Although the Rococo style is linked to Louis XV it has been known to appear in the late 17th century during the height of the baroque style The Rococo style continued to the reign of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette and to the French Revolution in 1789 Although Baroque and Rococo have similar themes Rococo sets a smaller and more intimate stage compared to Baroques grandiose theatre stage The term Rococo was created in the 19 century and derived from the French word rocaille meaning pebble Although some view Rococo as the final phase of Baroque art Rococo style has its own original traits of love and eroctism in art as well as a broad depiction of human emotion Poussinistes and the Rub nistes During the end of the 17th century there were two disputing factions called the Poussinistes and the Rub nistes The Poussinistes were conservatives that defended Poussin s view of intellect drawings which were superior to color The Rub nistes were liberals who defended Ruben s views of color and natural paintings over the intellectual view of drawings The Rub nistes argued that color appeals to everyone while drawings only appealed only to the intellectual Due to the popularity of Jean Antoine Watteau the Rub nistes won the debate Jean Antoine Watteau Jean Antoine Watteau the greatest of the Rub nistes valued and drew inspiration from the work of Rubens He created paintings in the Rococo style that depicted scenes of aristocratic life containing elegant figures in pastel colors and dreamlike settings His paintings also included Rococo elements such as love with other various emotions like regret nostalgia and a faint melancholy Unlike Baroque or classical styles Watteau did not rely heavily on historical or mythological themes in his paintings making his work uncategorized In order to become a member of the French academy a new category was created for his art work called fetes galantes outdoor entertainments Although one of his paintings titled A Pilgrimage to Cythera depicts love and classical mythology it is categorized as fetes galantes by the French academy Gersaint s Signboard One Watteau s best known work is Gersaint s Signboard or The Sign Shop which was created to advertise the art his friend and art dealer Edem Gresaint in his gallery The reason why Watteau created this painting is often disputed From Gersaint s writings of the commision it is believed that Watteau created this painting in hopes to recover from his ailments of tuberculosis The painting is set in a sophisticated and comfortable setting in which two elegantly dressed women are attended by solicitors as they admire the paintings in the shop It is believed that the paintings inside the composition are not copies but variations of Flemish and Venetian artworks Watteau displays his virtuosity as he transforms a seemingly commercial commission into a sophistic piece of artwork Francois Boucher After Watteau s death in 1721 Francois Boucher rose to fame in French painting He was known for his imaginative compositions pastoral landscapes and depictions of bourgeois daily life He was commissioned as a court painter to Madame de Pompadour also known as the godmother of the Rococo One of his numerous portraits of Madame de Pompadour is Portrait of Madame de Pompadour which shows her in luxurious surroundings as she wears a dress that symbolizes opulence The cupid roses and pearl bracelets depicted in the picture suggests her likeness to the love goddess Venus as she leans on the pillows of the daybed The diagonal and vertical designs of the figures in Boucher s portrait is often compared to Ruben s lifesize Marchesa Brigida Spinola Doria Jean Honore Fragonard The use of fantasy and reality was the staple of Jean Honore Fragonard s art work Fragonard uses Rococo elements such as fantasy seduction and eroticism in his painting titled The Swing The Swing depicts the mistress of the baron de Saint Julien being pushed on a swing by a bishop while the baron is on the other side looking at her legs in the air The eroct flirtation suggests a secret agreement between the artist and the patron as the clergy is seen as a fool The cupid holding its finger to its lips reinforces the erotic theme of the Swing
View Full Document
Unlocking...