Design for a Tapestry: Allegory of Africa
1660-1680
Classification
textile designs
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1911-28-409
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Gérard Audran (1640–1703), a prominent French engraver designer during the lavish era of Louis XIV, created this *Design for a Tapestry Allegory of Africa* 1660 and 1680. As part of the Baroque tradition, Audran specialized in intricate reproductive prints and preparatory designs for grand textile works, often commissioned for royal palaces like Versailles. This piece, now in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection (purchased by the Advisory Council), exemplifies era's fascination with allegorical representations of the continents. Tapestry designs like this one served as blueprints ...