In common with Baroque, Rococo was principally an architectural and decorative style that found lesser expression in art; nevertheless, it produced some important painters and has widespread influence although the style never really caught on in England, Italy or Spain where it was considered too frivolous, but for that very reason it found favour in southern Germany and Austria. Rococo was primarily a French movement, coming from the word "rocaille" meaning rock-work. It is dated as lasting from the death of Louis XIV in 1715, hit its apogee in 1730, continued until around 1740 when it fell victim to its very fashionability and became replaced by the more cerebral and restrained Neo-Classicism.
