Rococo art is artwork created in the Rococo style, a form of artistic expression that first appeared in France in the early eighteenth century; it is also known as “French style” art, referring to its country of origin. This style of art and architecture is distinguished by ornate, fanciful themes and a light air that distinguishes it from earlier pieces produced during the Baroque period, which were both ornate and heavy. The Rococo style gave way to the neo-classical school, which dismissed the earlier movement as frivolous and lacking in depth, which explains why some people today use the term “Rococo” to refer to frivolous art and architecture.
The term is a combination of the French words rocaille and barocco, which mean “shell” and “Baroque,” respectively. On a wide range of scales from ballrooms to side tables, Rococo artwork is characterized by very ornate curves and shell-like shapes. Extensive foliage, animal figures, scrolls, and fanciful design elements are all common features. Rococo art featured a lot of pastels, gilding, and other elements that made works from this period very light and lacy, in contrast to the dark, heavy colors of Baroque art.
Rococo, like most art schools, has ardent supporters as well as detractors. Despite the complexity of Baroque homes, which featured enormously detailed and ornate interior design, detractors often dismiss this style of art as being light and fluffy, lacking depth and texture. Rococo, like earlier periods’ art, incorporates many symbolic plants, animals, and themes, as anyone who examines it closely will notice.
While Rococo originated in France, it quickly spread throughout Europe, and it was particularly well received in Germany, where some excellent examples of Rococo art and architecture can still be found. Many religious buildings incorporated elements of this style into their design. Its distinctive art and design was frequently used on a smaller scale, in items such as individual pieces of furniture and paintings.
The Rococo period had a brief flourishing, as social critics saw it as an example of art and society’s general degeneration. However, the more staid Neo-classical style did incorporate Rococo elements, and its fashions lasted into the late 1800s in some parts of Europe, particularly in England.