Design for a Gate
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-331-109
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Design for a Gate** by Richard de Lalonde, a French artist active from 1780 to 1796, captures the elegance of late 18th-century design in a precise print from 1789. This work, now housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Smithsonian Collection, showcases Lalonde's skill in architectural ornamentation during a transformative era in France—the very year the French Revolution began. Prints like this were vital tools for architects and designers, allowing intricate ideas to be widely shared and replicated across workshops and estates. As a print medium, the piece highlights the technical...