Vase de plomb bronzé, dans le Bosquet du Bal à Versailles
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-475-14
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This print by Marie Michelle Blondel captures a bronzed lead vase situated in the Bosquet du Bal, one of the elegant outdoor groves at the Palace of Versailles. Created between 1744 and 1756, the work offers a glimpse into the refined decorative arts that adorned the French royal gardens during the reign of Louis XV. As a print, it belongs to a tradition of reproductive imagery that allowed artists to document and share the splendor of courtly spaces with a wider audience. Blondel, a French artist active in the mid-eighteenth century, worked at a time when Versailles remained a powerful symbo...