Chinoiserie Ornaments
ca. 1760–85
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 11 13/16 × 7 7/8 in. (30 × 20 cm) Plate: 11 7/16 × 7 3/8 in. (29 × 18.8 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1921
Accession Number
21.91.250
Tags
Art Historical Context
Jean Pillement’s *Chinoiserie Ornaments*, created around 1760–85, captures the playful European fascination with imagined Asian landscapes during the height of the Rococo era. As an etching on paper, the work belongs to a category of ornamental prints designed for practical use by craftsmen, decorators, and manufacturers. These sheets often served as models for textiles, wallpapers, ceramics, and furniture, allowing the delicate, exotic motifs to circulate widely across Europe. Pillement, a French artist celebrated for his lighthearted chinoiserie designs, populates the scene with fanciful pa...