Rococo Ridiculousness

(Click for an enlarged version)

It’s not every day that you go into a lecture filled with dread that you’re going to be bored to death and emerge pleasantly surprised. Tuesday’s lecture on the Rococo had me thinking it would be an hour long discourse on the twirly bits on French furniture. Thankfully, I was dead wrong. Amongst all the awesome architecture and fresco painting, and learning about the feeling and drive behind the Rococo movement itself, there was this:

An altarpiece in the pilgrimage church in Rohr, Bavaria, made between 1717 and 1725 by a guy called Egid Quirin Asam, who  along with his brother Cosmas Damian Asam, made the most awesome stuff in the Rococo period. I mean, look at it. The figures are much bigger than life size and the darn thing is made of marble. Yes it’s ridiculous in how dramatic it is, but it works. The exaggerated poses, the gold on everything, the Madonna casually ascending to heaven, looking like she’s just floating in the air all conspires to make you sit up and take notice.

The moral of the story? Don’t write entire periods of history off because you think it’s boring. Engage, research, really get to know it and your mind will be blown, I guarantee it.