Dictionary
Louis-quinze

Louis Quinze was a phase of French rococo, and a style which became popular under the reign of Louis XV. The Louis Quinze period did not coincide precisely with the King’s reign, beginning in circa 1730 and ending around 1755. Louis Quinze was characterised by lighter and more delicate forms than Regency art, and all forms of were lent a playful serenity. The style is also referred to as Baroque Flamboyant and Style Rocaille, the latter referring to the prevailing ornamental style of the period, Rocaille (shell-like, shell motifs). These adornments were incorporated into interior and furniture design, asymmetrically arranged and completed with Oriental (Turquoise) and Asiatic (Chinoiserie) motifs, and curling lines. A key example of Louis Quinze interior design is the Hôtel de Soubise in Paris, which was decorated by Germain Boffrand (1667-1754). Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne (1704-78) was the main exponent of Louis Quinze sculpture, and his work was characterised by a jaunty sensualism. Edmé Bouchardon (1698-1762) was another master of Louis Quinze sculpture and pioneer of early classicism. François Boucher (1703-70) was the pioneer of Louis Quinze painting. He studied the styles of the old masters, executing reproductions of Watteau etchings. Watteau, along with Jean-Baptiste Pater had a strong influence on the entire Louis Quinze movement. Boucher, whose work also displayed Italian influences, executed sensuous paintings which often had erotic overtones, gallant, shepherd-like subjects, and ornamental decorative patterns. Boucher’s style was highly fashionable during the Louis Quinze period, and produced many followers, the most talented among them being Jean-Honoré Fragonard. Jean-Marc Nattier was the leading portraitist of the era, and executed important history paintings. Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier (c. 1695-1750) was the most important ornamental artist of the period, and his etchings contributed to the spread of rococo throughout the whole of Europe.