Rococo, less commonly Roccoco, is a Western style of architecture, art, and decoration that emerged in France in the 1730s as a reaction against the Louis XIV style. It is characterized by extensive ornamentation, fluid curves, asymmetry, and a smaller scale designed to foster intimacy. It employs rocaille (shell- and pebble-like motifs) and often blends white and pastel colours with gilding and sculpted moulding, using trompe-l'œil frescoes to create spatial illusion. In the visual arts, prevalent themes are aristocratic leisure and the pastoral, depicted in stage-like settings. It is often regarded as the final expression of the Baroque movement and is sometimes called Late Baroque.