The eighteenth century in Europe was a period of experimentation and dramatic transformation in the political, social, scientific, philosophical, and artistic realms. This course considers the complex relationship between space, specifically interior space, and culture. Rather than proceeding stylistically, from Rococo to Neoclassical (though these categories remain important), the class will move thematically, considering such topics as gender, space, and the construction of identity; the body and material culture, particularly the development of new furniture forms; space and sensory experience; sociability as a force in the design of interiors and domestic objects; health and hygiene; the intersection of the marginal and the elite. The persona of the designer and development of the integrated interior are foundational themes for the course. Topics of special design interest include chinoiserie, the role of ruins, and rooms for display– whether works of fine art, porcelain, lacquer, or mirrors. We will discuss major centers such as Paris, London, and Rome, but we will also consider the diffusion to and cross-pollination of design ideas with Eastern Europe, particularly Russia and Poland, as well as Spain, Portugal, and Latin America, and critically important – China, Japan, and the Ottoman Empire. Students will be able to take advantage of the rich collection of prints and drawings owned by the Cooper Hewitt, as well as the Eighteenth-Century European galleries and period rooms at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.