Arabesque Ornament Designs
1749â61
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-422-9
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Claude Gillot (1673–1722), a pioneering French artist and engraver, created *Arabesque Ornament Designs a set of intricate prints posthumously published between 1749 and 1761. Though Gillot passed away decades earlier, his innovative designs were revived during the height of the Rococo era reflecting the period's fascination with elegant, flowing ornamentation. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Print Department, this work was acquired through the Advisory Council's purchase, underscoring its value in American collections. Arabesques, with their swirling vines, foliage, and fanta...