Series of Small Flower Motifs, Plate 3
ca. 1670–85
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Plate: 6 5/8 × 5 1/16 in. (16.9 × 12.9 cm) Sheet: 10 in. × 7 9/16 in. (25.4 × 19.2 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1951
Accession Number
51.540.15(78)
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Created around 1670–85, *Series of Small Flower Motifs, Plate 3* is an elegant etching that captures the refined decorative taste of Louis XIV’s France. Attributed to Paul Androuet Ducerceau, a member the celebrated dynasty of designers and architects, and published by Nicolas Langlois, the print belongs to a larger series intended as ornamental models. Rendered with delicate lines and graceful floral arrangements, it reflects the Baroque era’s love of natural forms stylized for applied design. Etchings like this played a vital role in disseminating patterns across Europe. Craftsmen working in textiles, ceramics, metalwork, and even architectural ornament could copy these motifs directly, helping to spread a unified aesthetic from royal workshops to private homes. The modest plate size—roughly the dimensions of a small book page—made the designs both portable and affordable, turning fine floral imagery into a shared visual language of beauty and elegance. Today the print offers a charming glimpse into how 17th-century artists bridged fine art and everyday decoration, inviting viewers to appreciate the quiet artistry found in even the smallest ornamental details.
About the Artist
Paul Androuet Ducerceau|Nicolas Langlois (French|French) · 1623 |1640 –1710 |1703
French, 1623–1710|French, Paris 1640–1703