Expansion
Contenido
El Rococó se expandió desde Francia hacia países como Austria, Alemania,[2] donde se convirtió en un estilo mucho más importante que en la nación francesa, puesto que allí también fue empleado en construcciones de carácter religioso,[8] o España, donde ocurrió lo mismo.[9] Otros países donde adquirió especial relevancia fueron Portugal e Italia.
Rococo architecture in Spain
The fire of the Alcázar of Madrid in 1734 led the then King Felipe V to commission a new palace. For its execution, they called the architect Filippo Juvara, who proposed a project inspired by Berninesque and Versailles motifs. The work was done by his disciple. The long construction process allowed the decoration to receive clear influences from French Rococo. Proof of this is the porcelain room of said palace. Other works that are included in this style were carried out in Aranjuez, El Pardo and in some buildings in Madrid such as the Salesas Reales convent.
Another of the most important examples of Rococo architecture in Spain is the palace of the Marquis of Dos Aguas in Valencia. It is a building that around 1740 underwent a series of renovations in which special value was given to ornamentation. The project was developed by Hipólito Rovira, the sculptor Ignacio Vergara and Luis Domingo"), and it is worth highlighting the cover made of alabaster from the Niñerola quarries, the return of the noble staircase and the float of the Nymphs.
The cover has, in the upper part, an image of the Virgin of the Rosary, the work of Francisco Molinelli. Two flows of water descend from it in reference to the owners of the property. On each side of the door, two Atlanteans symbolize two rivers, and these are accompanied by floral and animal motifs.
Within that Spanish rococo style developed among the upper classes of society, light effects are used to create sets and theatrical spaces. Outside of the courtly environment, Spanish Rococo is poor and cannot be compared with the French or German, although some decorative elements of that character, known through prints, can be noted in architects such as Jaime Bort or Narciso Tomé.
Rococo architecture in Portugal
This style spread mainly in the north of the country, in cities such as Porto or Braga. It followed the canons arrived from France, although it acquired a distinctive character that made it recognized as a clearly Portuguese Rococo due to the use of materials, in which a contrast could be seen between the dark granite used there and the white walls.
One of the most important architects was André Soares"), who worked in the Braga region and who produced some of the main examples of Portuguese Rococo such as the sanctuary of Falperra, the Braga City Hall and the Casa do Raio, among others.
In the south of the country, fewer examples of the Rococo style remain, although some examples remain, such as the Queluz Palace, which was designed by Mateus Vicente de Oliveira and which served as the residence of the Portuguese royal family during the reign of Queen Maria I. The interior has paintings, sculptures, mirrors and tiles, all of Rococo character. Another important building is the Basilica of the Star.
Rococo architecture in Germany
The French Rococo, upon breaking into Germany, fused with the Germanic Baroque. He also drank from the ornate baroque and Italian origins. Architects such as Borromini or Guarino Guarini served as a source of inspiration in the face of the change towards spatial complexity, convoluted forms and those textures that German architects took to the extreme, making architectural verticals and horizontals almost completely disappear. This fashion became general and spread, in general, through the small German courts that wanted to imitate the French and frequently resorted to architects of that origin.
It became visible in palaces, such as the Solitude Palace in Stuttgart, the Augustusburg Palace in Brühl or the Falkenlust Palace, also in Brühl; greenhouses and stables, as well as in churches and bell towers alone or in pairs, especially in the south of the country, where on rare occasions they allowed a glimpse from the outside of the splendors they housed. Examples of this are the Basilica of Ottobeuren, in Bavaria, or the Wieskirche (meadow church), designed by Dominikus Zimermann and located near Füssen and Oberammergau, also in the south of Bavaria. It is a building with a discreet exterior, but with an interior where light and color play a leading role. Turbulent and enveloping ornaments are distributed everywhere, making the structure dissolve and transmitting the sensation that the decorative motifs are suspended in space. The religious objective of this type of ornamentation was to provide the pilgrim with a vision of glory. It was the architect François de Cuvilliés who carried out the works most directly related to the French Rococo models, as he did in the decoration of the Nymphenburg Palace.
Another architect of recognized prestige was Johann Balthasar Neumann, who, relying on the models of Guarino Guarini, built structures using then the characteristic decoration of Rococo. Among his most notable projects are the residence of the Elector Bishop of Würzburg and the churches of Neresheim and Vierzehnheiligen.
In Potsdam, Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorf") created the Sanssouci Palace for Frederick the Great, in the image and likeness of the Trianon.
Rococo architecture in Austria and Central Europe
The influence of the baroque developed in Germany was notable in the Central European nations, where an architecture equally loaded with details, playful and fanciful was carried out. The pediments began to acquire curved, countercurved and spiral shapes, and, in plan, the adoption of oval, elliptical-oval and other shapes was common. The placement of large columns that spanned several levels became very popular, and was promoted by the nouveau riche who emerged in the big cities.
It was a style that combined influences from France and the Netherlands. In the case of Vienna, the bankruptcy suffered by the Habsburgs after the conflict with the Ottoman Turkish Empire led them to be forced to request money from bourgeois bankers who would then become prominent personalities. The fragility of the royal family was also transferred to the artistic-architectural style of the high baroque, and soon this was replaced by the Rococo currents from neighboring countries, with which in the extinct Prussia a rococo style architecture known as "Friderizianisches Rokoko"[10] was developed during the reign of Frederick the Great.
Among the most significant Rococo buildings in Austria are the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, or the library of the Benedictine monastery of Admond. Both provided a more refined version of the baroque.
Residential buildings such as the Helblinghaus in Innsbruck were also built. From the point of view of professional activity, the most famous representative of the Rococo promoted by Frederick the Great was Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff, who, in addition to designing the Sanssouci Palace, also carried out interventions in other palaces such as Charlottenburg.
Other examples of Rococo in Central Europe are found in countries such as Romania, Poland or Bohemia, among others. In the latter is the Nové Hrady palace, which, being owned by Count Jean-Antoine de Harbuval Chamaré during the 19th century, underwent a remodeling inspired by French summer residences, acquiring a clear Rococo style. Another example is the Summer Palace in Český Krumlov. In Poland, in the Czapski Palace, Rococo ornamentation also reflects the fascination with oriental architecture.
Rococo architecture in Italy
In Italy, Rococo flourished in Rome and I was deeply influenced by Borromini. The most prominent architects were Francesco De Sanctis "Francesco De Sanctis (architect)") and Filippo Raguzzini. The first undertook the work on the Spanish Steps, while the second did the same in Piazza Sant'Ignazio.
Other architects were influenced by Juvara and Guarini, as was the case of Bernardo Vittone. Among his best-known works are a series of Rococo churches with four-leaf plants and delicate details. Among its designs can be found multiple vaults and structures within structures, such as domes.
One of the most interesting buildings is the Stupinigi Hunting Lodge, designed by Filippo Juvara for Victor Amadeo II. The interior ornamentation was designed by a team of decorators, many of whom came from Venice. It is a building with a plan in the shape of a Saint Andrew's cross, in which four angled wings project from the main room, which has an oval-shaped plan. In this central core there is a large central hall and in the arms there are different apartments and rooms for royalty and guests.