Arabesque Ornament Designs
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-421-5
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Claude Gillot, a pioneering French artist (1673–1722) influential teacher to Antoine Watteau created these *Arabesque Ornament Designs* as intricate patterns blending floral motifs, fantastical creatures, and scrolling vines. Published posthumously between 1749 and 1761, this print reflects the enduring popularity of Gillot's decorative work, which bridged Baroque exuberance and the emerging Rococo style.esques, with their rhythmic, interlacing forms inspired by Islamic art and Renaissance grotesques, were staples in 18th-century European interiors, furniture, and book illustrations, symbolizi...