Oh Rococo! A rarely used word, and barely known time period of fanciful art. It is gaudy, flamboyant, and downright outrageous! Stop reading now if you don't know about Rococo and google it--that is the wonderful thing about the internet.
Day two in Moscow--we spent the morning at the United States Embassy being briefed on the political, economic and cultural climate of Russia. In the afternoon (after lunch at My My--pronounced moo moo, and carrying a cow theme--and yes, today I drank kvas) we toured the Kremlin. Fort of ancient Moscow, home to the Czars, modern office of President Putin, it was truly wondrous. Wondrous medieval orthodox cathedrals with glistening gilded two-dimension icons and jewels to rival that of England. It was an afternoon spent absorbing the centuries of Russian history. I love jewels and jewelry and crowns, so I am obsessed with the crown jewels of England--not anymore! The crowns of the czars are encrusted not only with jewels (diamonds, rubys, amber, turquoise), many of them are also rimmed in fur! It simply does not get any more elaborate, ornate and downright fabulous for a girl who loves her bling. I daresay, my love for the Crown Jewels of England have been replaced with the State Jewels in the Armory of the Kremlin.
So where does Rococo fit in to this? Why in the carriages, jewels and silver of Catherine the Great--legendary German princess of Russia. Everything from her wedding dress to her summer carriage was dripping with wealth, and sumptuous luxury. We spent hours touring the Armory of the Kremlin. When I imagine the Russia of old with its summer palaces, fur rimmed crowns and bedazzled eggs, my imagination cannot even conjure up as much wealth as was displayed. I was rapt with attention and smitten with Rococo. Even Tolstoy could not accurately capture what this Russia must have been like.
But all good things must end, and after seeing the extravagance and excess of the czars, the October Revolution was a fitting, almost justifiable response to the lifestyle of the wealthy.
The Revolution erased the old Russia, but the Kremlin and the treasure still exists to remind us of another time. A time when Catherine rode in her Rococo carriage to an evening fete to regale and revel and debauch herself, only to ride in her Rococo carriage to reconvene and recover from the evening. Oh Rococo...what a great time period. (and a great word!)
Day two in Moscow--we spent the morning at the United States Embassy being briefed on the political, economic and cultural climate of Russia. In the afternoon (after lunch at My My--pronounced moo moo, and carrying a cow theme--and yes, today I drank kvas) we toured the Kremlin. Fort of ancient Moscow, home to the Czars, modern office of President Putin, it was truly wondrous. Wondrous medieval orthodox cathedrals with glistening gilded two-dimension icons and jewels to rival that of England. It was an afternoon spent absorbing the centuries of Russian history. I love jewels and jewelry and crowns, so I am obsessed with the crown jewels of England--not anymore! The crowns of the czars are encrusted not only with jewels (diamonds, rubys, amber, turquoise), many of them are also rimmed in fur! It simply does not get any more elaborate, ornate and downright fabulous for a girl who loves her bling. I daresay, my love for the Crown Jewels of England have been replaced with the State Jewels in the Armory of the Kremlin.
So where does Rococo fit in to this? Why in the carriages, jewels and silver of Catherine the Great--legendary German princess of Russia. Everything from her wedding dress to her summer carriage was dripping with wealth, and sumptuous luxury. We spent hours touring the Armory of the Kremlin. When I imagine the Russia of old with its summer palaces, fur rimmed crowns and bedazzled eggs, my imagination cannot even conjure up as much wealth as was displayed. I was rapt with attention and smitten with Rococo. Even Tolstoy could not accurately capture what this Russia must have been like.
But all good things must end, and after seeing the extravagance and excess of the czars, the October Revolution was a fitting, almost justifiable response to the lifestyle of the wealthy.
The Revolution erased the old Russia, but the Kremlin and the treasure still exists to remind us of another time. A time when Catherine rode in her Rococo carriage to an evening fete to regale and revel and debauch herself, only to ride in her Rococo carriage to reconvene and recover from the evening. Oh Rococo...what a great time period. (and a great word!)