Designs for Locksmiths
n.d.
Medium
Etching on paper
Dimensions
Image/plate: 16.9 × 11.8 cm (6 11/16 × 4 11/16 in.); Sheet: 31.6 × 21.4 cm (12 1/2 × 8 7/16 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
130890
Art Historical Context
Jean Bérain I (1640–1711), a leading French ornamental designer under Louis XIV, created *Designs for Locksmith* as part of his influential pattern books. Working as the royal *dessinateur de la Chambre et du Cabinet du Roi*, Bérain specialized in intricate motifs blending classical grotesques, arabesques and floral elements. This undated etching exemplifies his role in disseminating decorative designs to artisans across Europe, elevating locksmithing from functional craft to high art. Rendered in etching on paper—a precise intaglio technique allowing fine lines and tonal depth—the sheet meas...