Developement de bordure pour la chasse du Roy, Quatre détails..., 7th Plate [Four Details of the Frame for the Hunting picture for the King], pl. 39 in Oeuvre de Juste-Aurele Meissonnier

About this artwork

Research in Progress

Art Historical Context

Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier (1695–1750), a Franco-Italian architect and ornamental designer, epitomized the exuberant Rococo style with his intricate, asymmetrical motifs blending architecture, sculpture, and decoration. Born in Turin and active in Paris, he served as a royal designer under Louis XV, creating lavish frames, furnishings, and silverwork that defined the era's playful elegance. This 1748 etching, plate 39 from his influential *Oeuvre de Justeurèle Meissonn*, presents four detailed views of an elaborate border design for "La Chasse du Roy" (The King's Hunt), a grand painting commissioned for the French court. As a prime example of Rococo ornament, the plate showcases Meissonnier's mastery of scrolling foliage, fantastical shells, and dynamic cartouches—hallmarks of the style's departure from Baroque rigidity toward whimsical asymmetry. These frame details would have elevated a royal hunting scene, symbolizing the monarch's prowess amid nature's opulence, while reflecting the opulent tastes of mid-18th-century Versailles. Published in his seminal portfolio, such designs influenced European decorators and goldsmiths, spreading Rococo's refined extravagance. Acquired by the Smithsonian American Art Museum through its Advisory Council, this work from the Smithsonian Collection invites visitors to appreciate the artistry behind the frame—where ornament becomes narrative. Though research continues, it vividly captures an age of gilded splendor.