thehighofliferococo

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François Boucher Madame Bergeret 1766 Oil on canvas 143.5 × 105.4 cm National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

This elegant portrait depicts Madame Bergeret, the wife of a high-ranking official and a noted patron of the arts. Boucher, known for his mastery of Rococo style, paints her in a rich garden setting filled with roses and soft fabrics, adding to the curves and pastel palette typical of the era. The painting is yet another idealized vision of aristocratic grace and leisure.

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Etienne-Maurice Falconet Menacing Cupid 1757 Marble 47.5 x 68.5 x 63.5 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

With a finger raised to his lips and a deceptive smirk, this playful Cupid reaches for his arrows in a secretive manner. Falconet’s Menacing Cupid became a very well-known sculpture of the Rococo period, combining classical idealism with playful passion. This piece displays elegance and the intimate, flirtatious spirit of 18th-century French art.

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Jean-Honoré Fragonard The See-Saw 1750-52 Oil on canvas 120 x 94.5 cm Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid

The See-Saw captures the same spirit of playful flirtation and leisure as that of Fragonard's more famous piece, The Swing. Placed in a shaded garden, a girl teeters on a see-saw surrounded by admiring companions. From the feathery brushwork, delicate color palette, and whimsical mood, the painting symbolizes the Rococo style for its celebration of life, romance, and aristocratic amusement.

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Jean-Honoré Fragonard Blind-Man’s Buff 1750-52 Oil on canvas 116.8 × 91.4 cm Collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

A lively game becomes flirtatious in this playful Rococo scene by Fragonard. Elegantly dressed young people engage in blind man’s buff, a popular parlor game of the time, which reflects leisure and love. The soft brushwork and glowing light introduce both fantasy and intimacy.

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William Hogarth Marriage A-la-Mode: 4, The Toilette 1743 Oil on canvas 69.9 x 90.8 cm The National Gallery, London

In this fourth scene of Hogarth’s satirical series Marriage A-la-Mode, the countess entertains guests in her luxurious dressing room while her husband is seemingly absent. The painting is a harsh commentary on the moral and social decay of the aristocracy. Hogarth’s series combines storytelling with perceptive social observation, arguing the consequences of marrying for status rather than passion.

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Jacques Verberckt Boiserie from the Hôtel de Varengeville, Paris 1736–52, with later additions, 2007 re-installation Carved, painted, and gilded oak 5.58 x 7.07 x 12.36 m Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

This stunning boiserie (wood paneling) once decorated a salon in the Hôtel de Varengeville, a great Parisian townhouse located on the rue de l’Université. Designed in the Rococo style, the panels feature asymmetrical scrolls, floral garlands, and playful motifs typical of the period.

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Benedetto Luti Study of a Boy in a Blue Jacket 1717 Pastel and chalk on blue laid paper, laid down on paste paper 40.6 x 33 cm Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

This study by Benedetto Luti captures a young boy in profile, drawn in blue chalk with delicate highlights to create a cold glow. Famous in Rome for his refined pastel and chalk drawings, Luti often used them as preparatory studies, potentially independent artworks. The softer blue communicates both youth and inner life, while the positioning showcases his mastery of light, texture, and character.

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Benedetto Luti Study of a Girl in Red 1717 Pastel and chalk on blue laid paper, laid down on paste paper 41.9 x 34 cm Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

This study by Benedetto Luti captures a young girl in profile, drawn in red chalk with delicate highlights to create a warm glow. Famous in Rome for his refined pastel and chalk drawings, Luti often used them as preparatory studies, potentially independent artworks. The vibrant red communicates both warmth and vibrancy, while the positioning showcases his mastery of light, texture, and character.

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Jean Claude Richard, Abbé de Saint-Non The Two Sisters 1770 Pastel on paper, laid down on canvas 80.3 x 63.5 cm Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

The Two Sisters is a tender scene that reflects the artist’s interest in capturing everyday moments with grace. By using the tonal effects of aquatint, a quiet, intimate atmosphere emerges, revealing the gentle connection between the figures.

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Giovanni Battista Tiepolo The Marriage of Frederick Barbarossa 1752 Fresco Kaisersaal, Residenz, Würzburg

This painting commemorates the union of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I (known as Barbarossa) and Beatrice of Burgundy in 1156. Tiepolo, a master of 18th-century Venetian painting, draws attention to the event with theatrical flair and beaming color, then displaying imperial power and holy sanction.

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Balthasar Neumann, Frescoes by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, 1751–52 1719–44 Marble and Stucco Kaisersaal, Residenz, Würzburg

This tremendous collaboration between architect Balthasar Neumann and painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo symbolizes the height of the Baroque in Europe. Tiepolo’s ceiling frescoes are intended to celebrate imperial power, divine order, and global harmony using metaphorical figures and mythological scenes.

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Sebastiano Ricci Triumph of the Marine Venus 1713 Oil on canvas 160 × 210.8 cm J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California

In this Baroque fantasy, the goddess Venus rises from the sea, surrounded by nymphs, tritons, and cupids. Sebastiano Ricci draws on classical mythology and Venetian colorism to mark divine beauty and sensuality. Likely painted for a grand interior, the piece reflects theatricality and elegance, making Ricci a desired painter across Italy and Europe.

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Egid Quirin Asam The Assumption of the Virgin 1717–23 Marble and Stucco Altar of the Benedictine abbey at Rohr, Germany

German Baroque sculpture, this altarpiece displays the Virgin Mary rising to heaven through divine light and clouds. Known for his theatrical and vibrant church interiors, Asam uses stucco and gilding to remove the boundary between sculpture, architecture, and illusion to inspire awe and devotion.

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Jean-Siméon Chardin Soap Bubbles 1733 Oil on canvas 93 × 74.6 cm The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. 

In this quiet scene, a young boy blows a delicate soap bubble, capturing a brief moment in a realistic manner. While embedded in simplicity, the painting holds a deeper meaning referring to the fleetingness of youth and pleasure, a common 18th-century art metaphor.

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Jean-Antoine Watteau Mezzetin 1718-20 Oil on canvas 55.3 × 43.2 cm Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Munsey Fund, 1934

Watteau presents Mezzetin, a humorous character from the Italian commedia dell’arte, in a moment of vulnerability, lost in unrequited love. Detailed with intricate brushwork and soft colors, Watteau transforms theatrical performance into a passionate scene of emotion and longing.

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Clodion (Claude Michel) The Intoxication of Wine 1780-90 Terra cotta 58.4 x 42.9 x 28.6 cm Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Clodion, known for his Rococo style, uses terracotta to display a sense of liveliness and fun. The scene celebrates the enjoyment of wine while hinting at the mess that can follow excessive indulgence.

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Jean-Étienne Liotard Still-Life: Tea Set 1781–83 Oil on canvas mounted on board 37.8 × 51.6 cm The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Liotard raises the standard act of tea drinking with his still life into a study of grace and modest luxury. Created with incredible accuracy, each porcelain cup, silver utensil, and glass surface reflects his experience in portraiture and fascination with light.