Clinton HulslanderEdwin PenaZuny Kocsis

Rococo &Neoclassical Art

Louix XIV ushered in the Rococo period

Lasted from 1730 to 1765

Signified extravagance and the pursuit of pleasure

‘Rococo’ means ‘fancy rock’

The style spread rapidly across Europe

Confession booth at Farrkirche Steingaden, Bavaria

Rococo Overview

Rococo was replaced after Louis XIV died

Revived in 1765Signifies restraint and

controlDiscovery of ancient

Grecian ruins made this the most accurately authentic neoclassicism

Syron House, Brentford, Middlesex from 1761

Neoclassical Overview

Rococo

and

Neoclassical

Architecture

Capitol Building in D.C.Neoclassical

Benedictine Abbey, Ottobeuren, BavariaRococo

Rococo1715-1789

Rococo style is defined by its over the top ornamentation with intricate designs, both on the exterior and interior of buildings.

Johann Baltasar NeumannResidenz at Wurzburg, 1722

Rococo style was derived in Paris and comes from the word “rocaille” meaning: fancy rock or shell work.

Rococo mainly focused on the interior and displayed fancy plasterwork of flowers, cherubs and other intricate and delicate designs.

Rococo architecture was more interior design than pure architecture.

Rococo Architects

Germain Boffrand Jahan Baltazar Neumann

The ballroom of the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo

Neoclassical1750-1850Neoclassical

architecture is the rebirth of the Greek and Roman styles. The most outstanding feature of the style is the use of columns.

The neoclassical designs got rid of all the over the top ornamentation of the rococo period.

They replaced the plaster foliage, cherubs and other loud designs with more simplistic interior designs. That featured clean symmetrical geometric shapes.

In the New America the neoclassical style took hold and is still seen today in our monuments and other historical buildings.

Neoclassical Architects

James Gibbs Thomas Jefferson Jacques-Germain Soufflot

Rococo and Neoclassical

Sculpture

By Ed Pena

A Brief Introductionto Rococo

Rococo Style (1715-1750) : The term Rococo is a fusion of two words, Rocaille(decorative shells and rubble) and Barocco(Baroque) being the style that heavily influenced Rococo. The style originated in Versailles, France during the years succeeding King Louis XIV death. The Nobility and Aristocracy favored the extravagancy and playful nature of Rococo to that of the more restrained and linear Baroque style that preceded it.

Rococo Sculpture

The Intoxication of Wine,Ca. 1775. Terracotta, ht.23 ½ in.Claude Michell (Clodion)

Rococo Sculpture embodies the lighthearted nature and playful form of its subjects without following the stricter confines of the Baroque style.

One of the most celebrated Rocco sculptors of this period is Claude Michell, better known as Clodion. What Rococo sculptures lack in scale, they make up in detail.

Cupid and PsycheCa. 1798.Terracotta, ht. 59cm.

Claude Michell (Clodion)

Neoclassical Intro•Neoclassical Style (late 1700’s– 1830)There are many reasons for the start of neoclassicism. The discovery of ancient artifacts at the ruins of Herculaneum and Pompeii in 1738 was one of the biggest inspirations to the beginning of neoclassicism. In conjunction with the revival of classic Greek

and Roman fervor at this time, was a revolt against the frivolous preferred style of the oppressive French aristocracy Rococo. The return to a more noble and classical art form gave birth to some of the most influential sculpture from the 18th century and beyond.

Pauline Borghese as Venus Ca. 1808, Marble, life sized. Antonio Canova

Rococo and Neoclassical Sculpture Comparison

The Duchesse of Bourgogne as DianaCa.1710, MarbleCoysevox

The Statue of LibertyCa.1886,CopperFrederic Auguste Barthodi

Making the distinction between Rococo and Neoclassical Sculpture is not difficult to achieve. The playful and spontaneous poses of Rococo starkly contrast the refinement and restraint displayed in Neoclassical form. Notice the differences between Coysevox’s Diana and Bartholdi’s Lady Liberty. Can you note 3 major differences between the two?

CharacteristicsFlowing curves and flourishesElaborate ornamentationFreeformGilded with precious metalsReferences the feminine formLots of color

Rococo Furnishings

CharacteristicsStraight lines and simple motifsOrder and symmetryRefined understatementIs considered a masculine formMonotones and contrasts (like cameos)

Neoclassical Furnishings

Rococo

Armchair 1753 Carved and gilded beechwood, covered

with

the original silk and wool Beauvais tapestry

covers

Neoclassical

Armchair 1788 Carved, painted, and gilded walnut

Comparisons Gallery - Furnishings

Rococo

Commode, ca. 1710–32 Walnut veneered with ebony and

marquetry of engraved brass and tortoiseshell, gilt-bronze mounts, verd antique marble top

Neoclassical

Commode, ca. 1795 Milan. Birchwood Marquetry, black

marble top

Comparisons Gallery - Furnishings

Rococo

18th century French gold mantel clock

Neoclassical

1830 French Inlayed Rosewood and Ormolu Glazed Table Regulator with Annual Calendar

Comparisons Gallery - Furnishings

CharacteristicsTheme was the pursuit of pleasureRomantic love was depicted as sensual and

indulgentWistful, feathery strokesPastels and muted colorsAttention to finer detailsPublic expressions of fashion and vanity

Rococo Paintings

CharacteristicsThemes were politics, history and mythologyDepictions of reason and logicPrinciples of clarity and symmetryChiaroscuro revisitedFirm contours and polished brushstrokesHistorical subjects

Neoclassical Paintings

Rococo

Francois Boucher, The Fountain of Love 1748

Neoclassical

Charles III Visits Pope Benedict XIV at the Coffee House of the Quirinale

Comparisons Gallery - Paintings

Rococo

François Boucher, portrait “Marquise de Pompadour”

Neoclassical

Jacques Louis David : Portrait of Madame Seriziat 1795

Comparisons Gallery - Paintings

Rococo

Natoire, Venus and Cupid, 1745

Neoclassical

Jacques Louis David : Cupid and Psyche

Comparisons Gallery - Paintings

ConclusionWe hope you enjoyed our presentation of

Rococo and Neoclassical Art , Architecture, and Sculpture.

What moves men of genius, or rather what inspires their work, is not new ideas, but their obsession with the idea that what has already been said is still not enough.Eugene Delacroix

Architecture – Clinton HulslanderPaintings – Zuny Kocsis for Jennifer ClaasFurnishings – Zuny KocsisSculpture – Edwin Pena

Galerie des Glaces, Versailles (Rococo)

Credits