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Meissen porcelain factory established
The production of porcelain in the royal factory at Meissen, near Dresden, started in 1710 and attracted artists and artisans to establish, arguably, the most famous porcelain manufacturer known throughout the world.
[J.E., Davies Penelope; Hofrichter Frima F.; Jacobs Joseph F.; Simon David L.; Roberts Ann S.. Janson's History of Art (p. 783). Pearson Education. Kindle Edition.] -
Period: to
Rococo Timeline
Sometimes called Late Baroque, Rococo corresponds roughly to the lifetime of Louis XV -
The "Veiled Dame" (Puritas) by Antonio Corradini
Likely an allegory of female virtue, The Veiled Dame is one of Corradini's finest works. His sculptures are characterized by the presence of a veil, through which he was able to make marble appear delicate and almost gossamer. -
Antonio Vivaldi writes Four Seasons concerto
The Four Seasons, group of four violin concerti by Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi, each of which gives a musical expression to a season of the year. Vivaldi's best known work. -
John Gay writes The Beggar’s Opera
The Beggar's Opera is a ballad opera in three acts written in 1728 by John Gay with music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch. The only opera of its kind (satirical ballad opera) to remain popular today.
Available through Project Gutenberg https://www.gutenberg.org/files/25063/25063-h/25063-h.htm
Image: pivotal scene from the opera painted by Hagarth -
◀Theatre Royal in Covent Garden, London opens
The oldest London theater still in use today. -
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Bust of Madame de Pompadour
The portrait was completed in 1751 when Madame de Pompadour was thirty years old. It was probably meant for her residence château de Bellevue, which was finished the same year. She chose the stone for the bust, a hard and brittle marble, with the intention of promoting the use of local French materials.
Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art -
Ballroom ceiling of the Ca Rezzonico in Venice with illusionistic quadratura painting by Giovanni Battista Crosato
Rococo architecture was characterized by its lavishness and attention to detail. It combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colors, sculpted molding, and frescoes which created an illusion of motion and drama. The ballroom of the Ca Rezzonico certainly exhibits all of those characteristics. -
Madame de Pompadour (Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, 1721 - 1764) by Francois Boucher,
This work by Boucher is part of a series of portraits of Madame de Pompadour. The exquisite detail and leisurely setting of the scene embodies Rococo's focus on naturalism and individuality. -
The Swing by Fragonard
Perhaps the most famous image of the Rococo period, Fragonard's "The Swing" is often used to dismiss the period as frivolous, and overly feminine. As we can see from the rest of the timeline, Fragonard's painting is not accurate representation of the entire period of Rococo, merely an example of artists beginning to take more freedom in color, and wanting to portray the here and now. A lust for life and abundance of vitality are characteristic of this period. -
The Meeting (from the Loves of the Shepherds) by Fragonard
The illustrative quality of this painting stands is characterized by bright color, contrast and a softness that was absent before this time period. The attention to light and detail is truly a culmination of the Baroque period, as it happened through Rococo. -
Self-Portrait, Elisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun
While Rococo is often overlooked for its femininity, wrongly equated with whimsy and shallowness, it was during this period that we begin to see the highest number of women painting women, which was a revolutionary act in art. -
Marie-Guillemine Benoist, Portrait of Madeleine
One of the rare portraits of black women in European history, this work has a fascinating backstory. Its reception at the 1800 Salon was mixed at best, with critics' opinion being heavily influenced by racial bias. Madeleine was one of 2 enslaved women Jefferson brought to France with him, where he had to pay a living wage and free, in accordance with French law which prohibited slavery. I recommend this article for anyone interested to know more: https://smarthistory.org/benoist-portrait/ -
Young Woman Drawing
Painted by Marie Joséphine Charlotte du Val d'Ognes, this portrait was once ascribed to Jacques Louis David. Showing a mark of Trompe l'Oeill (fool the eye) in the windowpane and an engaging setting, the portrait was most likely misattributed to David due to oversight of female artists.
(Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art) -
Rosa Bonheur's Horse Fair
Rosa Bonheur was not allowed to study human anatomy because she was a woman. Instead, she needed to be granted special permission from local police to study animal carcasses at a butcher shop. In "Why Have There Been No Great Female Artists", Nochlin points out how periods such as Rococo, femininity is equated with fickleness and whimsy, which is why Rococo is one of the most overlooked movements in art. Here, Bonheur breaks the stereotype of the fragile female artist painting for leisure.
