American Rococo 1750-1775 - Elegance in Ornament

The rococo style was among the primary artistic contributions of the eighteenth century. Its manifestations throughout Europe have been comprehensively acknowledged and chronicled, but its influence in America, where it was probably the century's crowning design achievement (commonly referred to as the Chippendale style), had never been thoroughly examined. It was a lavish taste that found surprisingly fertile ground in the colonies, where affluent members of society, rejoicing in their hard-won prosperity, strove to adopt London fashions. The exhibition, "American Rococo, 1750–1775: Elegance in Ornament" was organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the latter's motivations emanating from the desire to bring an exhibition of American Chippendale furniture to a city where such objects have always been in short supply.

The book includes chapters on European origins and the American manifestations of the rococo, a brief discussion of firearms, and architecture, and medium-based explorations of objects made of paper, silver, wood, iron, glass, and ceramic.

The Robert Lehman Collection Vol 11 Glass

Among the exquisite pieces of glass in Robert Lehman's collection are many that exhibit the consummate skill of Venetian glassmakers and explain why Venetian glass was so coveted in Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The factories in northern Europe that produced glass a la façon de Venise are represented as well. Robert Lehman also acquired perhaps the richest American collection of eighteenth-century lampworked glass figurines, which are usually attributed to Nevers, France. Smaller groups of reverse-painted panels and ancient Roman and early Islamic glass round out the 136 objects catalogued in this volume.

This is the sixth to be published in a projected series of fifteen volumes that will catalogue the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Entre las exquisitas piezas de vidrio de la colección de Robert Lehman hay muchas que exhiben la habilidad consumada de los fabricantes de vidrio venecianos y explican por qué el vidrio veneciano fue tan codiciado en Europa en los siglos XVI y XVII. También están representadas las fábricas en el norte de Europa que produjeron vidrio a la façon de Venise. Robert Lehman también adquirió quizás la colección estadounidense más rica de estatuillas de vidrio del siglo XVIII que se atribuyen a Nevers, Francia. Grupos más pequeños de paneles pintados al revés y vidrio romano antiguo e islámico temprano completan los 136 objetos catalogados en este volumen.

Este es el sexto que se publicará en una serie proyectada de quince volúmenes que catalogará la Colección Robert Lehman en el Museo Metropolitano de Arte.

Art Glass Nouveau • Ray & Lee Grover