Ceiling Design
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-372-23
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Ceiling Design** by Charles Normand (French, 1765–1840) is a captivating print from 1787–95, now housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection. Purchased for the museum by the Advisory Council, this work exemplifies the meticulous craft of late 18th-century French printmaking. Normand, active during a transformative era in France—spanning the opulence of the Ancien Régime and the early years of the Revolution—created designs that bridged artistic innovation with practical application. As a print medium, *Ceiling Design* likely served as a blueprint for grand interiors, allowing...