Design for an Urn
19th century
Medium
Pen and brown ink. Framing lines in pen and brown ink.
Dimensions
sheet: 9 1/8 x 6 in. (23.1 x 15.2 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1966
Accession Number
66.631.133
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate "Design for an Urn created by an anonymous French artist in the 19th, offers a glimpse into the elegant world of ornamental design from that era. Rendered on a modest sheet measuring 9 1/8 x 6 inches, the drawing features intricate motifs of garlands and urn—classic symbols of abundance, fertility, and classical antiquity that were revived during France's Romantic and Second Empire periods. Such designs were likely preparatory sketches for luxury objects like ceramics, furniture, or architectural elements, reflecting the era's fascination with Greco-Roman aesthetics amid rapid in...
About the Artist
Anonymous, French, 19th century · 1800–1900
**Anonymous, French, 19th Century (ca. 1800–1900)** The artist cataloged as Anonymous, French, 19th century embodies the enigmatic yet essential contributions of unidentified creators to France's vibrant 19th-century art world. Active roughly between 1800 and 1900, this figure—or potentially collective workshop—produced a diverse array of works amid the nation's transition from Neoclassicism thro...