Rococo artwork is known for its flamboyant depiction of wealth and the aristocracy in the 18th century. This article covers the top five Rococo artworks that I think are important to the movement. You can also watch my video of these 5 artworks on YouTube.
Pilgrimage to Cythera (#1)
Pilgrimage to Cythera by Jean-Antoine Watteau was completed in 1717. This artwork was the catalyst to the Rococo movement. Approved by the French academy of painting and sculpture, this piece introduced wealth, flamboyance, and a new art style into painting. Characteristics of this new art style (Rococo) included loose brush strokes, pastel colors, and flamboyant escapades of the wealthy class – which is what the Rococo art movement would become known for. They even had to create a new genre in the academy called the fete gelante in order to fit this into their hierarchy of art.
Madame de Pompadour (#2)
Francois Boucher completed Madame de Pompadour in 1756. Boucher took over the Rococo art movement after Watteau. In fact, he was one of the most well-known artists of the 18th century. A lot of this had to do with his main patroness, the Marquis de Pompadour, aka the Madame de Pompadour, aka King Henry the 15th’s famous mistress.
The Madame de Pompadour loved Boucher’s work so much that she had him paint almost every single one of her portraits. These artworks all hold a typical Rococo style in portraiture – loose brushstrokes, pastel colors, whimsical looks on their young idealized faces, and lots of symbols of wealth and power. Because of her wealth, power, and connections (you know, being connected to the king and all), she actually helped propel the Rococo art movement forward.
Self-Portrait, Elisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun (#3)
Number three of my top five Rococo artworks is Vigee Le Brun’s self-portrait. Vigee Le Brun shifts between Rococo and Neoclassical. The style she does is Rococo, but her subject matter is more Neoclassical. I think she is an important Rococo artist because first of all, she was the lead portrait artist of Marie Antoinette who lived in Versailles and was an important figure in Versailles history. Second, her husband Victor Le Brun was the interior decorator of Versailles, which was very Rococo/Baroque. Victor also started the French academy of painting and sculpture. So, she’s just kind of a big name.
Not only was she connected to important Rococo persons, but she is a very talented painter. Vigée-LeBrun is fantastic with the Rococo styles of loose brush strokes (just look at her hair in the above picture!), pastel colors, and whimsical youthful faces. She also shows us what Rococo artists thought of themselves. She paints herself in the manner of painting, a serious artist. In addition, you can tell by the way she is dressed that she belongs to this wealthy class that she’s so associated with. It’s her way of bringing artists to the level of those people who are doing fete gelante.
Marriage A-la-Mode (#4)
The Marriage A-la-Mode, by William Hogarth was completed in 1743. This Rococo artwork is a series of six paintings that makes fun of Rococo. It’s not necessarily done in the Rococo style, but in order to better understand the Rococo movement, you have to check this piece out.
In this piece, Hogarth satirizes the upper class – those people who can spend all of their money conversing in salons and going on fete gelantes. The six paintings show the story of an arranged marriage full of wealth and class that does not end well. It dramatizes the downfall of living a life like the aristocracy was doing during Rococo. What happens when you age and you no longer look beautiful and you no longer can go on these escapades? Or even worse, what happens if you lose all your money?
The Swing (#5)
Finally, I can’t not pick The Swing by Jean-Honoré Fragonard. Fragonard was able to build on the foundation that Watteau and Boucher had created for him to create a masterpiece. And in my opinion, this is the quintessential Rococo art piece. It has the perfect representation of all of those Rococo art characteristics – it’s frilly, it’s frivolous, it’s frothy, it’s full of wonder and secrecy. There’s lots of dynamic movement that connects it to the Baroque art period. You’ll find loose brush strokes, pastel colors, and this feeling of romance and love. The Swing is just perfectly Rococo.
Understanding these top 5 Rococo artworks helps you connect with the history, artists, and people surrounding the Rococo art movement.