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Political and social change played a significant role in the decline of Rococo art during the Rococo period.
The late 18th century saw significant shifts in cultural attitudes towards art, society, and politics. The Enlightenment, with its emphasis on reason, progress, and individual liberty, challenged traditional hierarchies and social conventions, including those embodied in the Rococo aesthetic.
Rococo art, with its association with the aristocracy and the ancien régime, came under increasing scrutiny as critics and intellectuals questioned the values and institutions of the old order. The opulent lifestyles and extravagant tastes depicted in Rococo paintings were seen as emblematic of a decadent and morally bankrupt elite.
The Enlightenment ideals of democracy, equality, and social justice found expression in the political upheavals of the late 18th century, including the American and French Revolutions. Neoclassical artists, inspired by these ideals, sought to create art that was morally edifying and socially relevant, in contrast to the perceived frivolity of Rococo culture.
The Rococo period was marked by widening economic disparities between the aristocracy and the lower classes. As wealth became increasingly concentrated in the hands of the elite, there was growing resentment towards the ostentatious displays of wealth and privilege depicted in Rococo art, which seemed out of touch with the economic realities faced by the majority of people.
Rococo art came to be seen as symptomatic of broader cultural trends and values that were increasingly questioned and critiqued in the late 18th century. Critics argued that the obsession with luxury, pleasure, and surface ornamentation reflected a society that was out of touch with deeper moral and intellectual concerns, particularly in the face of political and social upheaval.
The decline of Rococo art coincided with a growing desire for social reform and political change. Artists and intellectuals sought to use their art as a means of critiquing existing power structures and advocating for a more just and equitable society, moving away from the aristocratic excesses of the Rococo towards a more democratic and egalitarian vision of culture and society.
Overall, political and social change in the late 18th century contributed to the decline of Rococo art by challenging its values, ideals, and cultural significance. As new artistic movements emerged that were more aligned with the democratic and egalitarian aspirations of the age, the frivolous excesses of the Rococo style fell out of favor, hastening its decline and eventual eclipse by newer artistic movements.