> Which art movement from the 18th century was considered light and airy, withornate and curvy designs?And the answer: Rococo.Photo credit: artincontext [https://artincontext.org/famous-rococo-paintings/].Originating in Paris in the 1730s, Rococo was an exceptionally ornamental styleof art and architecture. It featured asymmetry, scrolling curves, and white andpastel colors.Deriving from the French word rocaille, meaning “rock and shell gardenornamentation," the Rococo art movement was known for its exaggerated beauty andfluid design. The movement began in Paris, after the French King Louis XIVdemanded more youthful art be produced under his reign. In many ways, Rococogrew out of the Baroque style (and is even sometimes referred to as LateBaroque). While Baroque artists moved away from convention and symmetry, theRococo style took hold. Rococo pieces are characterized by excess, ornamentation, and bright colors.Artists of this time period focused on detail and even amusement in theirpieces, moving away from the dramatic Baroque characterizations. Among theartists who emerged in this movement, Jean Antoine Watteau is perhaps the mostimpactful. Known as the father of Rococo art, Watteau painted innovative,asymmetrical works of idyllic scenes. His imagery came to be known as its owngenre: fêtes galantes. Although he died at a young age, Watteau's lucid, fluidwork is said to have revived the Baroque movement, invented the Rococo movement,and planted the seed for successive art movements such as Impressionism.Rococo was also prevalent in architecture and decoration. French furniture ofthe period displayed curving forms, naturalistic shell and floral ornament, anda more elaborate, playful use of gilt-bronze and porcelain ornamentation. Inarchitecture, walls, ceilings, and moldings were decorated with delicateinter-lacings of curves based on “C” and “S” shapes, as well as with shell formsand other natural shapes. Light pastels, ivory white, and gold were thepredominant colors, and Rococo decorators frequently used mirrors to enhance thesense of open space.Learn more about the Rococo art movement here[https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-was-the-rococo-art-movement.html].