Design for Doors for a Porte Cochère
late 17thâearly 18th century
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-415-1
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Nicolas Guérard (ca. 1648–1719), a skilled French engraver and designer created this *Design for Doors for a Cochère* in the late 17th early 18th century, a golden age of French Baroque opulence under Louis XIV. A porte cochère was a grand, covered carriage entrance to aristocratic châteaux or urban hôtels, symbolizing wealth and status. Guér intricate print captures the era's love for elaborate architectural ornamentation, likely featuring scrolling motifs, mythological figures, or floral grotesques typical of his reproductive engravings. As a classified print—though the exact medium awaits ...