Popes, Peasants, Monarchs, and Merchants:

Baroque Art in Northern Europe and Rococo ArtART ID 121 | Study of Western Arts

Slide concept by William V. Ganis, PhD NYIT Center for Teaching and Learning with Technology

With modifications by Arch. Edeliza V. Macalandag, UAP

Flemish Baroque

In the sixteenth century, Protestants in the

northern provinces of the Netherlands broke away

from Spain and established the Dutch Republic. The southern

provinces that remained loyal to Spain and

retained Catholicism as their official religion became the Spanish

Netherlands or Flanders (more or less modern-day

Belgium).

Sir Peter Paul Rubens; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640), was a Flemish Baroque painter, and a proponent of an extravagant Baroque style that emphasised movement, colour, and sensuality. He is well-known for his Counter-Reformation altarpieces, portraits, landscapes, and history paintings of mythological and allegorical subjects.

In addition to running a large studio in Antwerp that produced paintings popular with nobility and art collectors throughout Europe, Rubens was a classically educated humanist scholar, art collector, and diplomat who was knighted by both Philip IV, King of Spain, and Charles I, King of England.

Peter Paul Rubens

Elevation of the Cross

Antwerp Cathedral,

Antwerp, Belgium

1610oil on panel

15 ft. 2 in. x 11 ft. 2 in.

Peter Paul Rubens

Elevation of the Cross

Antwerp Cathedral, Antwerp, Belgium

1610oil on panel

15 ft. 2 in. x 11 ft. 2 in.

A pan-European synthesis:

The Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens synthesized in his art a

variety of mostly Italian influences to create an

international Baroque style. His various influences are evident in

the Elevation of the Cross painted for Antwerp Cathedral.

The combination of dynamic diagonals, strong modeling in

dark and light, and anatomically powerful figures involved in

violent action creates a scene of intense physical and emotional

drama.

Peter Paul Rubens

The Victory of Eucharistic Truth

over Heresy

ca. 1626oil on board

33 7/8 in. x 41 3/8 in.

Peter Paul Rubens

The Three Graces

oil on canvas87 in. x 71 1/4 in.

Peter Paul Rubens

Drawing of Laocoön

ca. 1600-1608black and white chalk drawing

with bistre washapproximately 1 ft. 7 in. x 1 ft. 7

in.

Drawing on the masters:

The vigor and passion of Rubens's style is seen at

its most vital in his images of the human

body. A black chalk drawing of Laocoön

demonstrates his careful study of Classical

representations of the human form.

Peter Paul Rubens

Arrival of Marie de’ Medici at Marseilles

1622-1625oil on canvas

approximately 5 ft. 1 in. x 3 ft. 9 1/2 in.

An extravagant arrival:

The rich, decorative splendor of Rubens's

painting of the Arrival of Marie de' Medici at

Marseilles is enlivened by the inclusion of allegorical

personifications and mythological figures.

Peter Paul Rubens

Allegory of the Outbreak of War

1638oil on canvas

6 ft. 9 in. x 11 ft. 3 7/8 in.

Protesting war:

Rubens himself provides a written explication of the

content of Allegory of the Outbreak of

War and also reveals his opinions on

military conflict.

Anthony Van Dyck

Charles I Dismounted

ca. 1635oil on canvas

9 ft. x 7 ft.

Elegant court portraiture:

Elegant Portraits of England's King:

Anthony Van Dyck's elegant portrait of Charles I Dismounted shows the king with regal poise and exuding an air of absolute

authority, standing casually next to his horse in a landscape.

Clara Peeters

Still Life with Flowers, Goblet, Dried Fruit and

Pretzels

1611oil on panel

1 ft. 7 3/4 in. x 2 ft. 1 1/4 in.

The “breakfast piece”:

Clara Peeters was particularly

renowned for her depictions of food

and flowers together, and for still lifes that

included bread and fruit.

Dutch Baroque

The Dutch Republic

Prosperity in the provinces:The economic prosperity of the Dutch Republic in the seventeenth century, and the absence of an

absolute ruler, concentrated political power in the hands of an urban patrician class of merchants

and manufacturers.

The Protestant objection to art:The northern Netherlands were predominantly

Protestant. The prevailing Calvinism rejected art in churches. Consequently, relatively little

religious art was produced in the Dutch Republic at this time, although some artists (often

Catholics) did create the occasional religious image.

Hendrick ter Brugghen

Calling of Saint Matthew

1621oil on canvas

3 ft. 4 in. x 4 ft. 6 in.

A moving religious scene:

After he returned from a trip to Italy, where he fell

under the influence of Caravaggio, the Catholic

painter Hendrick ter Brugghen painted the

Calling of Saint Matthew in a manner that echoes the

naturalistic presentation of the figures of Caravaggio's

painting of the same subject. However, ter

Brugghen employs a more colorful palette of soft tints and reduces the contrasts

of dark and light.

Gerrit van Honthorst

Supper Party

1620oil on canvas

7 ft. x 4 ft. 8 in.

Depicting daily Dutch life:

Gerrit van Honthorst's Supper Party is a

moralizing genre scene showing an informal

gathering of unidealized human

figures. The influence of Caravaggio is

evident in the mundane setting and the

dramatic lighting. A new development is

the placement of the light source within the

painting.

Frans Hals

Archers of Saint Hadrian

ca. 1633oil on canvas

approximately 6 ft. 9 in. x 11 ft.

Face-to-Face:

Frans Hals, who specialized in

portraiture, painted a group portrait of the

Archers of Saint Hadrian, which he

enlivened by showing each man as both a

troop member and an individual with a

distinct personality. The painting has a

lively impromptu energy, an effect that is enhanced by Hals's vivacious brushwork.

Frans Hals

The Women Regents of

the Old Men’s Home at Haarlem

1664oil on canvas

5 ft. 7 in. x 8 ft. 2 in.

Prim and proper Dutch women:

Hals's more somber group portrait of The

Women Regents of the Old Men's

Home at Haarlem communicates a

stern, puritanical, and composed

sensibility.

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669) was a Dutch painter and etcher. He is generally considered one of the greatest painters and printmakers in European art history and the most important in Dutch history.[2] His contributions to art came in a period of great wealth and cultural achievement that historians call the Dutch Golden Age, when Dutch Golden Age painting, although in many ways antithetical to the Baroque style that dominated Europe, was extremely prolific and innovative.Having achieved youthful success as a portrait painter, Rembrandt's later years were marked by personal tragedy and financial hardships. Yet his etchings and paintings were popular throughout his lifetime, his reputation as an artist remained high,and for twenty years he taught many important Dutch painters.

Rembrandt's greatest creative triumphs are exemplified especially in his portraits of his contemporaries, self-portraits and illustrations of scenes from the Bible. His self-portraits form a unique and intimate biography, in which the artist surveyed himself without vanity and with the utmost sincerity.

Rembrandt van Rijn

Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp

1632oil on canvas

5 ft. 3 3/4 in. x 7 ft. 1 1/4 in.

A surgical lesson:

Rembrandt van Rijn was the leading

Dutch painter of his time. In the group

portrait of the Anatomy Lesson of

Dr. Tulp, Rembrandt delves into the

psyche and personality of his

sitters.

Rembrandt van Rijn

The Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq (Night Watch)

1642oil on canvas

11 ft. 11 in. x 14 ft. 4 in.

An energetic group portrait:

In his famous group portrait of The Company

of Captain Frans Banning Cocq, Rembrandt

inventively shows the excitement and activity

of the men as they prepare to parade. The

dramatic lighting enhances the effect.

Rembrandt van Rijn

Return of the Prodigal Son

ca. 1665oil on canvas

8 ft. 8 in. x 6 ft. 9 in.

Celebrating Christ’s humility:

Rembrandt also probed the states of the human soul in

religious paintings and prints that interpret biblical narratives in human terms.

The spiritual, inward-turning contemplation of

his religious works is seen in the tender, personal emotions and eloquent

simplicity of his painting of The Return of the Prodigal

Son.

Rembrandt van Rijn

Self-Portrait

ca. 1659-1660oil on canvas3 ft. 8 3/4 in. x 3 ft. 1 in.

Lighting the way:

A hallmark of Rembrandt's style is finely nuanced treatment of light. He

manipulated the direction, intensity, distance, and

surface texture of light and shadow in order to render

the subtle nuances of character and mood of

persons or of whole scenes. In his later work, the

conflicts of light and dark are reconciled to produce a

quiet mood of tranquil meditation.

An illuminating self-portrait:

In a late Rembrandt self-portrait, light shines from

the upper left to bathe the subject's face in soft light,

leaving the lower part of his body in shadow. The

portrait's dignity and strength is also the result

of assertive brushwork, which suggests confidence

and self-assurance.

Rembrandt van Rijn

Christ with the Sick around Him, Receiving the Children (Hundred

Guilder Print)

ca. 1649etching

11 x 15 1/4 in.

Compassion memorably etched:

Rembrandt's etching of Christ with the Sick around Him,

Receiving the Children (Hundred Guilder Print) is suffused with a deep and

abiding piety.

Judith Leyster

Self-Portrait

ca. 1630oil on canvas

2 ft. 5 3/8 in. x 2 ft. 1 5/8 in.

At ease in front of an easel:

Judith Leyster's Self-Portrait is imbued with a sense of casual

self-assurance and relaxed spontaneity.

Albert Cuyp

A Distant View of Dordrecht, with a

Milkmaid and Four Cows and Other

Figures (The Large Dort)

late 1640soil on canvas

5 ft. 1 in. x 6 ft. 4 7/8 in.

Reclaiming the Land from the Sea:

The Dutch urban mercantile public avidly collected

paintings—landscapes, interior scenes, and still lifes—

showing their own daily lives and everyday world. In a

country that had reclaimed much of its land from the sea,

landscape scenes were especially popular.

A landscape of Dordrecht:

Albert Cuyp's View of Dordrecht with Cattle shows a

specific, unidealized landscape in which the details

have been carefully and skillfully observed.

Jacob van Ruisdael

View of Haarlem from the Dunes

at Overveen

ca. 1670oil on canvas

1 ft. 10 in. x 2 ft. 1 in.

Haarlem days:

Jacob van Ruisdael's sensitively observed and

precisely detailed View of Haarlem from the Dunes at

Overveen includes identifiable landmarks. The low horizon

line leaves the sky filling almost three-quarters of the

picture space.

Jan Vermeer

The Letter

1666oil on canvas

1 ft. 5 1/4 in. x 1 ft. 3 1/4 in.

Home is where the heart is:

The small, luminous interior scenes painted with care and directness by Jan Vermeer of

Delft exude a sense of peace, familiarity, and comfortable

domesticity.

Jan Vermeer

Allegory of the Art of Painting

1670-1675oil on canvas

4 ft. 4 in. x 3 ft. 8 in.

The science and poetry of light:

It is believed that Vermeer used optical devices such as mirrors

and the camera obscura in composing his paintings. These

devices also enabled him to develop a deep understanding of

color.

Extolling the art profession:

In the Allegory of the Art of Painting (showing the art of

Painting being inspired by History), Vermeer places the

viewer outside the space of the action, which is shown illuminated

as if by the light of inspiration.

Jan Vermeer

Allegory of the Art of Painting

1670-1675oil on canvas

4 ft. 4 in. x 3 ft. 8 in.

Compassion memorably etched:

Rembrandt's etching of Christ with the Sick

around Him, Receiving the Children (Hundred

Guilder Print) is suffused with a deep

and abiding piety.

Jan Vermeer

Girl with the Pearl Earing

1670-1675oil on canvas

18 x 16 in.

The painting Girl with a Pearl Earring (Dutch:

Het Meisje met de Parel) is one of Dutch

painter Johannes Vermeer's masterworks

and as the name implies, uses a pearl

earring for a focal point. Today the

painting is kept in the Mauritshuis gallery in

the Hague. It is sometimes referred to

as "the Mona Lisa of the North" or "the Dutch Mona Lisa".

Jan Steen

The Feast of Saint Nicholas

1660-1665oil on canvas

2 ft. 8 1/4 in. x 2 ft. 3 3/4 in.

Satirizing Dutch life:

In The Feast of Saint Nicholas, Jan Steen

shows a festive scene that may be

interpreted as an allegory of selfishness,

pettiness, and jealousy.a

Pieter Claesz

Vanitas Still Life

1630soil on panel

1 ft. 2 in. x 1 ft. 11 1/2 in.

Of beauty and death:

The objects in Willem Claesz

Heda's Vanitas Still Life reveal the

pride that Dutch citizens had in their

material possessions but

which also served to remind them of the transience of

life.

Willem Kalf

Still Life with a Late Ming Ginger Jar

1669oil on canvas

2 ft. 6 in. x 2 ft. 1 3/4 in.

The allure of precious objects:

Willem Kalf's Still Life with the Drinking Horn of Saint Sebastian's Archer's Guild reveals both the wealth of

Dutch citizens and the high level of technical skill

achieved by Dutch painters in the rendering of objects

and textures.

Rachel Ruysch

Flower Still Life

after 1700oil on canvas

2 ft. 6 in. x 2 ft.

A budding artist: Rachel Ruysch's Flower Still Life shows a lavish

floral arrangement. The short-lived blossoms of

flowers appear frequently as symbols

of life's transience.

English Baroque

In the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, England enjoyed a Common law and a

Parliament that kept royal power in check. English

Baroque art does not have the focused character of either

Dutch or Italian Baroque art. However, important

developments occurred in architecture, which

incorporated classical elements.

Inigo Jones

Banqueting House at Whitehall

London, England

1619-1622

An architect to kings:

Inigo Jones's design for the Banqueting House at Whitehall shows the

influence of the Palladio's ideas.

Christopher Wren

new Saint Paul’s Cathedral

London, England

1675-1710

A towering architectural talent:

Until almost the present, the dominant feature of

the London skyline was the majestic dome of Saint Paul’s Cathedral. Saint

Paul's Cathedral in London, designed by Christopher

Wren, harmonizes Palladian, French, and

Italian Baroque features.

French Baroque

In France, monarchical authority and power was

consolidated, and embodied, in King Louis XIV.

Georges de La Tour

Adoration of the Shepherds

1645-1650oil on canvas

3 ft. 6 in. x 4 ft. 6 in.

Realism, spiritualism, classicism:

The influence of Caravaggio's style (absorbed indirectly through the Dutch

school of Utrecht) on Georges de La Tour is seen

in his use of light and unidealized figures. Like the

Dutch Caravaggesque painters, the group of

humbly dressed figures gathered reverentially

around the sleeping baby Jesus in the Adoration of the Shepherds is illuminated by

a single light source (a candle) included in the

painting.

Louis Le Nain

Family of Country People

ca. 1640oil on canvas

3 ft. 8 in. x 5 ft. 2 in.

The hardship of peasant life:

Louis Le Nain's Family of Country People expresses

the grave dignity of a peasant family.

Jacques Callot

Hanging Tree

1621etching3 3/4 x 7 1/4 in.

A stark etching of death:

Jacques Callot's etching of the Hanging Tree from the Miseries of War series shows, in a panoramic view, a mass execution. The scene (and others in the series), drawn with quick, vivid

details, provides a realistic pictorial record of the human disaster of armed conflict.

Nicholas Poussin

Et in Arcadia Ego

ca. 1655oil on canvas

2 ft. 10 in. x 4 ft.

Nicholas Poussin

Burial of Phocion

1648oil on canvas

3 ft. 11 in. x 5 ft. 10 in.

A plutarchian scene:

Poussin's Burial of Phocion, from

Plutarch's Life of Phocion, shows

the distinguished Athenian general

being carried away for burial in

a carefully organized, rationally

constructed ideal landscape suitable

to the noble theme.

Claude Lorrain

Landscape with Cattle and Peasants

1629oil on canvas

3 ft. 6 in. x 4 ft. 10 1/2 in.

A landscape par excellence:

Claude Lorrain's Pastoral Caprice with

the Arch of Constantine shows a serene

ordering of pastoral landscape elements to create a gentle, moody

vision of an ideal classical world bathed

in the subtly modulated sunlight of a particular

time of day.

Hyacinthe Rigaud

Louis XIV

1701oil on canvas

9 ft. 2 in. x 6 ft. 3 in.

Art in the service of absolutism:

The foundation of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture

in 1648 established French classicism as the official style. The

practice of art and architecture were regularized and organized and placed in the service of the

state. King Louis XIV and his principal adviser, Jean-Baptiste

Colbert, used the power of art for propaganda. Hyacinthe Rigaud's portrait of Louis XIV conveys the

image of Louis XIV as an absolute monarch in control.

Claude Perrault, Louis Le Vau

and Charles Le Brun

east façade of the Louvre

Paris, France

1667-1670

A dignified and ordered building:

François Mansart's design for the Orléans wing of the Château de Blois exhibits the polished dignity of the French "Classical-Baroque" style in architecture.

Palace at Versailles

Versailles, France

1669

From hunting lodge to palace:

The conversion of the royal hunting lodge at Versailles into a grand palace was a major architectural project that defined the French Baroque style and

became the symbol of Louis XIV's power and ambition. The Hall of

Mirrors uses hundreds of mirrors set into the wall opposite the windows to

illusionistically extend the room's width and to fill the tunnel-like space

with reflected sunlight (the light of "the Sun King").

Palace at Versailles

Versailles, France

1669

From hunting lodge to palace:

The conversion of the royal hunting lodge at Versailles into a grand palace was a major architectural project that defined the French Baroque style and became the symbol of Louis XIV's power and ambition. The Hall of Mirrors uses hundreds of mirrors

set into the wall opposite the windows to illusionistically extend the room's width and to fill the tunnel-like space with reflected sunlight (the light of "the Sun King").

Jules Hardouin-Mansart &

Charles Le Brun

Galerie des Glaces (Hall of Mirrors)

Palace of Versailles

Versailles, France

1667-1670

The principal feature of this famous hall is the seventeen

mirror-clad arches that reflect the seventeen arcaded windows that overlook the gardens. Each

arch contains twenty-one mirrors with a total complement of 357

used in the decoration of the galerie des glaces (Verlet,

1985a). The arches themselves are fixed between marble

pilasters whose capitals depict the symbols of France.[citation

needed] These gilded bronze capitals include the fleur-de-lys

and the Gallic cockerel or rooster.

Jules Hardouin-Mansart and Charles Le Brun

Galerie des Glaces (Hall of Mirrors)

Palace of Versailles

Versailles, France

1667-1670

Jules Hardouin-Mansart and Charles Le Brun

Galerie des Glaces (Hall of Mirrors)

Palace of Versailles

Versailles, France

1667-1670

François Girardon & Thomas Regnaudin

Apollo Attended by the Nymphs

Grotto of Thetis, Park of Versailles Versailles, France

ca. 1666-1672marblelife-size

A grotto sculpture for Versailles:

François Girardon's stately and graceful Apollo Attended by the

Nymphs shows the classicizing style derived from Greco-Roman sculpture

and inspired by Poussin's figure compositions.

François Girardon & Thomas Regnaudin

Apollo Attended by the Nymphs

Grotto of Thetis, Park of Versailles Versailles, France

ca. 1666-1672marblelife-size

German Baroque

In the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, England enjoyed a Common law and a

Parliament that kept royal power in check. English

Baroque art does not have the focused character of either

Dutch or Italian Baroque art. However, important

developments occurred in architecture, which

incorporated classical elements.

Balthasar Neumann

interior of the pilgrimage chapel

of Vierzehnheiligen

near Staffelstein, Germany

1743-1772

Combining the arts:

Balthasar Neumann's ingenious design for the pilgrimage church of

Vierzehnheiligen was strongly influenced by the work of Borromini

and Guarini in its vivacious play of architectural fantasy and dynamic energy. The fluid interior space is

composed of tangent ovals and circles.

Balthasar Neumann

interior of the pilgrimage chapel of Vierzehnheiligen

near Staffelstein, Germany

1743-1772

Balthasar Neumann

plan of Vierzehnheiligen

near Staffelstein, Germany

1743-1772

Egid Asam

Assumption of the Virgin

monastery church at Rohr, Germany

1723

Sculpture rendered weightless:

Egid Quirin Asam's group of the Assumption of the Virgin explores

illusionistic spectacle in a luxuriously ornamented setting.

Egid Asam

Assumption of the Virgin

monastery church at Rohr, Germany

1723

Sculpture rendered weightless:

Egid Quirin Asam's group of the Assumption of the Virgin explores

illusionistic spectacle in a luxuriously ornamented setting.

Rococo

ROCOCO: THE FRENCH TASTE

In the cultural realm, aristocrats reestablished their predominance as art patrons. The French Rococo exterior was often simple or even plain, but Rococo

exuberance took over the interior.

Rococo, also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century artistic movement and style, which

affected several aspects of the arts including painting, sculpture, architecture, interior design,

decoration, literature, music and theatre. The Rococo developed in the early part of the 18th

century in Paris, France as a reaction against the grandeur, symmetry and strict regulations of the

Baroque, especially that of the Palace of Versailles.

The word 'Rococo' is derived from the French "rocaille", a word used to describe the rock and shell work of the Versailles grottoes. Many pieces of carved furniture dating from the 18th century—in particular, mirror frames—depict rocks, shells, and

dripping water in their composition, frequently in association with Chinese figures and pagodas.

Germain Boffrand

Salon de la Princesse

with painting by Charles-Joseph Natoire

andsculpture by J.B.

Lemoine

Hôtel de Soubise, Paris, France

1737-1740

A permanently festive room:

Comparing the Salon de la Princesse in the Hôtel

de Soubise in Paris to the Galerie des Glaces at

Versailles reveals how Boffrand softened the

strong architectural lines and panels of the earlier

style into flexible, sinuous curves

luxuriantly multiplied in mirror reflections.

François de Cuvilliès

the AmalienburgNymphenburg

Palace Park, Munich, Germany

early 18th C.

François de Cuvilliès

Hall of Mirrors, the

AmalienburgNymphenburg

Palace Park, Munich,

Germany

early 18th C.

French Rococo in Germany:

Although Rococo was essentially a

style of interior design, the

Amalienburg beautifully

harmonizes the interior and

exterior elevations

through the curving flow of

lines and planes that cohere in a

sculptural unity of great elegance.

François de Cuvilliès

Hall of Mirrors, the Amalienburg

Nymphenburg Palace Park, Munich, Germany

early 18th C.

Antoine Watteau

L’Indifferent

ca. 1716oil on canvas

10 x 7 in.

A delicate dancer:

The painter whom scholars most associate with French

Rococo is ANTOINE WATTEAU. The differences between the Baroque age in France and the Rococo

age can be seen clearly by contrasting Rigaud's

portraits of Louis XIV with one of Watteau's paintings,

L'Indifferént. Watteau's painting is not as heavy or staid and is more delicate.

Antoine Watteau

Return from Cythera

1717-1719oil on canvas

4 ft. 3 in. x 6 ft. 4 in.

Celebrating the good life:

Watteau was largely

responsible for creating a specific

type of Rococo painting, called a

féte galante painting. These

paintings depicted the

outdoor entertainment or

amusements of upper-class

society.

François Boucher

Cupid a Captive

1754oil on canvas

5 ft. 6 in. x 2 ft. 10 in.

A playful Rococo fantasy:

Boucher was an excellent portraitist, but

his fame rested primarily on his graceful allegories

Jean-Honoré Fragonard

The Swing

1766oil on canvas

2 ft. 11 in. x 2 ft. 8 in.

An intriguing flirtation:

Boucher's student, JEAN-

HONORÉ FRAGONARD, was a first rate colorist whose decorative

skill almost surpassed his

master's.

Jean-Honoré Fragonard

The Swing

1766oil on canvas

2 ft. 11 in. x 2 ft. 8 in.

An intriguing flirtation:

Boucher's student, JEAN-

HONORÉ FRAGONARD, was a first rate colorist whose decorative

skill almost surpassed his

master's.

Rococo in Furniture & Décor

The lighthearted themes and intricate designs of Rococo presented themselves best

at a more intimate scale than the imposing Baroque architecture and sculpture. It is not surprising, then, that French Rococo art was

at home indoors. Metalwork, porcelain figures and especially furniture rose to new pre-eminence as the French upper classes

sought to outfit their homes in the now fashionable style.

Rococo style is also known as Louise Quinze, Louis XV or simply Louis

Design for a table by Juste-Aurèle

Meissonnier, Paris ca 1730

Abstract and asymmetrical

Rococo decoration:

ceiling stucco at the Neues

Schloss, Tettnang

Rococo mirror and stuccowork in

Schloss Ludwigsburg

reflect the style's characteristic

anti-architectural integration of materials and

forms

Integrated rococo carving, stucco

and fresco at Zwiefalten

louis xv

During the Rococo period, furniture was lighthearted,

physically and visually. The idea of furniture had evolved to a

symbol of status and took on a role in comfort and versatility.

Furniture could be easily moved around for gatherings, and many

specialized forms came to be such as the fauteuil chair, the voyeuse chair, and the berger

en gondola. Changes in design of these chairs ranges from cushioned detached arms,

lengthening of the cushioned back (also known as

"hammerhead") and a loose seat cushion. Mahogany was widely

used in furniture construction due to its strength, resulting in the absence of the stretcher as

seen on many chairs of the time.

fauteuil

A fauteuil is a style of open-arm chair with a primarily exposed wooden frame originating in France in the early 18th century. A fauteuil is made of wood, and frequently with carved relief ornament. It is typically upholstered on the seat, the seat back and on the arms (manchettes). Some fauteuils have a valenced front seat rail which is padding that extends slightly over the apron. The exposed wooden elements are often gilded or otherwise painted.

Louis XV fauteuil en cabriolet with a concave back and overstuffed seat cushion, was not placed against the wall but in the center of the room

Louis XV gilt wood fauteuils à la Reine with its flat back

marquise

an enlarged armchair in which two people could sit intimately

A fauteuil marquise is an enlarged armchair in which two people could sit intimately

duchesse

The duchesse is an extended lounge chair used for reclining.

A LOUIS XV GREY AND CREAM PAINTED CHAISE DUCHESSE MID-18TH CENTURY, REDECORATED

fauteuil de bureau

Some chairs were made for specific purposes, such as the fauteuil de bureau, or desk chair, often with a pronounced semi-circular design and sometimes fitted with a rotating seat and an additional leg in front.

A LOUIS XVI CREAM PAINTED WOOD DESK ARMCHAIR, LATE 18TH EARLY 19TH CENTURY

fauteuils à coiffer

Fauteuils à coiffer, or hair-dressing chairs, had an indented back to facilitate the brushing of a lady's long hair.

copy of Fauteuils à coiffer

berger en gondola

A bergère is an enclosed upholstered French armchair (fauteuil) with an upholstered back and armrests on upholstered frames.

It is designed for lounging in comfort, with a deeper, wider seat than that of a regular fauteuil.

A bergère en gondole has an arched back and sides upholstered as a single panel

A LATE LOUIS XV BEECHWOOD BERGER EN GONDOLA CIRCA 1760 with a curved channeled back and padded scrolled arms, a serpentine seat with loose cushion upholstered in green striped Colefax and Fowler fabric, on shell and foliate carved cabriole legs

A bergère en gondole has an arched back and sides upholstered as a single panel

bergère confessionale

A bergère is an enclosed upholstered French armchair (fauteuil) with an upholstered back and armrests on upholstered frames. It is designed for lounging in comfort, with a deeper, wider seat than that of a regular fauteuil.

A bergère confessionale features a high back and low arms.

voyeuse

Voyeuse chair is designed for sitting astride back-to-front with the top of the back padded for the occupant to lean on.

From the verb voir—"to see", they were used by male spectators of card games who would sit astride while resting their arms on the padded top rail.

A Louis XV Style Voyeuse Side Chair

Voyeuse à genoux

Sources

• http://websites.swlearning.com/cgi-wadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20b&product_isbn_issn=0155050907&discipline_number=436

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baroque_art • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rococo_art • Art Through the Ages, 12th/11th ed., Gardner