Design for ornamental cartouche
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 4 11/16 x 6 5/8 in. (11.9 x 16.9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, the Elisha Whittelsey Fund
Accession Number
65.688.16
Tags
Art Historical Context
Quentin Pierre Chedel's *Design for Ornamental Cartouche* is a delicate engraving that exemplifies the ornate printmaking traditions of 18th-century France. As an engraver specializing in decorative motifs, Chedel crafted intricate designs like this undated work, which served as a model for architects, goldsmiths, and book designers. The medium of engraving—intaglio printing a copper plate—allowed for exceptional precision, capturing fine lines and textures that could be reproduced endlessly for practical use in furniture, cartouches on maps, or architectural embellishments. At its heart, the...