Study for Rokoko, 1888

Carl Larsson's Study for Rokoko (1888) is a preparatory work for a decorative painting in Rococo style — connecting the Swedish illustrator and watercolorist with the period revival that made Rococo aesthetics fashionable again in the 1880s. Larsson was primarily known for his watercolor illustrations of his family life at Sundborn, but he also produced decorative works and murals that drew on historical period styles. The Rococo revival connected to the aesthetic movement's appreciation of eighteenth-century French elegance and decorative refinement.

The Rococo study would show Larsson's characteristic elegance and refinement of line — his watercolor technique adapted to capturing the lightness and decorative charm of the Rococo aesthetic. His palette would be the pastel registers of Rococo convention — soft pinks, pale blues, cream — applied with the graceful touch that characterized all his decorative work. The study quality allows a looser, more exploratory handling than a finished work, showing his compositional thinking.