Varieties of Leaf Ornament, nos. CCCCLV–CCCCLIX, plate 68 from "Designs for Various Ornaments"
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Plate: 17 15/16 × 11 5/16 in. (45.5 × 28.8 cm) Sheet: 21 1/4 × 14 15/16 in. (54 × 37.9 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Herbert Mitchell, 2008
Accession Number
2018.839.48
Art Historical Context
In the early 19th century, as Neoclassicism swept through Europe, designers and architects eagerly sought authentic antique motifs to revive classical grandeur in modern interiors and furnishings. This etching, *Varieties of Leaf Or, nos. CCCCLV–CCCCLIX*, 68 from Michelangelo Pergolesi's *Designs for Various Or* (1801), exemplifies that trend. Pergolesi, an Italian engraver working in London, meticulously reproduced foliate patterns inspired by ancient Roman and Greek architecture, offering five intricate variations of acanthus leaves and scrolling vines—hallmarks of classical ornamentation. ...
About the Artist
Dulouchamp|Michelangelo Pergolesi (British|Italian) · 1750 |1760 –1850 |1801
British, active ca. 1801|Italian, active from 1760–died 1801