Chinoiserie Ornament
ca. 1760–85
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 5 5/16 × 6 3/8 in. (13.5 × 16.3 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1921
Accession Number
21.91.243
Tags
Art Historical Context
Jean Pillement’s *Chinoiserie Ornament* captures the playful spirit of eighteenth-century European fascination imagined Asian worlds. Created as an etching around 1760–85, this small print belongs to a broader category of ornamental designs intended for use in decorative arts, from wallpapers and textiles to furniture and architectural details. Pillement, a French artist celebrated for his lighthearted chinoiserie scenes, specialized in translating exotic motifs into elegant, repeatable patterns that suited the Rococo taste for whimsy and asymmetry. The etching technique allowed Pillement’s i...