Week 11: French Renaissance

• Regency Style (1700-1730)
• beginning of economy 
• Transitional from exuberant Baroque to the more delicate Rococo
• Colors and materials were simplified and gold and white were the main colors used
• Seating was used to center rooms
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                                                                  Regency Salon
  
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                                                       Modern Regency Living Room
• Lightness, delicacy and movement
• Sinuously fromed spandrel panes were inbetween mirrored recesses
• Furniture used organic curves and asymmetrical
• Rococo Style (1730- 1760)
• Enjoyed by all classes
• known also French Provincial or Country French
• wood paneling walls, pale colored woods, fireplace with a mirror on top
• Furniture had gold and white, pastel colors, ornately carved wood elements
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• Original vs mordern version of the bergere chair
  
  

  

  Modern Rococo styled bedroom suite
• Neoclassical (1760-1789)
• Revival of Classical architectural orders
• straight lines
• walls were painted to look like marbles
• there were very strict architectural schemes for buildings
• the furniture was more distinctive than architecture 
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• The Petite Trianon
• The curves of the Rococo period were eliminated
• lines and proportions were more slender
• walls were paneled and painted and outer moldings are raised and decorated with classical ornamentation such as egg and dart
• Some Neoclassical examples today are shown below
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    François de Cuvilliés (1695–1768) was a renowned French-born architect and designer, primarily associated with the Baroque and Rococo styles. He moved to Munich in the early 18th century, where he became a key figure in the development of Bavarian Rococo. Cuvilliés is particularly noted for his work as a court architect under the Electors of Bavaria. His innovative approach to interior design and architecture, blending elaborate ornamentation with lightness and grace, had a profound influence on European architecture of the period.
    One of his most celebrated works is the Amalienburg Palace, located in the Nymphenburg Palace Park near Munich. Built between 1734 and 1739, this small, rococo hunting lodge stands out for its exuberant decoration and delicate proportions. The palace is renowned for its intricately designed interiors, particularly the Hall of Mirrors, which features a stunning array of mirrors, stucco work, and frescoes, creating a sense of openness and light. Cuvilliés’s expertise in combining architectural elegance with ornamental finesse is evident in the seamless integration of the palace’s exterior and interior, making it a masterpiece of Rococo design.