Escutcheon, from "Recueil Nouveau de Differens Cartouche"
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-160
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This print, titled "Escutcheon," belongs to Jacques de Lajo’s “Recueil Nouveau Differens Cartouche,” around 1732. French artist (1687–1761 produced this work amid a flourishing period of decorative design in early 18th-century, when ornate motifs were highly prized. As a print, the piece enabled the wide sharing of artistic ideas among designers, artisans, and patrons. An escutcheon refers to a shield-shaped form often used for coats of arms or inscriptions, typically set within a cartouche—an elaborate, scrolling frame that brought elegance to architecture, furniture, and other objects. Suc...