QUIZLET THING
2. SELECT 3 EXAMPLES OF ROCOCO STYLE. USE
A R R O W S P O I N T O U T A N D L A B E L AT L E A S T 3
D E F I N I N G C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S T H AT Y O U C A N
IDENTIFY IN THE WORK.
HTTPS://CLASSCONNECTION.S3.AMAZONAWS.COM/514/FLASHCARDS/775514/JPG/FRANCOIS_DE_CUVILLIESH A L L _ O F _ M I R R O R S _ T H E _ A M A L I E N B U R G _ E A R LY _ 1 8 T H _ C E N T U R Y _ R O C O C O 1 3 2 3 7 5 1 9 8 9 9 3 2 - 1 4 4 C C F F 5 8 F 6 0 4 D 5 B C 1 7 . J P G
FRANÇOIS DE CUIVILLIÉS, HALL OF MIRRORS, THE
A M A L I E N B U R G , N Y M P H E N B U R G PA L A C E PA R K , M U N I C H ,
G E R M A N Y, E A R LY 1 8 T H C E N T U R Y.
1. Alternating windows and mirrors amplify the light and seem
to remove the room’s borders, giving the guest the sensation
of being in an open pavilion.
2. The Rococo style was developed by craftspeople and
designers, explaining the emphasis on hand-worked
decoration, as shown here in the stucco reliefs. Rococo was
also characterized by its illusionism and natural motifs.
3. Curved forms resembling the letters S and C are also
common in Rococo.
C L O D I O N , N Y M P H A N D S AT Y R C A R O U S I N G , C A . 1 7 7 5 .
T E R R A C O T TA , A P P R O X I M AT E LY 1 ’ 1 1 ” H I G H .
1. Although the piece’s composition was inspired by the
dynamic works of Bernini, Clodion energized his eager
nymph and laughing satyr with typical Rococo erotic
playfulness, rather than Baroque melodrama.
2. The total abandon with which she rapturously embraces her
lover exemplifies the sensual exhilaration of the Rococo style.
3. Like many other Rococo artifacts, this piece was designed for
a tabletop. In fact, Rococo was a style best seen in small
works such as this.
HTTP://COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG/WIKI/FILE:FRAGONARD,_THE_SWING.JPG#MEDIAVIEWER/
FILE:FRAGONARD,_THE_SWING.JPG
JEAN-HONORÉ FRAGONARD, THE HAPPY ACCIDENT OF THE
S W I N G , 1 7 6 6 . O I L O N C A N V A S , A P P R O X I M AT E LY 2 ’ 1 1 ” X 2 ’ 8 ” .
1. The Rococo style is characterized by lightness (the frivolous nature of the subject), grace (the
voyeur’s elegant pose, the mistress’s refined kick), playfulness (her flirtatious expression), and
intimacy (the shared moment between the lovers. (And you gotta love that spotlight focusing our
attention on her.)
2. Symbolism abounds in this piece, from the cuckolded husband in the background, forgotten both
by the wife and the viewer, to the garden decor. The woman wears a bergère, or shepherdess hat
—which is ironic, since thanks to rural sentimentality, shepherds are associated with virtue because
of their living close to nature, uncorrupted by the temptations of the city.
The cherubs watching the couple have different opinions about what unfolds before them. The
larger cupid holds his finger on his lips, promising to keep the couple’s affair a secret. The other
two are more disapproving; one looks up at the woman with trepidation, and the other looks away
with a scowl.
3. There is even more symbolism in the woman’s uncovered foot and the man’s bare head, both of
which represented nudity in 18th century France. That, and the man’s outstretched hand, gives us a
pretty good idea of what came next.
H T T P : / / W W W. H A R K A V A G R A N T. C O M /
INDEX.PHP?ID=337
P E R S O N A L LY I L I K E
K AT E B E AT O N ’ S
VERSION BETTER.
I MEAN IT’S NOT
ROCOCO BUT COME
O N E . L O O K AT I T.
K AT E B E AT O N , T H E W A L R U S M A G A Z I N E C O V E R , J U LY /
AUGUST 2012. UNKNOWN MEDIUM, UNKNOWN SIZE.
1. Although much simpler, it’s just as charming. In fact, due to its cartoony style and simple lines,
it’s even more charming.
2. The cuckolded husband is gone and the woman swings independently. Her choice of hat is
no longer ironic, as shown by her complete lack of interest in her suitor. The cupid looks on
with an expression that seems to say, “Oh my,” as he not-quite-sympathetically looks on the
young man’s thwarted attempt to look up the woman’s skirt. The cherubs, meanwhile, look up
at her almost reverentially, awed by the daring way she kicked her shoe at the man’s face.
3. Here, the paramour has become a peeping tom. In both versions, he comes to the garden
bareheaded with clear intentions; in Fragonard’s painting the woman responds positively,
removing her gravity-defying shoe in promise of a later rendezvous. In Beaton’s parody,
though, the woman casually kicks the shoe into the man’s face, unequivocally stating her
refusal of his advances. Her uncovered foot is no longer an affirmation, but an accident.
Although her underclothes are still just as visible as in the original, her caller is no longer able
to enjoy the view.