Rococo

Jean‑Baptiste‑Siméon Chardin

Painter who turned from extravagance to modest domestic scenes that stress moral instruction.

Rocaille

Shell‑like ornamental motif that gave its name to the decorative movement in French palaces.

Rococo

Late‑18th‑century French decorative style noted for pastel hues, asymmetrical shells, and intimate, playful subjects.

Pompeii excavations

Uncovering of a Roman city that supplied models for classical motifs in the new style.

Jacques‑Alain Soufflot

Architect who designed the Parisian tomb, embodying rational, austere classicism.

Jean‑Honoré Fragonard

Artist whose work exemplifies fluid line and tactile detail, especially in scenes of flirtation.

Romantic reaction

Artistic shift that re‑introduced dramatic feeling and personal imagination after the neoclassical era.

Thomas Gainsborough

Portraitist and landscapist celebrated for elegant attire and a technique of thinned, flowing brushwork.

Sir Joshua Reynolds

Founder of the Royal Academy who promoted a lofty, intellectual approach to painting based on classical history.

Stage‑like composition

Arrangement that flattens space, making figures appear as actors on a theatrical set.

Cultural shift from private pleasure to public virtue

Transition wherein art moved from depicting personal leisure to promoting state‑aligned moral messages.

Charles I Demanding the Five Members

Historical canvas that reconstructs a 1641 confrontation with meticulous portrait research.

Antoine Watteau

French painter who pioneered fêtes galantes and blended Venetian color with French elegance.

A Rake’s Progress

Eight‑scene narrative illustrating a prodigal heir’s downfall to madness.

Symbolic use of the white‑handled knife in Death of Marat

Contrast to traditional black weapon, emphasizing purity and martyrdom.

Rococo decline

Mid‑18th‑century transition away from decorative intimacy toward public, moral subjects.

Civic duty (Neoclassical theme)

Obligation to serve the state, often illustrated by self‑sacrifice in historical narratives.

Greek temple façade

Front elevation with columns and pediment that became a model for civic architecture in the period.

Johann Joachim Winckelmann

German historian whose writings advocated a return to noble simplicity of antiquity.

Portraiture & landscape (mid‑late 18th‑c. England)

Genre that combined elegant representation of individuals with natural scenery, often displaying technical mastery.

Influence of Dutch genre painters on Chardin

Adoption of meticulous domestic detail and moral undertones inspired by artists such as Vermeer.

Neoclassical emphasis on balance and clarity

Compositional principle that arranges elements symmetrically to convey rational order.

Copyright Act of 1735

British legislation that granted legal protection to creators of engraved works.

Baroque

Earlier European artistic period marked by dramatic lighting, vigorous movement, and solemn religious themes.

Reduced palette

Limited color range using muted ochres, grays, and whites to convey solemnity.

Use of shallow depth to focus viewer attention

Technique that eliminates background distractions, directing the eye to the central narrative.

Crisp linear draftsmanship

Emphasis on clear outlines over loose brushstrokes to define form.

William Hogarth

English engraver who created sequential prints that satirized social vices and influenced copyright law.

Jacques‑Louis David

French painter whose history works served as visual propaganda for the Revolution.

Oath of the Horatii

Painting depicting three brothers swearing to defend their city, symbolizing sacrifice for the common good.

Neoclassicism

Serious late‑18th‑century movement emphasizing heroic virtue, civic duty, and restrained classic forms.

Austerity of emotion (Neoclassicism)

Suppression of personal feeling to highlight collective ideals and rational composition.

Secular tomb

Memorial structure dedicated to non‑religious national figures, reflecting republican values.

Heroic virtue (Neoclassical theme)

Idealized moral strength displayed by figures who act for the greater good.

Romanticism

Later movement that reacted against rational restraint by emphasizing emotion, individualism, and nature.

Civic virtue

Moral quality that places the interests of the community above personal desire.

Shallow stage‑like space

Composition where figures appear against a flat background, resembling low‑relief sculpture.

Rococo’s emphasis on love and pleasure

Dominant subject matter featuring romantic encounters, mythological flirtation, and hedonistic scenes.

Moral genre painting

Narrative artwork that conveys ethical lessons through everyday activities and subtle visual cues.

Historical truth (in art)

Commitment to accurate representation of past events through documentary research.

Cultural role of the French court in Rococo

Patronage that encouraged lighthearted, ornamental art for private enjoyment.

Fountain of the Four Seasons

Intimate public sculpture featuring allegorical infants representing seasonal activities, commissioned by the French king.

Marriage à la Mode

Series of prints criticizing arranged marriages by depicting their disastrous consequences.

Archaeological discoveries at Herculaneum

Excavations that revived interest in authentic ancient Roman art and architecture.

Neoclassical architecture’s anti‑Rococo spirit

Design approach that stripped ornamentation, favoring structural clarity and ancient prototypes.

Tiepolo’s Banquet of Antony and Cleopatra

Fresco that exemplifies lavish color and dramatic storytelling within the decorative tradition.

Didactic purpose (in painting)

Intention to teach moral or political lessons through visual narrative.

Prix de Rome

Prestigious scholarship that funded study of classical antiquities in Italy.

Hogarth’s market for narrative prints

Creation of a commercial audience for sequential visual stories independent of ecclesiastical or state patronage.

Interior decoration legacy of Rococo

Continued use of ornate shells and curves in later decorative arts despite shift in painting styles.

John Singleton Copley

Trans‑Atlantic painter who shifted from decorative subjects to rigorous historical scenes after moving to London.

François Boucher

Court painter known for sensual mythological nudes and decorative compositions favored by Madame de Pompadour.

The Blue Boy

Portrait featuring a striking blue foreground that reverses traditional aerial perspective.

Pantheon (Paris)

Secular monument built as a temple for revolutionary heroes, featuring a Greek‑style colonnade and triangular pediment.

Classical reference point (Neoclassicism)

Use of ancient Greek and Roman motifs to legitimize contemporary political messages.

Tonal palette

Use of soft, harmonious colors that create a gentle overall hue.

Grand Manner

Artistic principle that elevates portraiture by borrowing compositional strategies from history painting.

Death of Marat

Portrait of a revolutionary leader presented with martyr‑like serenity and a stark, empty setting.

Fêtes galantes

Genre of paintings showing aristocratic couples courting in idyllic garden settings.

French Republic ( revolutionary period )

Political entity that promoted civic virtue and used art to convey moral messages.

Satirical genre (early‑mid 18th‑c. England)

Artwork that critiques social behavior through exaggerated, narrative scenes.

Louis XV

French monarch under whose reign the light, decorative style flourished.

Research‑driven realism in Copley’s historical works

Extensive consultation of contemporary portraits and documents to ensure accurate depiction of figures.

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

Venetian fresco master who spread the decorative style to German courts with grand ceiling cycles.

Antoine Watteau

Fête in the Park (1719)

François Boucher

Diana after the Hunt, Reclining Girl

Jean‑Honoré Fragonard

The Swing (1769)

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

Banquet of Antony and Cleopatra (Venice)

Jean‑Baptiste‑Siméon Chardin

The Kitchen Maid, Saying Grace (1740)

William Hogarth

Marriage à la Mode (1745), A Rake’s Progress (1735)

Thomas Gainsborough

The Blue Boy (1770)

Sir Joshua Reynolds

David Garrick as Richard III, Miss B.S. with Dog

Jacques‑Louis David

The Oath of the Horatii (1784), The Death of Marat (1793)

John Singleton Copley

Charles I Demanding the Five Members (1785)

Fountain of the Four Seasons

Louis XV commission, Rococo decorative sculpture

Pantheon, Paris

designed by Jacques‑Alain Soufflot (Neoclassical temple)