Design for a Cartouche Evoking War
Classification
ornament
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-326-14
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Jacques de Lajoüe (1687–1761), a prominent French Rococo artist, created *Design for a Cartoucheoking War* in 0. As a master of decorative design, Lajoüe specialized in ornate motifs for architecture, furniture, and, blending elegance with intricate details. A cartouche is a scrolled, oval-shaped ornamental frame often used to enclose inscriptions, coats of arms, or emblems on buildings, maps, and silverwork. This piece, classified as an ornament, exemplifies Rococo era's love for elaborate, asymmetrical decoration, where playful curves and flourishes conveyed themes like triumph or martial gl...