Today, we analyzed the Rococo style in class. Emerging first in France after the death of Louis XIV, it started as a form of architecture and interior design. Many nobility returned to live in Parisian townhouses know as Hôtel Particuliers, which had plain exteriors. But on the inside, they were decorated lavishly but also delicately, with an emphasis on small design details and a lighter feel with white walls being popular. During this time, the ongoing debate between Poussinistes and Rúbenistes continued, with Rubenistes’ focus on color being synonymous with the Rococo age. Jean-Antoine Watteau was a follower of color. His painting Pilgrimage to Cythera is filled with pastel greens and pinks, and is bright and brushy in style. The line of couples filling the scene mimic the idea of a continuous narrative and direct the eye with the flow of movement. The painting overall is an escapist theme – idealizing a momentary escape from reality.
Boudoir paintings were also popular during this era. So called because they were meant for private viewing, paintings ranged from casual portraits to more erotic scenes. Boucher’s Portrait of Madame de Pompadour shows the mistress of Louis XV relaxed in her finery and in her private chambers, with books and personal letters strewn around her. Fragonard’s The Swing is more implying, with a woman playfully swinging while a baron hides below her looking up. The cupid statue in the garden gives the painting an air of secrecy and hidden delight. Consistent with the Rococo style, both paintings employ pastels and a light technique.