Design for a Printed Border
ca. 1790
Medium
ornament
Classification
ornament
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt
Accession Number
1909-13-133
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Step into the refined world of late 18th-century decorative arts with *Design for a Printed Border a delicate ornament pattern created around 1790 by an unknown artist. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection this piece was generously gifted by Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt, highlighting its place among treasured examples of early American design. As a blueprint for printed borders, it likely served as a template for adorning textiles, wallpapers, or book edges, capturing the era's growing fascination with repeatable, elegant motifs. In the 1790s, printed ornaments like this one...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...