Design for a Box-Lid
17th century
Medium
Black chalk with graphite
Dimensions
3 3/16 x 3 3/16 in. (8.1 x 8.1 cm.)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Fletcher Fund, 1944
Accession Number
44.54.54
Tags
Art Historical Context
Hubert François Gravelot'sDesign for a Box-L* is a charming preparatory drawing from the 17th, showcasing the artist's skill in creating intricate motifs for decorative objects. Measuring just 3 3/16 x 3 3/16 inches, this petite work was likely intended as a blueprint for an ornate box lid—perhaps for jewelry, snuff, or cosmetics—reflecting the era's fascination with luxurious, portable accessories among the elite. Executed in black chalk heightened with graphite, the piece employs a delicate technique that allows for soft shading, precise lines, and luminous highlights. These materials were ...
About the Artist
Hubert François Gravelot
Hubert-François Bourguignon, known as Gravelot (1699–1773), was a leading French Rococo engraver, illustrator, and designer whose elegant draftsmanship bridged the artistic worlds of France and England. Born in Paris to a tailor, he adopted his pseudonym from a godfather and grew up alongside his elder brother, the geographer Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville. After neglecting studies at the Col...