18th Century

The 18th century was an extremely important time in the history of art, characterized by significant changes and developments. It was an era of transition in which art moved from the traditional values of the Baroque to the reason and rationality of the Enlightenment.

Rococo was an ornate and playful style that developed in Europe in the early 18th century and was characterized by light forms, pastel colour palettes and ornamentally decorated details. Rococo artists such as Antoine Watteau, François Boucher and Jean-Honoré Fragonard created works that were often inspired by nature, court life and mythological themes. Rococo was a reaction to the severity and austerity of the Baroque and emphasized the joy of life and the freedom of personal development.

Classicism was an artistic movement that developed in the late 18th century and revived the values of antiquity and the Renaissance. Classicist artists such as Jacques-Louis David, Angelica Kauffman and Antonio Canova strove for simplicity, harmony and ideality in their works and turned against the overloaded decadence of the Rococo. Classicism was strongly influenced by the ideals of the Enlightenment and emphasized reason, order and moral education.

Landscape painting flourished in the 18th century, with artists increasingly viewing landscapes as a genre in their own right and not just as a backdrop for historical or religious scenes. Landscape painters such as Thomas Gainsborough, Claude Lorrain and Jacob van Ruisdael created works that emphasized the beauty and diversity of nature and often conveyed a romantic or idyllic mood.

Portrait painting was a popular art form in the 18th century, with artists creating portraits of prominent figures, aristocrats and wealthy citizens. Portrait painters such as Joshua Reynolds, Jean-Baptiste Greuze and Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun often explored the ideals of beauty, virtue and power, creating works that captured the personality and character of their models.

The art of the 18th century was closely linked to the ideals of the Enlightenment, which emphasized reason, tolerance and progress. Artists and art theorists such as Denis Diderot, Johann Joachim Winckelmann and Sir Joshua Reynolds addressed questions of aesthetics, taste and education and contributed to the development of a rational and enlightened theory of art.