Design for a Pendant Trophy
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-519-15
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Design for a Pendant Trophy by René CharpentierFrench, 1680–1723) offers a glimpse into the ornate world of 18th French decorative arts. Created as a print between 1738 and 1761—likely posthumously, given the artist's death in 1723—this design captures the elegance of a pendant trophy, a suspended ornamental motif often used in jewelry, architecture, or luxury objects. Charpentier, a skilled engraver, specialized in intricate patterns that bridged the late Baroque and emerging Rococo styles, blending symmetry with playful flourishes. As a print, this work served a practical purpose: dissemi...