According to Henry a. Millon, the sparkling gaiety of this style "was cultivated by a new age associated with the regency that followed upon the death of Louis XIV and then with the reign of Louis XV," meaning that these two French kings and their opulent lifestyles highly influenced the art that came about during the beginning and middle years of the 18th century in Europe (156). Essentially, the Rococo is an interior style or, in other words, pertains mostly to the decoration of objects designed for the interior of palaces and royal residencies. As compared to the art of the Baroque Era, that of the Rococo style is far removed from religious and national influences. Architecturally, one of the best examples of the Rococo style can be found in the Rococo room of the Salon de la Princesse at the Hotel de Soubise in Paris, decorated by Germain Boffrand between 1737 and 1740.

In addition, this Rococo room was designed for many social...

The highly-elaborate gilded moldings, the vivacious relief sculptures and brightly-colored ornamental flowers and garlands "best symbolizes the taste and social initiatives of the women who lived among the spaciousness and opulence of the royal household," such as Madame de Pompadour in France, Maria Theresa in Austria and Catherine the Great in Russia (Millon, 187).
In conclusion, it is clear that the nature and meaning of art created during the Baroque Era and that associated with the Rococo style were greatly influenced by the political, social and at times economic power of the Church during the Baroque and the great kings of Europe during the heydays of the Rococo style.

Bibliography

Millon, Henry a. Baroque and Rococo Architecture and Art. New York: Doubleday, 1975.

Tapie, Victor L. The Age of Grandeur: Baroque Art and Architecture. New York: Phadeon…