Design for Plasterwork Cartouche
Medium
Pen and brown ink with brown wash
Dimensions
11 7/16 x 11 3/4 in. (29 x 29.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William Rieder, 2009
Accession Number
2009.465.16
Tags
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the intricate world of Baroque decorative arts! This *Design for Plasterwork Cartouche*, created around 1700 by an anonymous Bolognese artist, captures the exuberant spirit of late 17th-century Italy. Hailing from Bologna—a hub of architectural innovation and ornate craftsmanship—the drawing served as a blueprint for elaborate stucco ornaments. Cartouches like this, often oval or scrolling frames, adorned palaces, churches, and grand interiors, framing coats of arms, inscriptions, or allegorical motifs with playful flourishes. Executed in pen and brown ink with brown wash over 11 7...