Renaissance trend in which grows the interest for the detail and for the curvilinear manufacturing of metals. The production of this period enhances ornamental motifs which are more and more lively. New elements appear such as: volutes, curls, putti, wreaths and cupids.

The Louis XV Style can be defined as the most substantial expression of the Rococò. On vegetal, zoomorphic or anthropomorphic frameworks are inserted capricious motifs, such as: palmettes, pearls, shells, rosettes, ovals, spirals, little flowers and leaves carved in wood, or melt in gold bronze or even modelled in porcelain or in polychrome ceramics.

In reaction to the previous style, now the functionality prevails on the aesthetics, the regularity on the asymmetries, the corrected linearity on wrapped sinuosities. The non-geometrical elements, allowed in the composition, contain the vegetal, animal and mythological motif, such as griffons, lions, sphinxs, but always in a stylized form.

A new style which is more and more oriented to underline the magnificence of the Napoleonic triumph. The decorative motifs, such as sphinxs, temples, swans, winged victories and laurel wreaths reduced in the dimensions and in the thickness, acquire sober and linear decorative values, completely losing the noble symbolic recall.

Beyond the luxury and the pomposity of a Louis XVI style comeback, the Second Empire style introduces, in the France of second half of the 19th century, the innovative experiences in economic and industrial field of the Victorian England. The large scale and low cost production of the industrial processes open the market to lower classes.

The British Empire at its climax collects and mixes the styles coming from Europe and the East by maintaining anyway a completely British simplicity and balance. Rococò influence, particulars inspired to nature and gothic rigorous lines can be found.

Generated by a sense of rebellion and redemption towards the industrialization, Art Nouveau looks for the comeback of high-quality craftsmanship. The tendency of lines reduction, ductility, plasticity, the preference towards a curvilinear trend and the concave-convex alternation, become essential. In Italy the style is popular with the local name “ Floral”.

A modern classicism that tends to simplify the shapes using clearer and more determined geometries. The taste remains aristocratic and sometimes recalls little decorative elements of the past. The composition is equilibrated and elegant, the patterns are barely sketched and schematic.

The geometry animates and gives a shape to the stylistic elements of this trend, that in opposition to the Art Nouveau motifs, rectifies and breaks the continuous fluent line and emphasizes the colour tones which are no more subtle and pastel colours, but full and bright tonalities. Among the symbolic motifs we can find the “step-shaped model”, a sort of progressive and specular stepped structure.

The use of different materials, conformation variety, aesthetical attention, coming from the steady union between “the knowledge” and “ the know-how”, create a cultured and refined design, economically accessible and qualitative excellent. It reinterprets the values of the mediterranean classicism: good design, proportion and harmony, giving the design irony, beauty, invention.

The large scale retail trade is given to birth, a new well-being concept is discovered. Some arts reach an undisputed stylistic excellence. The Italian Design is nowadays one of the most famous and recognized on world scale and marks the beginning of the contemporary style. The ergonomics is applied to the objects of the daily life.

POP Colours on Rococò Style: Louis XV meets Andy Warhol for dinner with Enrico Cassina.