It's possible that you've heard the word "Rococo" used in the context of decoration, but do you actually know what it means? The term describes a brief but significant style of art that flourished during the 18th century in Europe, known for its glamour and elegant detail.

The word Rococo is said to come from the French words rocaille and coquilles, which stand for "shell" and "stone." The defining quality of Rococo decor and art is its fluid and playful design, moving away from the strict geometries of Baroque art in favor of a more natural design. The name is appropriate since small objects like shells and pebbles were used as a common motif. Asymmetry and excessive ornamentation became much more fashionable, allowing for gilded surfaces that would have been unthinkable in the Baroque period.

The majority of Rococo style can be found in the decorative arts. The French upper class made Rococo famous by their demand for finely crafted furniture and decorations in their homes. Shell-like designs and intricate wood carvings became vogue, particularly if they were fitted with a gilded coating. When it came to the design and construction of new buildings, the style was be graceful rather than austere. Curves and pale colors were added to such key buildings as the Palace of Versailles and the Solitude Palace in Stuttgart, Germany.

Rococo sensibilities extended far beyond interior design and architecture. In art, painters were free to use delicate curves and soft colors, with pleasant motifs like cherubs and pastoral scenes. This inspired contemporaries like William Hogarth, Thomas Gainsborough, and Jean-Antoine Watteau. In music, Rococo influenced the composers of its day to experiment with lighter, more gallant melodies. This led to success for musical figures as Jean Philippe Rameau and the two sons of Johann Sebastian Bach (whose own style was thoroughly set in the Baroque era).

However, the Rococo period did not last far into the 19th century. Social critics like the Catholic Church saw the style as too ornate and secular to take seriously, while the philosopher Voltaire claimed it was too superficial to be considered art. Its connections to the excesses in the court of Louis XIV did not help its reputation either, with many in Britain mislabeling it as "Louis XIV style."

After 1820, there was a short-lived revival of interest in Rococo, but it did not stand up to the Neoclassical wave that gripped most of Europe, as architects and artists drew upon the timeless designs of Ancient Greece and Rome. Nevertheless, most modern art historians see Rococo as a key turning point in the European art world and its style is still widely appreciated and preserved in many parts of France today.

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