Marked by the Renaissance and Baroque, this era revived classical ideals while celebrating humanism, proportion, realism, and dramatic expression.

Rococo

c. 1700–1775

Rococo is decorative, playful, and elegant. It features light colors, curved forms, and intimate scenes. The style reflects aristocratic leisure. It contrasts with the seriousness of later Neoclassicism.

The Swing

Jean Honore Fragonard

1767

A playful Rococo painting of a young woman on a swing, symbolizing love and pleasure.

Young Woman with a Macaw

Giambattista Tiepolo

c. 1760

A Venetian Rococo painting of a richly dressed woman with an exotic bird.

Interior of Claydon House

Luke Lightfoot

c. 1750s–1760s

A Rococo interior with ornate wood carving, rich in decorative detail.

Queluz National Palace

Mateus Vicente de Oliveira

1747–1794

A Rococo palace in Portugal, richly decorated with pastel colors and gardens.

Shepher Piping to a Shepherdess

Francois Boucher

c. 1740

A pastoral Rococo scene of flirtation, painted with soft colors and playful charm.

Pilgrimage Church of Wies

Dominikus and Johann Baptist Zimmermann

1745–1754

A Rococo church in Bavaria with light-filled, ornate stucco and fresco decoration.

Salon de la Princesse

Germain Boffrand

1732–1739

An ornate Rococo salon in Paris with gilded decoration, mirrors, and flowing curves.

Pilgrimage to Cythera

Jean Antoine Watteau

1717

A Rococo painting showing elegant figures departing from the mythical island of love.