Title page of "A New Book of Chinese Designs"

Art Historical Context

Step into the enchanting world of 18th-century Chinoiserie with title page of *A New Book of Chinese Designs*1754), a collaborative print by naturalist George Edwards, engraver Joseph Champion, and printmaker Matthew Darly. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings Prints department, this Photostat reproduction captures the intricate ornamental motifs that defined European fascination with Chinese aesthetics. Measuring about 11½ × 8½ inches on the sheet, it served as the gateway to a full book of patterns (12 × 9¾ × 1¼ inches), blending exotic flora, pagodas, and figures in a delicate Rococo style. Published amid the height of "Chinoiserie mania" in Britain and Europe, this work reflects the era's craze for imagined Chinese luxury, fueled by expanding trade via the East India Company. Edwards, known for his vivid natural history illustrations, joined Champion and Darly to create accessible design sources for architects, furniture makers, and textile artists. Such pattern books democratized "Oriental" motifs, inspiring everything from wallpaper to porcelain—hallmarks of Georgian interiors. Though a Photostat—a precise early photographic copy—the original etchings highlight masterful line work and symmetry, showcasing printmaking's role in spreading cultural influences. Acquired through the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund in 1931, it reminds us how 18th-century Europeans reinterpreted distant worlds, bridging East and West in decorative arts.