In Disney’s 1991 animated feature Beauty and the Beast, Cogsworth says, while guiding Belle through the castle, “As you can see, the pseudo façade was stripped away to reveal a minimalist Rococo design. Note the unusual inverted vaulted ceilings. This is yet another example of the Neo-Classic Baroque period, and as I always say, if it’s not Baroque, don’t fix it!”
Baroque is a period of artistic style which originated in Rome around 1600, flourished throughout Europe and influenced various art forms, such as architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture and poetry. Within fine arts, Baroque manifested itself in countries such as Italy, Spain, Portugal and France, and subsequently the style was influenced by each country’s unique political and cultural climate at the time. As a whole, the Baroque style was used to create awe with its exaggerated motion, exuberant detail, deep color and grandeur.
Among the most influential monuments of the Early Baroque period was the façade of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome (1606-1619), to which Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) added the quadruple colonnade around St. Peter’s Square (1656-1667). By this stage, the style had reached its peak and was later termed High Baroque.
In France, Louis XIV (1638-1715) invited Bernini to submit a design for the new wing of the Louvre (the east façade) but decided to go for a more classical design by Claude Perrault (1613-1688) and Louis Le Vau (1612-1670). In France, the Baroque style developed into a less ornate and dramatic style. The works are closely related to the buildings ordered at the time by Louis XIV (reign 1643-1715) and, as such, are also known as the Louis XIV style.
In the early 18th century, during the reign of Louis XV, a new artistic style emerged in France: Rococo – mentioned by Cogsworth as well. Often described as the final stage of Baroque style, Rococo was opulent and very theatrical. The style was developed by designers and craftspeople who transformed furniture, silverware and ceramics into excessively ornate works of art characterized by curves, gilding, and white and pastel colors.
Fun Fact: In Beauty and the Beast (Disney, 1991), the Beast has quite an art collection such as “Girl with a Pearl Earring” by Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) and “The Laughing Cavalier” by Frans Hals (1582-1666).
