Cartouche Crowned by Mercury
1743-1763
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-231-26
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Cartouche Crowned by** Pierre Edme Babel (French, 1720–1775) Step into the elegant world of 18th French decorative arts with *Cartouche Crowned by*, a captivating print created by Pierre Edme Babel between1743 and 1763. This work, now housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Smithsonian Collection, was thoughtfully purchased by the Museum's Advisory Council. As a print, it represents a key medium of the era, enabling artists to reproduce intricate designs with precision for use in architecture, maps, books, and furnishings—disseminating ornamental motifs far beyond their origin. ...