Design for Ceiling Ornament
Classification
Bound print
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-282-73
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
François de Cuvilliés the (1695–1768), a Belgian-born architect and designer who thrived in Germany, was a master of the exuberant Rococo style. Active in the courts of Bavaria, he created intricate designs for palaces and interiors, blending French elegance with playful asymmetry. This *Design for Ceiling Ornament an 18th-century bound print the Smithsonian American Art Museum collection, exemplifies his talent for lavish decorative schemes. As a bound print—likely from a pattern book intended for architects and craftsmen—the artwork served a practical purpose in disseminating sophisticated ...