Designs for Locksmiths
n.d.
Medium
Etching on paper
Dimensions
Image: 22.6 × 13.2 cm (8 15/16 × 5 1/4 in.); Plate: 23.5 × 13.2 cm (9 5/16 × 5 1/4 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
130894
Art Historical Context
Jean Bérain I (1640–1711), a leading French ornamental designer under Louis XIV, created *Designs for Locksmith* as a masterful etching that showcases his signature intricate style. Working as the royal draftsman at Versailles, Bérain specialized in elaborate arabesques, grotesques, and scrolling motifs—often called "Bérain"—which influenced decorative arts across Europe. This undated print, housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints Drawings department, likely served as a pattern sheet for locksmiths crafting ornate metalwork for doors, furniture, and palace interiors. Etching on paper ...