Blog 2: German Rococo

Image:

Pipe Organ, (Photograph), (2007) Retreived 30/03/20012 from http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-712864714

This image is a useful reference as it provides a visual example of the detail and extravagance craftsmen put into their work at the time. This image shows the pipe organ in the Pilgrimage Church of Weis (German: Wieskirche) and is a perfect example of the flowing, feminine shell and plant forms used in this movement. 

Website:

 
Scribd.com,(2011), The Baroque era, Retreived from http://www.scribd.com/doc/53055167/49/German-Rococo-Architecture-Interior-Design-and-Decoration

This website is an extremely useful resource because it gives a complete and comprehensive overview  of the entire Baroque movement, not just the German Rococo part. However the section on German Rococo is quite large and does go into a lot of detail, such as influential artists and certain motifs of the movement itself.

Journal:

Grill, K., Soultanian, J. & Wilmering M.(1990) The Conservation of the Seehof Furniture, Metropolitan Museum Journal, vol. 25, pp. 175-183

This journal article gives a specific overview of the Rococo elements of a certain object, an armed chair, and this is what makes it such a good resource. It shows how the movement influenced this one object and thus we can understand how it would have influenced other objects that were similar in any way. 

Book:

Kontje, T.C., (2004),  German Orientalisms, Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press

This book focusses on the Oriental influences on the German Rococo era, Specifically Chinese and Japanese influences as they were the cultures that had the most influence on the movement as a whole. It goes into detail of the porcelain from China and how it changed the shaping of pottery, and into the way Japanese culture introduced a “breath of fresh air” when the country opened its boarders to trade.

Edited Book:

Blunt, A., (1978) Baroque & Rococo architecture & decoration, London: Elek

This book provides a great reference because it draws upon many different resources such as journal articles and other books to provide a very detailed overview of the Baroque, and in turn also Rococo movements. It provides different views and opinion, providing a source that doesn’t necessarily side on either side of the fence, both critiquing and praising the movement.