Design for Mantle Piece, from "Nouveaux Desseins de Cheminées"
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-109-2
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Jean Le Pautre (1618–1682), a leading French engraver and ornamental designer of the Baroque era, created this *Design for Mantle Piece around 1675 as part of his influential series *Nouveauxins de Cheminées* ("New Designs for Chimneys"). During Louis XIV's reign, when Versailles symbolized opulent grandeur, Le Pautre's intricate prints provided architects, sculptors, and wealthy patrons with sophisticated templates for fireplace surrounds—central features in grand salons that combined functionality with lavish decoration. Rendered as a detailed etching, the print exemplifies Le Pautre's mast...