Design for a Salon Wall
1790
Medium
drawing
Classification
drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1911-28-423
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Design for a Salon Wall *Unknown artist, 1790, drawing* *Smithsonian American Art Museum* intriguing drawing from 1790 captures a visionary design for a salon wall, likely intended for an elegant parlor or drawing room in an early American home. Created just over a decade after the Revolutionary War, it reflects the Federal period's growing fascination with refined domestic interiors. As the new nation embraced neoclassical tastes inspired by Europe, such designs emphasized symmetry, decorative panels, and harmonious arrangements—possibly for framing paintings, mirrors, or architectura...
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...