painting
Portrait of a Woman with a Dog, ca. 1769
Jean- Honoré Fragonard This painting shows an obviously rich woman adorned in pearls and a lavish, colorful gown, holding a dog decorated with a long, flowing ribbon. This highlights the sheer frivolity of the Rococo art style, and an undeniable contrast between the squalid conditions of the lower class leading up to the French Revolution.
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Mezzetin, ca. 1718–20
Jean- Antoine Watteau The painting Mezzetin showcases the lightness of the upper class and the people who served them. The man pictured, probably an entertainer, is seen with a dreamy expression. His headpiece, outfit, and guitar depict a person who is well- off and can afford some luxury.
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Sculpture
Seated Cupid, ca. 1757
Étienne- Maurice Falconet Seated Cupid displays the theme of a lighthearted love within the Rococo period. Cupid is seated atop a flowery bed, in a playful position. The artist had chosen porcelain as the work's medium, a lighter material than marble or another form of rock, remaining aligned with the airy and free feeling of Rococo art.
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Rococo art as a whole gave everyone a view of the upper class's excessive lifestyle and was a motivating factor to the French Revolution. The overall art of the Rococo period was a stark contrast to the life of the peasants. It showed what the lower class's hard- earned tax money was going towards, and the peasants were opposed to being the financial pedestal to the lavish life of the rich, while they lived in poverty.