. Critics called Rococo art modish, meaning a fad that emerges then disappears. They condemned the art style for being shallow and tasteless. Some critics went as far to label it licentious art and hence the backlash grew against it. With strong criticism from intellectuals like Voltaire, around 1760s, the movement started to decline in France and slowly throughout Europe. What did Rococo focus on?The American adoption of the Rococo focused almost exclusively on the style's ornamental motifs—shells and rocailles, scrollwork, acanthus leaves, and other flora and fauna, often in symmetrical compositions.
What style did Rococo art reject?The Rococo style began in France in the 1730s as a reaction against the more formal and geometric Louis XIV style. It was known as the "style Rocaille", or "Rocaille style".
Why was the Rococo style criticized?Criticized for its triviality and excess in ornament, Rococo style had already become more austere by the 1760s, as Neoclassicism began to take over as the dominant style in France and the rest of Europe. The Rococo style became popular all over Europe, but was particularly evident in rooms from Germany and Austria.
Why was the Rococo style rejected?It was almost sinful and certainly lustful. Neoclassical artists rejected the Rococo superficial beauty and aristocratic frivolity. If Rococo art was aimed at the French aristocracy, then Neoclassical art was aimed at the masses on the verge of revolting against the aristocracy.
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What was Rococo a reaction against?
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