Cartouche
probably 1646
Medium
etching
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1944.5.166
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the National Gallery of Art, where we encounter *Cartouche*, a delicate etching by François Collignon the design of Stefano della Bella, likely created around 1646. This print exemplifies the collaborative spirit of 17th-century European printmaking, with Collignon faithfully reproducing della Bella's intricate ornamental motif. A "cartouche" refers to an elegant, scroll-like frame often used in architecture and decorative arts to enclose inscriptions, coats of arms, or emblems—think of it as a Baroque flourish adding grandeur to grand designs. Stefano della Bella, a masterful Ital...