Roccoco interiors

Rococo was a period mainly in art and design during the reign of Louis XV between 1723 and 1764. It was the style which evolved from Baroque, despite of this that among both styles was a Regency period when Philippe Charles of Orléans, Duke of Orléans was taking control under the Government on behalf of few years old king of France. The bloom of ‘new’ style succeeded after moving the court from Versailles to Paris. Change of authority was a beginning of cultural and social alteration in 18th century France.

Time of rule of new king was a time of domination of wealthy citizens, French billionaires, bankers, rich aristocracy and furthermore powerful women as Madame de Pompadour, Maria Teresa or Catherina II. Thus, ‘new’ style moved from huge, pompous and heavy ornaments of Baroque interiors to smaller, intimate town houses. Different from rigid, ordered Versailles life was a new lifestyle characterized by gay life, frivolous and romantic behaviours. Scientific and technical development of contemporary Europe put great impact in maturity and conscience of modern people including trendsetters of the ‘new’ style. So therefore how ‘new’ ornamentation style of fashionable, French aristocracy and upper classes, which spread across the Europe in just several years, first named as rococo on the beginning 19th Century in England as conveyed French word rocaille means rock-work looked like?

First features of rococo interiors were asymmetry and pastel colours. Asymmetry in rococo kept elements in unbalanced order of contrast, which was more naturalistic and more spectacular as well. Rococo rooms had often oval outline and were lower than baroque interiors. Mandatory were pastels, light colours, soft pink, bright green and blue. Sweet tones, increased by gilded or silvered elements give almost erotic aura. Ceilings were still painted in fresco but in smaller scale where pictures were cartouched or painted in white or sky reflected manner, with advanced, balanced stucco - work. The walls were also organised in different, arguably more restrain order, despite ornamental language coinciding at the same places. The walls and the doors were often, simple panelled and carved wood (boiserie), by masters such as Jacques Verbeckt, with typical for rococo decorative elements. Favoured by rococo designers, for example, Juste Aurele Meissonnier, Germain Boffrand, Nicolas Pineau or Francois de Cuvilles, were using rocaille motifs received from icicles, shells or rockwork. Scallop shell was a part of central point of frame decorations.

Rococo plasterwork included flourish and organic forms, S and C – shapes, curves, weaving lines, flower garlands, natural elements as animals, leaves or scrolls were abstractly created. This widely, rich stucco vocabulary was enhanced additionally by exotic, oriental motifs from Near or Far East, especially China called chinoiseries. Despite the vast range of decorative elements, it was used in magnificent and confident way. Wallpapering was sufferable, mainly in chinoiseries motifs and as paper-panelled walls with shades of soft grey, pale blue and grey, rose and pale grey. Very important parts of walls constituted mirrors in large scale as wall panels or framed small objects. Mirrors were creating sensual, saturated romantic love as required by rococo’s aura but also made interiors lighter and restless.

Other essential elements of wall treatments were tapestries. Tapestries were both, wall-treatment and upholstery-work. Commercial development of this market was dominated by French ‘The Beauvais’ workshop, which collaborated with as great painters – artists like François Boucher or Jean-Baptiste Oudry. Still common in rococo patterned parquetry were covered by master–woven carpets. The best known carpet designer was Pierre Josse Perrot and the most distinguished came from Aubusson in France, which was the first centre of tapestry since 16th Century, next the carpets began to be knotted in 18th century and from The Savonnerie Manufacture very often designed with Chinese motifs. Obligatory elements of rococo interiors were sources of light such as candlesticks, wall cones and impressive, made from brass for example, opulent gilded with glass elements chandeliers. Furniture in rococo had peculiar meaning. Following main ideas of pleasure and luxury, feelings and intimacy rococo period produced many of new kinds of furniture as Bureau plate, Bureau du Roi, Gueridon table, Duchesse Brisse, canapé, or Bonheur du Jour (ladies table) and developed lots of existed like chairs, commodes, consoles or beds. Most valued were created in Piedmont or Venice but in France were significant cabinetmakers or furniture designers like Jean Francois Oeben or Andrea Brustolon. Rococo furniture was designed for comfort with light scale, chairs and canapés were upholstered seats, backs and arms in Beauvais tapestry for example with cartouched-shaped back, bureaus, consoles or commodes were cabriole legs without stretchers could be veneered with a marquetry with exotic woods, lavished gilded, with ormolu, lacquered or painted with oriental and flourished motifs. Common wood used for furniture was walnut and mahogany because of it strength. S-shaped, dynamic curves and carved furniture were often finished with metal or marble.

There were few more groups of objects which distinguish rococo from previous styles. These were porcelain, glass, small sculptures, clocks and metal-work. Fascination of orient was apparent not only in ornamentation but also exotic objects were exported such as Chinese porcelain, porcelain figures, vases and dishes. In course of time popularity of porcelain caused establishment of many European manufactures as Meissen in Germany, Chelsea Ware in England or Sevres in France. Places for displaying decorative objects were free-standing pedestal for sculptures, porcelain figures, candlesticks or clocks, consoles or tops of chimneypiece which were smaller, more restrain then before and subtle carved in marble. Metal as a material in rococo, in fact fashionable and enough flexible to be formed in appropriate shapes, was used to make advanced stairs balustrade, chimneypieces elements and accessories, lamps, bed and other furniture elements.

Finally, clocks, symbol of technical and scientific revolution at the turn of the 17th and 18th Centuries were essential in each modern rococo interior as free standing – tall cases, wall – hanging, table version or part of furniture, but always richly carved in wood or metal, gilded or ormolu with ritzy looks.