Rococo emerged in Paris around 1720 as a reaction against the heavy formality of Louis XIV's court. Where Baroque had demanded obedience through scale and severity, Rococo proposed pleasure, wit, and a deliberate lightness of touch. The movement took its name from rocaille, the shell-and-pebble ornamentation found in French garden grottoes. Its subjects l…
Works of Rococo are held in 187 museums worldwide, including National Gallery of Art, Museo del Prado, and Louvre.
Key artists
Work by these painters is spread across the museums listed below.
🇦🇷 Argentina
1 museum
Also in ArgentinaNational Museum of Fine Arts, Argentina (9)
🇦🇹 Austria
2 museums
Also in AustriaFührermuseum (30)Albertina (10)
🇧🇪 Belgium
1 museum
Also in BelgiumRoyal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (24)
🇫🇷 France
3 museums
Also in FranceLouvre (139)Museum of Fine Arts of Rennes (73)Musée des Beaux-Arts d'Angers (16)
🇩🇪 Germany
5 museums
Also in GermanyMunich Central Collecting Point (88)Gemäldegalerie Berlin (76)Bavarian State Painting Collections (29)Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (12)Hermann Göring Collection (12)
🇮🇪 Ireland
1 museum
Also in IrelandNational Gallery of Ireland (23)
🇮🇹 Italy
1 museum
Also in ItalyGallerie dell'Accademia (22)
🇳🇱 Netherlands
1 museum
Also in NetherlandsMuseum Boijmans Van Beuningen (128)
🇵🇱 Poland
1 museum
Also in PolandNational Museum in Warsaw (27)
🇷🇺 Russia
1 museum
Also in RussiaHermitage Museum (55)
🇪🇸 Spain
4 museums
Also in SpainMuseo del Prado (194)Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum (22)Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando (15)Saragossa Museum (12)
🇸🇪 Sweden
2 museums
Also in SwedenNationalmuseum (104)National Portrait Gallery of Sweden (11)
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
17 museums
Also in United KingdomNational Gallery (125)Royal Collection (98)National Trust (51)Tate (35)Gainsborough's House (33)Victoria and Albert Museum (29)Fitzwilliam Museum (23)Wallace Collection (22)Courtauld Gallery (21)Dulwich Picture Gallery (19)Colchester and Ipswich Museums Service (17)National Galleries Scotland (15)National Portrait Gallery (14)Kenwood House (12)Manchester Art Gallery (11)Birmingham Museums Trust (11)Waddesdon Manor (9)
🇺🇸 United States
10 museums
Also in United StatesNational Gallery of Art (1176)Metropolitan Museum of Art (113)Yale Center for British Art (45)Philadelphia Museum of Art (31)Museum of Fine Arts Boston (29)Art Institute of Chicago (25)Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (15)Detroit Institute of Arts (14)Cincinnati Art Museum (12)The Frick Collection (11)
137 more museums hold Rococo works with smaller collections, not listed here.
Can't travel? Bring Rococo home.
Browse Rococo Prints →Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I see Rococo paintings?
Rococo works are held in 187 museums worldwide, including National Gallery of Art, Museo del Prado, and Louvre.How many museums have Rococo artworks?
187 museums worldwide hold works by Rococo artists.Which is the best museum for Rococo?
National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. holds the largest Rococo collection with 1176 works.