Art History at Loggia | Exploring Rococo Art and Artists

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Rococo Art History - Introduction

Rococo art was fashionable primarily in Europe - especially France - during the Eighteenth century. In France, the popularity of the Rococo style (also referred to as rocaille) was inspired in part by the works of the celebrated painter Antoine Watteau. Watteau's elegant paintings perfectly embody the Rococo ideal of grace and playfulness. In addition, the painter's compositions often were asymmetrical. This stylish asymmetry in turn became an important characteristic of Rococo art and design in general.

Watteau was not the only champion of the Rococo style, however. Two other painters - François Boucher and Jean-Honoré Fragonard - also created artistic confections that dazzle viewers with their charm and sophistication. Simply select the one of these artists from the following links to learn more about how the Rococo style influenced the history of art.

Rococo Artists

François Boucher | Best known for his fashionably frivolous depictions of rosy-cheeked aristocratic ladies, pudgy putti, and idealized mythological subjects, François Boucher's paintings are the essence of Rococo.

Jean-Honoré Fragonard | One of Fragonard's most representative works is the playful painting The Swing, in which a pastel clad lady flicks a tiny shoe into the air while her delighted lover watches - how very Rococo!

Antoine Watteau | Watteau's magnificent masterpiece The Embarkation for Cythera is a hauntingly beautiful and brilliant tribute to the ideals of the Rococo period, with its imagery of aristocratic lovers.

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Baroque and Rococo

Germain Bazin has written a delightful introduction to the art and artists of the Baroque and Rococo periods. Chapters explore the development of these important art movements in various countries, from Italy, to France, to Great Britain. And plenty of pictures accompany the text.

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