Rococo and Neo-Classical

Two styles became very popular in Europe during the 1700s. One, the Rococo style was characterized by fluidity, asymmetry, and the extremely ornate. This style would come to dominate France during the period and stretch out across Europe and into Russia. Rococo has come to mean "busy" in the modern vernacular and seem a criticism but at the time, this was just what fashionable people wanted. Homes were decked out with intricately scrolled metal works, porcelain figures, frills and laces, and exquisitely designed furniture. The other was the Neoclassical style. This was inspired by ancient art and architecture of Western Culture, such as the Greeks and Romans. Whereas many of the period thought of Neoclassism as the anti-Rococo, they both took inspiration from ancient styles.

Examples of Rococo-style architecture include the Queluz National Palace in Portugal, one of the last Rococo-style buildings to be constructed in Europe....
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