Rococo architecture
Sanssouci Palace in Germany, Catherine Palace in Russia, and Hermitage Retreat Building in Catherine Park in Russia | |
Years active | 18th century |
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Location | Europe |
Rococo architecture, prevalent during the reign of Louis XV in France from 1715 to 1774, is an exceptionally ornamental and exuberant architectural style characterized by the use of rocaille motifs such as shells, curves, mascarons, arabesques, and other classical elements. The Rococo style abandoned the symmetry of earlier Baroque styles like facades, cornices, and pediments, and instead created a flexible and visually engaging style that maintained a level of classical regularity.[1] Light pastel colors, including shades of blue, green, and pink, replaced the darker elements characteristic of Baroque architecture such as exposed limestone and extensive gilding.[2]
The iconography of Rococo architecture, predominantly associated with 18-century Europe, had a considerable influence on various architectural styles globally over subsequent centuries. These styles include
Some of the largest and most well known examples of Rococo architecture include royal palaces and other grand residences, such as
Exterior design and Andrea Paladio's Quattro Libri
Eighteenth-century architecture was profoundly influenced by classical ideals of symmetrical design, prominently featuring elements such as columns,
During the Rococo period, architects adapted these classical templates to include asymmetrical forms, whimsical curves, and bright colors, creating more dynamic and engaging designs. While some architectural historians may consider the Rococo period as a continuation of the late Baroque style, it is predominantly recognized as a distinct architectural design.[7]
By the late 18-century, the Rococo style was increasingly viewed as an elaborate and grandiose manifestation, characterized by extravagant
Interior elements and classical allegorical motifs
Arabesques, often used on either framed or recessed wall panels, or applied directly onto flat walls using trompe-l'œil techniques to create the illusion of three-dimensional borders, were part of the decorative strategy. These panels, like the exterior design, also featured classical allegorical motifs such as acanthus leaves, vases, and mascarons.[11] Additionally, chinoiserie iconography, reflecting European interpretations of Chinese and East Asian art, was prevalent.[12] The motifs could be painted, plastered, or inlaid using materials like marquetry woodwork or lacquered jade. In the Catherine Palace, uniquely, these designs were even incorporated into multicolored amber panels.[13]
Furniture and decorative arts from the Rococo period were designed to be both functional and comfortable. Contrasting with the large, dark, gold-framed wooden chairs of the earlier Baroque period, Rococo furniture typically featured upholstery with bright cushions and was built for moderately heavy use. Decorative elements such as soft-paste porcelain plaques were often inlaid into furniture pieces like wardrobes, commodes, console tables, secretaires, and writing tables. Complementary decorative objects, including pendulum clocks and vases, completed the embellishment of Rococo interiors.[14]
Flooring
During the Rococo period, wooden flooring often featured
Plafonds
In large Rococo buildings, ceilings, often referred to as
Interior layout
The interior layout of Rococo palaces often incorporated a multi-level design, typically featuring two, three, or four floors, each consisting of two rooms across its width. Rather than employing hallways or corridors for room access, these palaces were designed around one or more grand staircases, in addition to service stairwells and lifts, which led to a central point on the upper floors. From this central location, occupants and visitors would move through a series of rooms, such as libraries, antechambers, chambers, boudoirs, and dressing rooms. This progression from public to more private spaces facilitated both social interaction and the hierarchical use of space, while also maximizing the net usable area of the building by reducing the square footage dedicated to corridors and passageways.
When hallways were used, they were typically used only by servants and workers, often passing behind fireplaces and through service entrances. Higher-status individuals and guests would travel through the suite of connected rooms to reach their destinations. On the ground level, functional spaces such as butlers' pantries, guardrooms, ancillary offices, porcelain and silver cabinet rooms, and warming kitchens were positioned with easy access to outdoor outbuildings and service entries. Ceremonial spaces like ballrooms, chapels, reception rooms, principal offices, and state dining rooms were placed closer to the center of the palace, ensuring proximity to the grand staircase and accessibility to other related rooms.[16]
Outbuildings
Kitchens
In the eighteenth century, kitchens in large houses and palaces were typically constructed as separate buildings from the main structure. This separation was strategic, primarily to mitigate the heat and odors from cooking permeating the main living areas, and to decrease the risk of fire spreading to the palace if an incident occurred in the kitchen.
Once food was prepared in these external kitchens, it was transported to a warming kitchen located typically on the ground floor of the main building. In the warming kitchen, dishes were plated and prepared using utensils and tableware stored in nearby porcelain cabinets or butler's pantries. To ensure the food remained hot and ready for serving, it was then conveyed from the warming kitchen to the dining room. This transportation could be facilitated through specialized hallways, stairwells, or even a dumbwaiter.
The dumbwaiter varied in design, ranging from simple dumbwaiters to more sophisticated mechanical or steam-powered cargo elevators. Some systems, known as "thieves," were even more intricate, involving individual elevators at each place setting of the dining table. These systems allowed dishes to be raised and lowered directly between the warming kitchen and the dining room, potentially eliminating the need for servants to enter the dining area. This feature was particularly advantageous during meals where privacy was required, such as discussions involving confidential or classified information.
Retreat buildings
In some Rococo palace complexes, there were structures known as retreat buildings or hermitages, separate from the main palace. These structures provided a more intimate setting away from the main palace, which often included a large circulation of family members, government officials, servants, and guests. Hermitages were typically two stories high and contained a few rooms on each level.
Carriage houses
Rococo palace complexes frequently included carriage houses, which were used for storage and maintenance of horse-drawn wagons and related equipment. They were connected to stables and grazing areas to accommodate the horses that powered them.[17]
In the English-speaking world, such complexes dedicated to equine housing and care were often referred to as mews buildings. Many historic British mansions featured a separate mews.[18]
Service outbuildings and dependencies
Rococo palaces often featured a complex of outbuildings and dependencies designed to support the various operational needs of the estate. Beyond the primary cooking kitchen and the carriage house, these included structures such as the scullery, where vegetables were prepared and dishes were washed, and the smokehouse, used for preserving meats through smoking over hot coals to extend their freshness and usability.
Landscaping
Rococo palaces and grand houses contained severalformal and informal gardens, including parterres, vegetable gardens, hedge mazes, fountains, and reflecting ponds.[19] Each of these elements served specific aesthetic and functional purposes within the landscape design.
Vegetable gardens were typically tended by servants and gardeners, producing fresh produce that supplemented food supplies from external sources.
Hedge mazes offered both entertainment and aesthetic appeal, with some designed with a single entrance and exit leading to a central cul-de-sac.[22] This central feature often included small statues or fountains and provided a secluded spot for more private encounters, such as dates.[23]
Among the decorative elements in these gardens, the campana vase was particularly notable. This large stone vase, with a narrow base and a wide, cylindrical body, drew inspiration from ancient Roman vases and jugs traditionally used in wine production in classical antiquity.[24]
References
- ^ "The Rococo style – an introduction · V&A". Victoria and Albert Museum.
- ^ "The Rise of Pastel in the Eighteenth Century". The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- ^ "The Exuberant and Ornate Style of Rococo: An Exploration of 18th-Century Art and Design". www.madridacademyofart.com. December 22, 2021.
- ^ Pinna, Geovanni (2001). “Introduction to Historic House Museums” Museum International.
- ^ Chateau de Versailles (2023). “Preventative Conservation in Historic Houses and Palace Museums: Assessment Methodologies and Applications”
- ^ "Andrea Palladio | I quattro libri dell'architettura di Andrea Palladio . . . | Venice: Domenico de'Franceschi, 1570". The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- JSTOR 428280– via JSTOR.
- ^ "Neo-classicism and the French Revolution". Oxford Art Online.
- JSTOR 27696292– via JSTOR.
- ^ "Grotesque heads or mascarons from Pont-Neuf, small arm, upstream side | Musée Carnavalet - Histoire de Paris". www.carnavalet.paris.fr.
- ^ "Trompe l'oeil".
- ^ "Chinoiserie – an introduction · V&A". Victoria and Albert Museum.
- ^ Art, Authors: Department of Islamic. "Geometric Patterns in Islamic Art | Essay | The Metropolitan Museum of Art | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History". The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.
- ^ "Rococo Decorative Arts of the Mid-1700s". www.nga.gov.
- ^ "Jeremias Wachsmuth | Design for a Ceiling Decoration, Plate 4 from 'Unterschiedliche neu inventierte Deken oder Plafond'". The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- ^ "Inside the Baroque palace · V&A". Victoria and Albert Museum.
- ^ "The Garden and Coach House of 524 Keizersgracht in Amsterdam, Hendrik Keun, 1772". Rijksmuseum.
- ^ "History of the Royal Mews". www.rct.uk.
- ^ "Painswick Rococo Garden, Gloucestershire". March 6, 2021.
- ^ "Parterre gardens". English Heritage.
- ^ "Parterre - History of Early American Landscape Design". heald.nga.gov.
- ^ "The Maze | Hampton Court Palace | Historic Royal Palaces".
- ISBN 9781690139263– via Google Books.
- ^ Chappell, Troy Dawson (2016). “An English Pottery Heritage” Northern Ceramic Society.