Six main movements: Rococo, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, (The Academy), Realism, Impressionism (Macchiaioli) & Postimpressionism
Rococo is a unique style occurring toward the end of the Baroque period.
It is a much more ornate style that shows sweetness, gaiety, and light; painterly and pastel features. It is chiefly characterized by the representation of the leisurely activities of upper class society by a frivolous choice of themes.
Rococo is derived from the French term rocaille, which refers to small stones and shells that decorate the interior spaces of grottos & cause a crusty and heavily decorative appearance.
The Baroque style was in some ways eroticized and embellished to become Rococo. The death of King Louis XIV ushered in a new thought process in the world of art, through society women with power, such as Madame de Pompadour, the mistress of King Louis XV. These women held salons, or social events, in many cases exhibitions of various artists’ work.
ARTISTS
François Boucher was a favorite painter of Mme. de Pompadour.
Jean-Honoré Fragonard was a famous artist of the movement.
Marie-Louise-Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun was a prolific portrait painter of the time (Queen Marie Antoinette, etc.)
Neoclassicism was opposed to the Rococo style of art. neo = new, classicism = reference to Classical period of Ancient Greece & Rome. The period was also fueled by the archaeological discoveries of Greece & Rome of the time.
Characteristics of Neoclassical Art:
• Strong sculptural lines/renderings of architecture
• Subdued palette (less intense color, not “bright”)
• Planar recession (recession in space by the use of planes: fore-, middle- & background) vs. Linear recession (what was used during the Renaissance: one-point perspective)
• Was inspired by the French Revolution and intended to heighten moral standards
• Art characterized by a restraint of emotion, purity of form, and subjects that inspired