Ornamental Vase Design
1761-1762
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-501-14
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This print, titled Ornamental Vase Design, was created by the French artist L.N. Percenet in 1761–1762. As a work classified as a print, it reflects the 18th-century European tradition of producing reproducible images that could be shared among designers, craftsmen, and patrons. Such prints played an important role in spreading decorative ideas far beyond a single workshop. In mid-18th-century France, ornamental vase motifs were popular elements of the decorative arts. They served as models for ceramics, metalwork, furniture, and garden features, capturing the era’s taste for elegant, elabora...