Regency Style

Regency Style, in art, a term describing English furniture and decorative arts of the period 1800-30; it is derived from the regency (1811-20) of George Augustus, Prince of Wales (later George IV). It encompasses a number of differing influences—including Greek, Roman, Chinese, and rococo—but in general marks the last phase of the neoclassical style before the advent of Victorian eclectic revivals. Although generally light and elegant, the style represented a move away from 18th-century refinement toward exoticism, greater richness, and exuberance. See Chinoiserie; Neoclassical Art and Architecture.