Rococo Artistic Style 
Rococo was one of the styles of art that gained wide popularity in Europe in the 18th century. It emerged in France in the beginning of the 18th century, and by the end of the same century it was surpassed by the Neoclassic art movement. Unlike the preceding Baroque style, Rococo was “focused on the carefree aristocratic life and on lighthearted romance rather than heroic battles or religious figures” (Wiki, 2006). While Baroque visuals depict much motion, tension, drama, and dark tones, Rococo is more of a fashion of the 18th century, with bright positive lines, and beautiful intricate curves. Although Rococo followed Baroque, these art styles are completely different, except the fact that the word Rococo is a combination of barocco and rocaille (Wiki, 2006). Thus, when artists and people of the Baroque period desired something new and fresh, French artists improvised something they later called Rococo.
The fall of Baroque period began in Versailles, during the reign of Louis XV. Rich Baroque sculptors and architects were into more positive and lighter curves and concepts when they were redesigning the royal palace. Soon this tendency spread throughout France, and the young Rococo movement was gradually becoming more and more popular in the entire country, and then in entire Western Europe. This “light, elaborate and decorative style of art” (ArtCyclopedia, 2005) attracted all kinds of artists. Prominent Rococo artists include such masters as Francois Boucher, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, and Jean-Antoine Watteau. 
By mid-18th century Rococo occupied many different artistic models beside architecture. It was popular in painting, furniture and decorative objects, architecture, sculpture, and even music. The Rococo artistic style was very popular in nearly all Western-European countries including United Kingdom, France, Germany, Bohemia, Austria, Italy, and others. While some regions were still into Baroque, others on the other hand accepted the new lighter and more positive style of Rococo. However, this decorative style of art was replaced by a new art movement called Neoclassicism less than in a century. 
Ultimately, Rococo was a very bright and positive artistic style, which had removed Baroque’s darkness. Rococo can be considered the fall of Baroque period and art style. And it is natural; after so many years of Baroque domination in the entire Europe, artists and connoisseurs of art needed something bright and light, something positive and carefree. Rococo appeared naturally, because it was the very thing artistic people needed at those times.
Bibliography
1.	Rococo Art. (2005). ArtCyclopedia. Retrieved February 4, 2006 from http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/rococo.html
2.	Wikipedia contributors. (2006). Rococo. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 4, 2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rococo