Design for a Sofa
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-456-41
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Design for a Sofa** by Jean-Charles Delosse (French, 1734–1789) offers a glimpse into 18th-century French decorative arts, captured in this mid-19th-century (dated 1849–66). Delafosse, a prolific designer and engraver, specialized in ornamental patterns for furniture and interiors during the Louis XVI era, blending neoclassical elegance with intricate motifs. Though created after his death, this print reproduces one of his original designs from pattern books that influenced cabinetmakers across Europe, showcasing the era's emphasis on symmetry, graceful curves, and refined proportions. As a...