How did Rococo painting differ from Baroque painting in France?

In France, the transition from the Baroque style to Rococo marked a shift from the monumental and formal to the intimate and lighthearted. While Baroque art, exemplified by the reign of Louis XIV, was designed to express power, luxury, and grandeur, Rococo emerged as a reaction against this "ponderous" design.12

Key differences in French painting include:

• Tone and Subject Matter: Baroque painting often focused on heroic, formal, or religious themes intended to inspire awe. In contrast, Rococo painting favored easygoing, lighthearted treatments of courtship, mythological scenes, and pastoral life.13
• Style and Technique: Rococo is defined by its lightness, elegance, and delicate brushwork, utilizing a relatively light tonal key and sensuous coloring. While Baroque art maintained a classical sense of symmetry, Rococo introduced asymmetry and an exuberant use of curving, natural forms.132
• Function: Rococo paintings were often created on a smaller, more intimate scale, frequently serving as a form of "two-dimensional furniture" designed to integrate seamlessly into the smaller, more private rooms of 18th-century residences.43

The shift is best illustrated by the evolution from the formal, swaggering portraits of the late 17th century to the graceful, wistful fêtes galantes of Antoine Watteau.43