Design for a mantelpiece
Medium
Drawing
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1911-28-116
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Jean Berain the Elder (0–1711), a premier French ornamental designer and engraver, created this *Design for a Mantelpiece around 1700, at the height of Louis XIV's op reign. As the official designer to the French royal court, Berain specialized in intricate decorative motifs that adorned Versailles and the homes of the nobility. This drawing exemplifies his signature "Berainesque" style—elegant, symmetrical arabesques blending foliage, mythological figures, and architectural elements—bridging the grandeur of Baroque with emerging Rococo lightness. Rendered as a preparatory drawing, likely in ...