Pair of overdoor panels
Unknown Artist
ca. 1783
Medium
Plaster
Dimensions
Overall (each): 25 1/2 × 50 1/4 in. (64.8 × 127.6 cm)
Classification
Sculpture-Architectural
Culture
French, Montfermeil
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Benjamin Moore, in memory of her mother, the Hon. Mrs. Alfred Anson, 1956
Accession Number
56.202.1, .2
Tags
Art Historical Context
These elegant pair of overdoor panels crafted around 1783 in Montfermeil, France, exemplify the refined decorative arts of late 18th-century Europe. Positioned above doorways in grand interiors, such architectural sculptures added a touch of opulence to salons and châteaux during the Louis XVI era, just before the French Revolution. Hailing from Montfermeil—a town Paris noted for its artisanal traditions—these panels feature intricate motifs of flowers and leaves, the era's love for natural abundance in ornamentation. Fashioned from plaster, a versatile medium prized for its moldability and l...