Architecture that Changed Europe: Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassical Styles

The love of extravagance, frivolity, and simplicity prevails even today in various outlets across the world. Baroque, rococo, and neoclassical styles changed European society, and, in effect, changed American society too. Across Europe the transition from absolutism to enlightenment, and from enligtenment to neoclassical, molded not only the architecture but also the artwork and philosophy of the age.

The spirit of baroque ecompassed a love of extravagance, exaggeration, and detailing - all of which were used to produce both exuberance and grandeur in the architecture of the seventeenth century. In Spain, Italy, and France, kings sponsored colossal projects and colonial expansions to demonstate their absolute power. In baroque Spain, the Escorial Palace bridged the gap between Renaissance and baroque styles. The entire scheme borrowed from Michelangelo's design for St. Peter's in Rome. In Spain's American colonies, the Spanish baroque style symbolized Christian Europe's dominance over the natives and their pagain religions. In Mexico City, for example, the Cathedral of Mexico was built directly on top of the site of the sacred Aztec Temple of the Sun. The Palace of Versailles, built under the reign of Louis XIV, is a prime example of French baroque architecture. It was balanced and slightly restrained in its design, yet simultaneously extravagant in its scale and decoration. The unified design of the palace and grounds physically expressed Louis XIV's desire for absolute control over the nation and nature.

Following the baroque era, the dominant artistic style was called the rococo. It emerged from France in the eighteenth century, first in the decorative arts and interior design. In contrast to the heavier themes and darker colors of the baroque, the rococo style was characterized by grace, frivolity, playfulness, and lightness. Rococo still, however, maintained the baroque taste for complex forms and intricate patterns. It was often reflected in Parisian hotels, but could also be found in palaces (such as Versailles) and churches. In Germany, France's architectural influence was profound. Architect Balthasar Neumann designed the pilgrimage Church of the Vierzehnheiligen (the Fourteen Saints), a prime example of this influence. Sculpted stucco, interesecting ovals, and light, whimsical ceiling paint soften the lines of the vaulting and draw the pilgrim toward the ornate oval altar.

The neoclassical movement began in the mid-eighteenth century, partly as a reaction against the decadent ornamentation of the rococo style. Intellectually, neoclassicism was symbolic of an idealistic desire to return to the perceived purity of the arts of ancient Greece and Rome. The Petit Trianon in Versailles, France, is a prime example of neoclassical taste and cultivation. The architect, Ange-Jaques Gabriel, avoided repeating the grandeur of the main palace and instead aspired for balance and simplicity. Meanwhile, in England, the popularity of Palladio's Four Books of Architecture prevailed. American architect (and later American president) Thomas Jefferson was also an accomplished builder. To Jefferson, the neoclassical style represented European cultivation and enlightenment. His country estate, Monticello, is often compared to Palladio's Villa Rotonda in the elegance of its decorative details.

Baroque and the love of extravagant and monumental beauty characterized the seventeenth century in Europe. Following the spirit of Enlightenment, the eighteenth century's dominant artistic style was the Rococo. In the mid-eighteenth century, Neoclassicism emerged as a renewed desire for the austere simplicity of ancient Greece and Rome. Each of these styles vastly contributed to European, and even American, societies.