You may remember the
Rococo room I showed you from the
Getty museum last week; also included in the museum's collections is a Regence room.
Called Regence (after the Regency of Louis XV, 1715-1723, as he was too young to immediately take the throne after the death of Louis XIV), the style moves away from the heavy baroque formalism which Louis XIV dictated at Versailles and into the less formal style found in upper class Parisian townhouses.
This was the birth of the French boiserie as we celebrate it today and you can see it here painted white with the crown and overmantel picked out in gilding. I love seeing the baby steps between formal design styles such as this and that they coincide with major political events fascinates my inner geek!
You may remember the Rococo room I showed you from the Getty museum last week; also included in the museum's collections is a Regence room.
Called Regence (after the Regency of Louis XV, 1715-1723, as he was too young to immediately take the throne after the death of Louis XIV), the style moves away from the heavy baroque formalism which Louis XIV dictated at Versailles and into the less formal style found in upper class Parisian townhouses.
This was the birth of the French boiserie as we celebrate it today and you can see it here painted white with the crown and overmantel picked out in gilding. I love seeing the baby steps between formal design styles such as this and that they coincide with major political events fascinates my inner geek!
What a beautiful era - and of course as you say, that's what's so interesting about art history - the intersection of history, politics, fashion etc !!
ReplyDeleteI mean they had to have something other to think about rather than politics - right!
ReplyDeletepve
I agree that the style moved away from heavy baroque formalism and into the less formal style found in wealthy homes. But therein lay its problem. Rococo was thought of as lush, decorative, trivial, frivolous, free of cultural value or religious meaning.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the term Rococo means to art historians now.
Incredible gilding of the plaster. Love this post!
ReplyDeleteWhat a stunning period in design! Thank you for a beautiful post!
ReplyDeleteJamie Herzlinger
Although many curators hate the whole concept of period museum rooms, I must admit I love them, despite their shortcomings.
ReplyDeleteAlthough many curators hate the whole concept of period museum rooms, I must admit I love them, despite their shortcomings.
ReplyDeleteI love that kind of gilding-- have you seen this video which picks it out in light? http://vimeo.com/3114617
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to my favorite - neoclassical (Louis XVI) and Swedish Neoclassical.
ReplyDelete