History of Architecture (AP313) | Term Paper | 2013

Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassicism: Comparison and contrast

Term Paper for History of Architecture (AP131) Nivesh gaur

Roll Number: 08716901611 Sushant School of Art and Architecture

PAPER
The Rococo style of architecture evolved in France in the early 17th century as a continuation of the Baroque style. In contrast to the profuse themes and gloomier colours of the Baroque, the Rococo style was deliberated by an abundance, refinement, playfulness, and lightness. Rococo motifs dedicated on the carefree aristocratic life and on light-hearted romance rather than heroic battles or religious figures; they also revolve heavily around nature and exterior settings. In the mid-late 18th century, rococo was largely supplanted by the Neoclassic style. Rococo itself evolved from the earlier Baroque period, and shared several elements with it. Indeed, Rococo is often referred to as Late Baroque for this reason. Both placed a heavy emphasising on ornate, highly sculpted detail and ornamentation, especially in regards to architecture and carving. Likewise both featured artwork rooted in more realistic depictions of people. However, they were also different in several important ways, and reflected changing social attitudes. Where Baroque was rooted in religion and promoted by the Catholic Church as a response to the Protestant Reformation, Rococo flourished during the Age of Enlightenment, a time where secularism reigned and attitudes towards morals loosened considerably. As such, the artwork reflected the current social climate: It was frivolous and light-hearted, featuring light, airy colours and a strong emphasis on delicate, curling motifs and ornamentation. Especially fitting, since the root word for rococo is the French word rocaille meaning shell work. The subjects of Rococo art were usually light-hearted depictions of people, and frequently contained thematic elements of love and intimacy such as cherubs. In a direct reflection of the social norms at the time, veiled eroticism was also extremely common. Unsurprisingly, religious references were scarce, especially when considering the earlier Baroque.

However, Rococo didnt last forever. Starting around 1765, when society at large was becoming fatigued with what was increasingly seen as the tasteless, over-the-top nature of Rococo, a new movement took shape in France: Neoclassicism. Unlike the Rococo period, which was in many ways a simple evolution of the art style before it, Neoclassicism was something totally new. Featuring simplicity
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History of Architecture (AP313) | Term Paper | 2013

and substantial construction architecture, as well as a realistic, restrained art style that emphasized what were then considered classic themes, Neoclassicism borrowed many elements from earlier periods and societies such as the Renaissance, as well as ancient Greece and Rome. Artwork returned to classic moral and ethical themes like heroism, honour, and military duty, and was articulated strongly, with many artworks depicting realistic characters in bold colour against dark backgrounds.

When considering the differences between the Rococo and Neoclassic styles, it is striking how completely different they are from each other. In the area of architecture, it is easy to see how they diverge when looking at examples of the styles.

The Ottobeuren Abbey in Bavaria, Germany is a true embodiment of Rococo with its countless gilded, vapour-like coils of plaster and stone, bright, playful colours, and heavily sculpted dcor. The United States Supreme Court, a familiar study in Neoclassic architecture, is the polar opposite. Someone viewing its stately, symmetrical shape, understated coloration with an emphasis on natural materials like marble, and towering, stately pillars may wonder if it came from the same planet as the abbey in Germany.

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History of Architecture (AP313) | Term Paper | 2013

Artwork, too, was just as divergent. Consider the Rococo masterpiece The Swing, by artist Jean-Honor Fragonard. The delicate coiling of the tree branches, the ruffling of the fabric and lace on the subjects dress, and the play of light and shadow in this painting of a woman on a swing in the forest are all visual hallmarks of the Rococo style. Again, contrast with a Neoclassic masterpiece Oath of the Horatii by Jacques-Louis David. This work, which shows three soldiers taking their swords from their father, is in the true Neoclassic style and illustrates the subjects in a much more realistic style, with dark shadows and bold foreground coloration. Even more divergent are the subjects of the paintings, which capture the social attitudes of their respective periods. The Rococo piece depicts a married mistress allowing her hidden lover glimpse under her dress, even as her husband stands unaware in the background. The subjects of the Neoclassic piece are three brothers accepting their swords from their father, ready to lay down their lives for the good of Rome in a battle that will determine the outcome of a war. The tone of the paintings and the stories they tell could hardly be any further apart, and serve to underscore the role Neoclassicism played as an alternative to the widespread Rococo and the social attitudes that were associated with it.

Neoclassicism continued on to become the dominant art movement until Romanticism supplanted it in the early 1800s. That being said, its effects are still being felt today. For many, Neoclassic architecture is synonymous with grandeur, and is even being used in new architecture as recently as the opening of Nashville, Tennessees Schermerhorn Symphony Center in 2006 (Donoff, 2007). Rococo developed first in the decorative arts and interior design. Louis XV's succession brought a change in the court artists and general artistic fashion. By the end of the old king's reign, rich Baroque designs were giving way to lighter elements with more curves and natural patterns. These elements are evident in the architectural designs of Nicolas Pineau. Court life moved away from Versailles and this artistic change became well established, first in the royal palace and then throughout French high society. The delicacy and playfulness of Rococo designs is often seen as a reaction to the excesses of Louis XIV's regime.

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History of Architecture (AP313) | Term Paper | 2013

The 1730s represented the height of Rococo development in France. The style had spread beyond architecture and furniture to painting and sculpture, exemplified by the works of Antoine Watteau and Boucher. Rococo still maintained the Baroque taste for complex forms and intricate patterns. By this point, it had begun to integrate a variety of diverse characteristics, including a taste for Oriental designs and asymmetric compositions. The Rococo style spread with French artists and engraved publications. It was readily received in the Catholic parts of Germany, Bohemia, and Austria, where it was merged with the lively German Baroque traditions. Particularly in the south, German Rococo was applied with enthusiasm to churches and palaces. Architects often draped their interiors in clouds of fluffy white stucco. In Italy, the late Baroque styles of Borromini and Guarini set the tone for Rococo in Turin, Venice, Naples and Sicily, while the arts in Tuscany and Rome remained more wedded to Baroque. Rococo in England was always thought of as the "French taste." The architectural stylings never caught on, though silverwork, porcelain, and silks were strongly influenced by the continental style. Thomas Chippendale transformed English furniture design through his adaptation and refinement of the style. William Hogarth helped develop a theoretical foundation for Rococo beauty. Though not intentionally referencing the movement, he argued in his Analysis of Beauty(1753) that the undulating lines and S-curves prominent in Rococo were the basis for grace and beauty in art or nature (unlike the straight line or the circle in Classicism). The development of Rococo in England is considered to had been connected with the revival of interest in Gothic architecture early in the 18th century. The beginning of the end for Rococo came in the early 1760s as figures like Voltaire and began to voice their criticism of the superficiality and degeneracy of the art. Blondel decried the "ridiculous jumble of shells, dragons, reeds, palm-trees and plants" in contemporary interiors. By 1780, Rococo had passed out of fashion in France, replaced by the order and seriousness of Neoclassical artists like Jacques Louis David. It remained popular in the provinces and in Italy, until the second phase of neoclassicism, "Empire style," arrived with Napoleonic governments and swept Rococo away. There was a renewed interest in the Rococo style between 1820 and 1870. The English were among the first to revive the "Louis XIV style" as it was miscalled at first, and paid inflated prices for secondhand Rococo luxury goods that could scarcely be sold in Paris. But prominent artists like Delacroix and patrons like Empress also rediscovered the value of grace and playfulness in art and design. Neo-Classicism. Baroque. These two terms define a certain era and a tendency regarding arts. Both had a very strong impact in what architects design today. There were other movements that affected literature, painting, and so. However, these two are considered the mother currents of the architecture we know today. Some people, however, think that these two are synonymous. But Neo-Classicism and Baroque both have different characteristics and effects in peoples arts, especially in architecture. Though neoclassical architecture employs the same classical vocabulary as Late Baroque architecture, it tends to emphasize its planar qualities, rather than sculptural volumes. Projections and recessions and
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History of Architecture (AP313) | Term Paper | 2013

their effects of light and shade are flatter; sculptural bas-reliefs are flatter and tend to be enframed in friezes, tablets or panels. Its clearly articulated individual features are isolated rather than interpenetrating, autonomous and complete in themselves. Both Rococo and Neoclassicism architectures have achieved similarities despite a total revolution of style that emerged with Neoclassicism, that is, it was able to emphasize culture, political condition, and social condition in its theme. Both found the importance of color in enhancing the image of a once significant structure. Lastly, both keep its artistic value using decorative features such as paintings and sculpture for Rococo and statues for Neoclassicism. Given the historical features, Rococo style differs from Neo-classical arts in a sense that the former had light-hearted, whimsical style of decorative art (Rococo), while the latter emphasized courage, sacrifice, nationalism, and tradition (Neoclassism). To illustrate the differences, two great architectural designs will be used in this study Queluz National Palace in Portugal for Rococo and Cathedral of Vilnius for Neo Classicism. Specific Works of Visual Arts with Rococo and Neo Classical Styles Queluz National Palace in Rococo Style Queluz National Palace is remarkable in its elaborative design and grandiosity in its very light color. The faade has decorative features illustrated around windows and doors, rooflines, and swooping pediments. Other parts of the building are obvious because of some statues on top of the building, yet its grandiosity remains standing because of its colour that enhances its feminine look. The interior part is more sophisticated in its glazed tiles, decorated ceilings that are enhanced through their crystal chandeliers. What make the structure really impressive are the splendid paintings in light or golden colour on the ceilings of very huge rooms, which revitalize the interior of the building. The garden also adds to the attraction which contains statues of interesting story such as the rape of the Sabines and many others as well as other surprises such as a double staircase. Cathedral of Vilnius in Lithuania in Neo-Classical Style Cathedral of Vilnius in Lithuania became an important building in the city because of fairs and other gatherings that were held regularly adjoining the building. The building is characterized by its solid form usually less decorative column and portico with definite lines that outline windows, door and the roofs. The walls are plain except for few statues of images including the three at the rooftop. Most of these statues were recovered from excavation, which is why it has historical importance. The building has lighter motifs in a solid colour of white. This masculine look is enhanced by the simplicity of the work. In the interior part of the building, there are also lines that add strength in the character and are enhanced by its colour. What surprising about the building is that inside the chapel, one can see illustration or paintings that can be seen in the building the altar looks like the one used in pagan religious practices. Actually, one characteristics of neo classicism is that, it houses several antiques and relics that have been found for the purpose of preservation and historical relevance. Analysis At the turn of every century, people lived up to what the society dictates what helps people recall these historical events are the works of arts that witnessed the ever-changing tide in history. In view of this use of the word Baroque , the term Rococo , often distinguished from Baroque by art historians, is considered here as a diminuendo Baroque. We have used it to designate the early eighteenth century in France, the age of Madame de Pompadour and Louis XV. In its own time the Rococo was referred to as the modern style, a description that neatly distinguishes it from the later manner of style, the neoclassical, which in France was referred to as the retour l'antique . As employed here, the term Rococo is thus still within the Baroque moment. The Baroque did not die with a
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History of Architecture (AP313) | Term Paper | 2013

change in the design of furniture or with the triumph of David, but with the end of a certain society. The arrival of a new style may herald changes within a society even while the society still seems securely established; likewise a style may persist in one cultural sphere even while in others a new one is being elaborated. Thus, while England and France were going neoclassical in architecture and interior decor, Bavarian churches were still in the late Baroque, the "Rococo." To sum up the situation in France and our use of the two terms Baroque and Rococo , a Louis XV armchair in the room in which it stood about 1740 was then considered in the "modern manner." We call it rococo; yet that so-called rococo chair in 1740 stood within a cultural milieu which was still baroque. On the other hand, a Louis XVI chair, based on Etruscan or Roman models, was in its day considered to be l'ancienne or in the antique manner, the got antique , which we call neoclassical. This style, the neoclassical, heralded a mentality which was no longer baroque, even if the court at Versailles made no connection between a changed style and a new mentality which was emerging beyond the chteau and the park.

The argument of the reminder devoted to the plan is of a different order. It plays on terms two meanings: on the one hand, in the field of representation, it signifies the horizontal projection of a building or an urban ensemble; on the other hand, in the field of organization, it implies a concerted strategy of modernization. (1)
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Bibliography
1. Italian Baroque and Rococo Architecture by John Varriano (author) 2.Baroque: Architecture, Sculpture and painting by Rolf Toman 3. Duncan, English neo-classical architecture by Damie Stillman

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