Le rococo, une construction historiographique : introduction

Carl Magnusson

Published online:

30 Dec 2017

Share

Abstract

Abstract

In Rococo historiography, the first half of the eighteenth century is generally described as the golden age par excellence of decoration. The so-called major arts are often considered to have played a lesser role in its artistic development. The period is thus systematically associated with artefacts produced by artisans, hence belonging to a less dignified category in the artistic hierarchy. In order to investigate the ideological background of this assumption, the article focuses on the debates on art which emerged, mainly in France, in the 1740s. These highly biased discourses, targeting the so-called bad taste of contemporary French painting and interior decoration, shaped a vision of the first half of the eighteenth century of which many aspects were later inherited by Rococo historiography, especially in its relation to decoration.

Other Articles in this Issue:

Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte Issues

Volume 86 (2023)
Issue 1 (March 2023)
Volume 85 (2022)
Issue 4 (December 2022)
Issue 3 (September 2022)
Issue 2 (June 2022)
Issue 1 (March 2022)
Volume 84 (2021)
Issue 4 (December 2021)
Issue 3 (September 2021)
Issue 2 (June 2021)
Issue 1 (March 2021)
Volume 83 (2020)
Issue 4 (December 2020)
Issue 3 (September 2020)
Issue 2 (July 2020)
Issue 1 (April 2020)
Volume 82 (2019)
Issue 4 (December 2019)
Issue 3 (October 2019)
Issue 2 (June 2019)
Issue 1 (April 2019)
Volume 81 (2018)
Issue 4 (December 2018)
Issue 3 (September 2018)
Issue 2 (July 2018)
Issue 1 (April 2018)
Volume 80 (2017)
Issue 4 (December 2017)
Issue 3 (September 2017)
Issue 2 (July 2017)
Issue 1 (April 2017)
Volume 79 (2016)
Issue 4 (December 2016)
Issue 3 (September 2016)
Issue 2 (July 2016)
Issue 1 (April 2016)

Get instant, unlimited access to this journal

Related titles

Would you like to receive monthly information about new publications and events?

DKV
EUR
English

Deutscher Kunstverlag

Lützowstraße 33

10785 Berlin

+49 (0)30 / 27 90 76 - 0

Neumarkter Straße 28

81673 München