Our first class back from break was a nice one. We kept our discussion simple by just looking at the style of the Rococo as it manifested itself in interior decoration and painting.
I thought the Rococo salons the French kept in their townhouses were nice. I like the complex molding but the gilding really isn’t for me. I wonder if the lacy/organic/flowery molding in the Parisian homes was a Rococo addition or if it had its roots in Gothic art? I think what I find most interesting about the Salons and Salon culture is that it seems like it housed the type of intellectual discussion (at least amongst the nobility) that spawned the Enlightenment and Enlightenment ideals that really found their moment in the following decades.
I think Watteu Fragonard and Boucher’s light airy paintings are cool. I think the theme of amorous love and the not-so-subtle eroticism is nice to view in a museum and whatnot, but I can see how the Bourgeoisie found the images offensive. I will say I think I stand in the Rubenist camp, I love the pastel palette the blending of the colors, and the warm fuzzy haze that covers French Rococo paintings. I like genre scenes in general, so it was nice to hear that artists like Chardin were able to elevate the reputation of the genre by making such sentimental and impressive works.