Berceau de treillage de la Maison de Mr. de Benserade a Arcüeil (Left Plate)

About this artwork

Research in Progress

Art Historical Context

Adam Perelle’s engraving captures the elegant latticework arbor, or “berceau de treillage,” that graced the garden of poet Isaac de Benserade’s country house in Arcueil, just outside Paris. Created between 1677 and 1703, this left-hand plate offers a precise record of seventeenth-century French garden design, where clipped greenery and geometric trellises created outdoor rooms for conversation and contemplation. Perelle belonged to a celebrated family of topographical printmakers whose detailed views helped spread the reputation of French formal gardens across Europe. As a print, the work could be collected, studied, and copied by architects, gardeners, and amateurs alike, making private estates part of a shared visual culture. Its crisp line work and balanced composition reflect the period’s taste for clarity and measured ornament. Acquired by the Smithsonian American Art Museum through its Advisory Council, the sheet remains an important document of how prints preserved the fleeting beauty of gardens long after their original plantings had changed.