Design for Ceiling Ornament
Classification
Bound print
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-282-11
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
François de Cuvilli the Elder (1695–1768), a Belgian-born architect and designer who thrived at the Bavarian court in Munich, created this *Design for Ceiling Ornament around 1740. Trained in Paris and elevated from humble origins to a key figure in European decorative arts, Cuvilliés bridged French influences with German opulence. Active during the height of the Rococo era, he specialized in lavish interior schemes for palaces like Nymphenburg, where intricate ceiling decorations symbolized aristocratic splendor and playful elegance. As a bound print—likely from one of Cuvilliés's influentia...