Designs for Two Trophies: Stonecutters and Goldsmiths
Medium
ornament
Classification
ornament
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1911-28-301
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Jean-Charles Delafosse1734–1789), a versatile French engraver, architect, and ornamental designer, crafted *Designs for Two T: Stonecutters ands* in 1780. Active during the waning years of the Ancien Régime, Delafosse bridged Rococo exuberance and emerging Neoclassicism, producing pattern books and prints that guided Europe's decorative arts—from furniture and architecture to guild insignia. These elegant designs depict symbolic trophies celebrating the stonecutters (masons shaping enduring stone) and goldsmith (master artisans of precious metals). Likely intended as engravings for practical ...