Design for a Garden Vase
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-475-12
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Marie Michelle Blondel’s “Design for a Garden Vase,” created between 1744 and 1756, captures the refined elegance of mid-eighteenth-century French decorative arts. As a print, the work served as both an artistic statement and a practical model for craftsmen, allowing ornamental to circulate among workshops and patrons. Blondel, active during the height of the Rococo period, contributed to a flourishing tradition in which artists shaped the visual language of gardens, interiors, and everyday luxury objects. The print reflects the era’s fascination with nature-inspired ornament and graceful asy...