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Cranes, Peach Tree, and Chinese Roses
Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk. Created in the early 18th century during the Qing dynasty of China. The artist is attributed as Shen Nanpin. Filled with traditional longevity symbols which evoke an image of tranquil life in paradise. Shen specialized in bird-and-flower painting, and had many students in both China, and later, Japan. His realistic, colored images and three-dimensional trees and rocks would go on to inspire Asian art centuries after his death. -
The Arabian Nights' Entertainments
Literature. The first English translation of the Arabic manuscript was based on a translation of the French author Antoine Galland's translation. Despite the fact that the translation of the work went uncontested for over a century, no one knows who the translator was. The use of this title as opposed to A Thousand and One Nights started the tradition of naming all translations variants this, even those who claimed to be completely original. It is popularly known as the Grub Street translation. -
The Embarkation for Cythera
Oil on canvas. More popularly known as Pilgrimage to Cythera, this piece is a hallmark of the Rococo style. It was painted by Jean-Antoine Watteau as his reception piece to the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. The topic of the work has been much debated as, despite the title, the subjects appear to be leaving, as opposed to arriving on the island. Watteau himself was purposefully silent on the discrepancy, leading art historians to develop a variety of theories. -
The Works of Johann Sebastian Bach
Bach was a German composer and is known for his instrumental compositions during the Baroque period. Considered on of the greatest composers of all time, Bach was renowned as an organist and enriched the established German styles of music with his mastery of counterpoint and adaption of rhythms from abroad. In his own time, Bach's reputation rivaled that of Telemann and Handel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLj_gMBqHX8 -
Salon de la Princesse
Ceiling of the salon of the Hotel de Soubise between 1735-40. Rococo, or "late baroque," was an incredibly decorative style and was the final expression of the baroque movement. The style began under the reign of King Louis the XV as a reaction to the more formal and geometric style of his father. This style pushed illusion and theatricality to the max, and heavily featured cherubs and floral motifs. The style is most known for its dense decoration, fluid curves, and use of asymmetry. -
Boat Carved from an Olive Stone
Olive pit. Crafted by Chen Zuzhang, the entirety of this work is carved from the pit of a single olive. The piece is only 0.55 by 1.34 inches wide by 0.63 inches tall. Eight prominent figures can be seen riding within, including the Song dynasty poet Su Tung-po, who sits beside two movable window panels. The full text of Su’s Latter Ode on the Red Cliff can be found on the bottom of the sculpture, of which the work is depicting a scene of. -
Neptune Calming the Waves
Marble. Sculpted by Lambert-Sigisbert Adam, Neptune Calming the Waves is a classic example of the Rococo style. The work exemplifies Rococo through Adam’s mastery of human anatomy and smooth flowing lines. Its theme was quite familiar to Adam as he spent ten years in Italy under the influence of Gian Lorenzo Bernini and drew inspiration from his work Neptune and Triton when creating this piece. This sculpture was Adam’s induction piece into the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. -
Veduta di Piazza Navona sopra le rovine del Circo Agonale
Print on paper. A part of his series featuring the views of Rome, Giovanni Battista Piranesi's View of Piazza Navona Above the Ruins of the Circus of Domitian, showcases the style of the fantastical architectural prints that would make him famous. Considering himself more of an architect than an artist, Piranesi's etchings demonstrate an impressive ability to manipulate perspective and utilize architectural elements for dramatic effect. -
La Pudicizia
Marble. La Pudicizia, better known as “Modesty,” displays Venetian sculptor Antonio Corradini’s mastery of the flowing forms of the Rococo style. The “veil” that drapes over the figure was created with extraordinary skill and give the illusion of being sheer fabric. Commissioned for Naple’s Cappella Sansevero, this work manages to make solid rock appear as gossamer fabric, clinging to a feminine form to extenuate her curves. -
Archimèdes
Marble. Sculpted by Frenchmen Simon-Louis Boquet, this artwork was Boquet’s reception piece for the French Royal Academy highlights the Rococo style through use of flowing natural forms. While the sculpture itself is an excellent representation of the male human body, this piece combines the emphasis on anatomical correctness favored by the baroque style with the graceful curves of the Rococo period. -
Modern Rome
Oil on canvas. Fully titled Picture Gallery with Views of Modern Rome, artist Giovanni Paolo Panini showcases an arrangement of paintings originally commissioned by the then Count of Stainville, after his time spent as ambassador to Rome. The paintings seen within the work showcase some of Rome's greatest structures, including the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, the Piazza Navona and the Medici lion. -
the Trevi Fountain
The Trevi Fountain as recognized today is attributed to architect Nicola Salvi. This fountain was Salvi’s first major architectural commission, is Rome’s largest Baroque fountain and is one of the most famous fountains the world over. Salvi uses the gigantism and theatrical elements of the Baroque style to full effect, featuring multiple larger-than-life figures. The central focus of the fountain is a commanding depiction of the god Oceanus as he exerts his rule over the water. -
Young Woman Riding a Phoenix
Color woodblock print; chuban yoko-e. Suzuki Harunobu was a woodblock print artist during the Edo period in Japan. He is most noted for being the first to produce full-color prints through the creation of his own invention, which rendered previous two- and three- color print modes obsolete. Suzuki had no defined subject matter, as he addressed topics from modern beauties, to erotic scenes, to the sage image depicted here. -
Two Girls Dressing a Kitten by Candlelight
Oil on Canvas. Painted somewhere between 1768-70, it is one of a series of candlelit studies painted by Joseph Wright of Derby. The piece is most notable for its use of chiaroscuro, the contrast of light and dark, of which Wright was a master. It also highlight's his attention to detail, particularly for the girl's dresses, their doll, and the bonnet on the kitten. -
Young Girl Reading
Oil on canvas. Vanguard of the Rococo movement French master Jean-Honoré Fragonard, this work focused on his preference for light colors, asymmetrical designs, and natural, curved forms. The style began during the reign of Louis XV, as the upper class experienced a new social and intellectual freedom, which lead to their focus on play and pleasure, as emphasized by the works of this movement. -
Watson and the Shark
Oil on canvas. Based on real events, this painting by American artist John Singleton Copley depicts the the rescue of Brook Watson from a shark attack in Havana, Cuba. The image is heavily romanticized, as it features little blood, and takes obvious inspiration from such works as Laocoön and his Sons, the Borghese Gladiator, Benjamin West's The Death of General Wolfe, as well as the growth of popularity of romantic paintings in general. -
The Blue Boy
Oil on canvas. This popular Rococo era portrait was actually the artist Thomas Gainsborough's response to criticism of his work made by his rival, Sir Joshua Reynolds, who believed Gainsborough to be limited in scope when it came to the use of the color blue. The subject is thought to be the son of a famous hardware merchant, but this has never been proven.It remained in the painter's possession until he filed bankruptcy in 1796. -
Mercury
Marble. French neo-classical sculptor Augustine Pajou was devoted to the Greco-Roman art style which was fostered by his youthful studies in Rome at the academy Francis. Pajou participated in the official art world of the royal and aristocratic patrons. Antique images and themes sustained him, but his personal interpretation and style were always evident. Despite the popular subject matter, Pajou's depiction is one of the most popular for the Roman god. -
The Nightmare
Oil on canvas. Painted by Henry Fuseli during the height of the Enlightenment, this work stands diametrically opposed to the work of Wright, using the play of shadow and color to showcase the futility of light in penetrating the darker realms of the unconscious, as opposed to the enlightening power of rationality. The work became an icon of Romanticism, defined the image of Gothic horror, and would go on to inspire Mary Shelley and Edgar Allen Poe. -
Oath of the Horatii
One of the best-known paintings in the Neoclassical style, this work by Jacques-Louis David depicts a Roman legend about the dispute between Rome and Alba Longa. It popularized the use of the Roman salute and lead to David being able to take on his own students. This paragon of neoclassical art won David the Prix de Rome and featured the styles most common troupes, namely Greek or Roman men armored with swords in togas, reflective of their ancient inspiration. -
The Reverend Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch
Oil on canvas. Better known by its shorter title, The Skating Minister, this painting is attributed to Henry Raeburn. The work was virtually unknown until the mid-1900s but has since become one of the best-known paintings of Scotland. Having been produced during one of the most remarkable periods of Scottish history, the Scottish Enlightenment, it has since become an icon of the culture.
