Rococo Architecture Guide: 7 Characteristics of Rococo Style

Rococo, also referred to as Late Baroque, is an exuberant and theatrical design style. Rococo architectural design often refers to buildings constructed in eighteenth-century France, but the aesthetic also influenced music, art, furniture, and even cutlery. Rococo was the style du jour for a relatively brief time compared to other aesthetic movements.

The height of the Rococo style was in the mid-1700s, when Jean-Honoré Fragonard (The Swing, 1767) and Francois Boucher (Portrait of Madame de Pompadour, 1759), two of art history’s most famous Rococo painters, created many iconic works that came to define the era. By the end of that century, Rococo art was already deemed out of vogue in France. Nonetheless, the scrolling curves, colorful palettes, and gentle asymmetry of Rococo architecture spread widely throughout Europe and beyond.

The term “rococo” was initially used as an amusing variation of the French word “rocaille,” which involved using little rocks and seashells as adornment in decorative arts and grottoes, popular since the Renaissance.

• Origin in Paris: Rococo originated in Paris in the 1730s as a response to the Style Louis XIV, the geometric aesthetic popularized by Louis XIV that echoed many classical influences. Rococo was much more playful and even ostentatious. Rococo is ornamental and full of gilded objects, such as chairs, desks, and chests.
• Broad influence: Germain Boffrand, who designed the mansion Hôtel de Soubise, emerged as one of France’s preeminent Rococo architects. The flashy appeal of Rococo acted as a signifier of taste and wealth and extended to other parts of Europe, including Bavaria, Austria, and metropolitan cities including Rome, Italy; Saint Petersburg, Russia; and Munich, Germany.
• Salon decor: Rococo started in a more secular style in homes, where Rococo-inspired flourishes were used to decorate entertaining salons. The ornamentation of Rococo then extended to more spiritual buildings, heavily influencing churches built during this period in Portugal and South America.
• Decline: Toward the end of the eighteenth century, Late Baroque style architecture was less in demand. French luminaries, such as architect Jacques-François Blondel and writer Voltaire, began admonishing the frivolity of the Rococo and Baroque art styles.
• Lavish legacy: Neoclassicism emerged in opposition to Rococo—Neoclassical styles are all about symmetrical columns, buildings, and pieces. By the nineteenth century, Rococo had fallen out of favor, though its legacy endures: more modern structures like the Woolworth Building and Grand Central Station in New York City both exemplify the lavishness that defined Rococo.

Many playful features define the aesthetic of Rococo architecture:

1. 1. Curves: Rococo has a frilly style replete with serpentine curves, spirals, and undulations, which was a reprieve from the straight lines of French classicism.
2. 2. A sense of awe: Within salons, estates, churches, and other grand dwellings, Rococo interiors surprise and delight. A grand staircase could become a centerpiece of a room, and a ceiling painting adorned with cherubs could make for a conversation starter for guests.
3. 3. Stucco: Stucco was a common material used in the Rococo style. Stucco could be molded to a shape and design to awe the viewer.
4. 4. Pastels: The brightness of pastel colors was another key element of Rococo design. This palette would consist of a few powdery hues, including cream tones, pearl greys, light yellows, lilacs, and pale blues.
5. 5. Asymmetry: Rococo featured asymmetrical flourishes on everything from trimming to marquetry inlays for furniture pieces (like chinoiserie and mirrors). Asymmetrical designs might incorporate the shapes of shells or acanthus leaves.
6. 6. Nature: Elements of wildlife—flora and fauna—were frequently seen throughout Rococo paintings and pieces. Birds, flowers, and fruit often feature in Rococo designs.
7. 7. Trompe l'oeil: French for “deceive the eye,” trompe l'oeil was a standard artistic device employed in Rococo works. Trompe l'oeil gave perspective to fine art, suggesting depth in two-dimensional paintings or creating the illusion of motion in static artworks.

Eighteenth-century French Rococo was lighthearted and highly prolific, popping up in much of Europe except England. Some of the best examples of the Rococo architectural style include:

1. 1. The Amalienburg: Built as a hunting lodge in Munich’s Nymphenburg Palace Park, the Amalienburg is perhaps one of the best examples of German rococo. The building was designed by architect François de Cuvilliés and constructed in the 1730s, and the ornate interior design features gilded curves that trace grand rooms’ walls and ceilings.
2. 2. Ca’ Rezzonico: The ceiling of this Italian palace exemplifies the aesthetics of the Rococo period. The ceiling frescoes, featuring theatrical tableaux and trompe l'oeil are typical of Rococo art.
3. 3. Palace of Versailles: Many parts of Versailles demonstrate Rococo, including the dramatic statues at the garden’s fountains and the rich decorations in its salons. Other royal buildings, such as the Branicki Palace in Poland and the Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg also evoke Rococo style.

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