Designs for Painted Panels
Medium
ornament
Classification
ornament
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1911-28-70-1
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Claude-Louis Desrais’s “Designs for Painted Panels,” created between 1788 and 1790, offers a glimpse into the refined arts of late eighteenth-century France. As a French artist active during a period of dramatic political and cultural change, Desrais specialized in ornamental drawings that guided the decoration of interiors, furniture, and architectural spaces. These preparatory works highlight the meticulous planning behind elegant painted panels, where delicate motifs and balanced compositions would eventually bring harmony to grand rooms. Classified simply as “ornament,” the medium undersc...