Designs for Rocaille Motifs
mid- 18th century
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-317-69
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Designs for Rocaille Motifs** Georg Leopold Hertel, a German artist active around 1780, created this mid-18th-century print as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection. As a set of designs, it showcases intricate rocaille motifs—those playful, asymmetrical shell-like forms that define the Rococo style. Rococo emerged in early 18th-century France and spread across Europe, favoring ornate decoration over the grandeur of Baroque, often adorning furniture, architecture, and silverware with whimsical curves and natural inspirations. These motifs were more than aesthetic flouris...