Tour the European architecture that dreamed of a wondrous, fictitious China

In the 17th and 18th centuries, many European aristocrats were captivated by the luxury goods being imported from China, which they assigned an aura of exotic mystery. Eventually, European artists, architects and designers began taking inspiration from Eastern aesthetics, like the distinctive blue and white colouration and elegant designs of Chinese porcelain. But as so few Europeans had firsthand knowledge of China, what emerged, per this video essay from the YouTube channel Kings and Things, was ‘a European dream of a distant and wondrous place’. This style, which integrated Chinese motifs and European Rococo exuberance, came to be known as Chinoiserie. Taking viewers on a tour through some of Europe’s most notable Chinoiserie structures, most of which served as pleasure palaces for their wealthy builders, the video provides a fascinating look at this moment in European architectural history.