Age of the Rococo, The: From Divine Right to Equality (1964)

[Music] this Carriage takes us back into history and we're going to visit Europe its way of life in the 18th century we're at velai a vast set of palaces near Paris it became famous as the French Royal Court of Louis the 14th who was called the Sun King here is the Sun King surrounded by his typical throng of admiring subjects Louie was the king who proclaimed his Divine rights Lea seoa I am the state his power was Supreme and the whole nation subordinated to his will Louis secret was his genius for Showmanship the aristocrats gathered around his throne like puppets worshiping the star performer of this drama but they were the privileged classes the cast system made it Unthinkable for them to work and well they lived from the labor of their surfs and the masses they were allowed to catch a glimpse from the distance gazing through the [Music] gates incredibly enough they took great pride in the Splendor of these palaces for which they were highly [Music] taxed this was the great cultural period of the Baroque and belai and its creator were envied admired and imitated by friend and enemy States alike we are seeing Interiors from palaces in Germany and Austria which illustrate the basic rules of the Baroque Style Beauty Harmony balance and rhythm [Music] the Baroque lasted until 1715 when Louis the 14th died a reaction set in and a new spirit was born the Roco people now wanted to be casual and gay and enjoy the pleasures of festive companionship in place of the pump and Grandeur of the Baroque rokoko substituted the ideals of Grace charm and gay they soon influenced all classes the roko spread from the nobility to the common people and from country to [Music] Country the word roko comes from roai which in French means shell and the Twisted curves of the shell are a typical form of its ornamentation what were the characteristics of this new style the Roco became elegant and refined where the Baroque had been heavy and Monumental we now have soft pastel Shades instead of vivid colors we have a wealth of intricate designs instead of one great dramatic effect and asymmetrical curves replace fa the central Motif social life moved from the spacious State rooms to the small intimate salons Rococo's greatest contributions were in the art of interior decoration and the salons created an atmosphere where people employed their Best Manners everything contributed to the gracious Art of Living our modern ideal for harmonious Furnishings is our heritage from the 18th century vat the great French painter and mozard a musical Genius of highest rank are the masters of the roko both have given us the essence of this culture vau who is often called The Poet of the 18th century portrays forever the ideal existence using settings which are blended into a landscape of pleasing color harmonies these paintings show Rococo's influence on all classes The Peasants and laborers follow the mode of life of the upper classes and it seems as if they have attained a new air of Elegance with their clothes reflecting in a handsome imitation the lovely circon Fabrics of the Court Mozart's comic operas are only a small part of his musical works his productivity was phenomenal it is in his operas where every year on some stage the Roco comes to life again recreating its spirit in music and play this is no coincidence because comedy and theater were the great Passion of the time and pursued by the people of all classes vat was also fascinated by this make believe world he portrayed the picturesque characters of Italian comedy again and again in colorful [Music] fantasy one of the Kings who was fascinated by the rokoko was Frederick the great of Prussia as a Young Prince Frederick once wrote we entertain ourselves with games and masquerades and we don't let anything spoil our pleasure we play comedy and we play tragedy we have festivals costume balls and music of all sorts and the talk about philosophy is always the greatest source of our happiness this illustrates that the roko was more than an art movement it was a whole way of life why then was there such an emphasis on gayy as often found in history it was the last great Outburst of a doomed [Music] Society a society that loved everything ornate and elaborate as reflected in their appearance minutely embroidered silk brocades for the ladies silen laces embroidered coats and buckled knee Brites for the men and of course the powdered wigs which during different times of the century towered above the head in every conceivable height but in spite of this Carefree way of life the 18th century was also an age of sincere religious devotion the greatest architectural accomplishments in Italy in Spain Germany and Austria were not palaces but churches in the small village churches the roko became familiar to all and in these peaceful surroundings the common people could share the Artistry of the period and so the Roco swept across Europe's Frontiers affecting everything from the church ceilings to the porcelain artworks yes Europe was infatuated with the age-old Chinese product of porin the cups Sorcerers plates and teapots had paintings of great charm drawn from contemporary life and designed by the most famous painters of the day even original Engravings were made on the porcelain itself the figurine became a great fashion indeed this new style of art may be regarded as the sculpture of the Roco typically expressing the taste of this age [Music] the merits of the roko way of life have found many varied interpretations some historians have remained indifferent to this culture While others have been fascinated by it but it is looked upon as a colorful and highly productive era and often described as one of the most civilized periods in history it brought about the modern concept of etiquette and attainment and social manners and many of its works of art have been a source of inspiration unfortunately this period of a seemingly perfect way of life was an illusion it was doomed to fail because of one great shortcoming all of the wealth and social privileges were concentrated in a minority ignoring the fate of the masses the monarchs and upper classes were convinced of the divine right of their position and inevitably this order could not last across the ocean a significant event had taken place a new nation had proudly issued a declaration of Human Rights the bell of Liberty carried its Echo to Europe inspired by the American Declaration of Independence the people were inflamed with the new ideals of Liberty and equality and there came the day when they demanded their rights by force in 1789 the French Revolution brought about the downfall of the old system and our modern world was born