Eighteenth-Century European Art (342-0-1)
Topic
The Rococo
Instructors
Alicia Caticha
Meeting Info
Kresge Centennial Hall 2-331: Tues, Thurs 2:00PM - 3:20PM
Overview of class
Around 1720 a new style of art and architecture emerged amidst the highest echelons of the Parisian aristocratic elite: the Rococo. Characterized by gilt interiors, ornamental curves, and pastel colors, the Rococo infiltrated all forms of art making, from architecture, to painting, sculpture, porcelain, and even fashion. The style was immediately ridiculed for being overtly feminine, frivolous, and excessively luxurious. Associated intimately with the doomed queen of France, Marie Antoinette, the Rococo is often cited as a direct cause of the French Revolution that would take France (and Europe) by storm in 1789.
In this course we will study Rococo art, from its origins in the sixteenth century to its fall from popularity circa 1785. By unpacking both the Rococo's bad reputation and socio-political importance, we will explore how the style was both gendered and racialized. How did Rococo art challenge dominant heteronormative aesthetic practices? How did it establish and fetishize a culture of whiteness in direct opposition to a growing colonial plantation system across the Atlantic? Throughout the quarter we will cover a variety of art forms (painting, sculpture, the decorative arts, and architecture) through the lives of key female patrons—including the infamous Marie Antoinette and lesser-known art historical "influencers" such as Madame de Pompadour and Madame du Barry. Focusing primarily in France, this course will also look at iterations of and reactions to the Rococo in Germany, Italy, and England.
Class Materials (Required)
Course readings will be available on Canvas.
Class Attributes
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area