Medium
Bound print
Classification
Bound print
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-281-74
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This title page by François de Cuvilliés the Elder, a Belgian-born artist active in Germany from 1695 to 1768, dates to 1740–68 and introduces a bound volume of his prints. Bound prints like this one were a vital 18th-century format, compiling an artist’s designs into a portable book that could travel far beyond the workshop or court. Such publications helped spread architectural and ornamental ideas across Europe at a time when printed images were among the most effective ways to share style and technique. Title pages often combined elegant lettering with decorative flourishes, giving viewer...