Defines and depicts the arts and architecture of the rococo period in France and examines its relation to society.
The term noblesse oblige has never been so well defined as in Scott’s in-depth examination of the rococo period, the first half of the eighteenth century. That 1 percent of France’s 26 million citizens could have such an influence not only on decoration and the arts but also on conduct in society is documented in detail and in both black-and-white and color photographs. This scholarly and thoughtful (and occasionally pedantic) exploration investigates all parts of design, architecture, and thought: the manufacture of goods, such as wallpaper and carved woodwork; the artisans’ practice in guilds and abbeys; the signs of status; the influence of the king through the Palace of Versailles; and the rise of yet another privileged class and reactions against rococo. More a social than an aesthetic exploration, this will find a place among expansive historical and design collections. Barbara Jacobs
