Garden Designs
Classification
Bound print
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-201-80
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Jean Berain the Elder (1640–1711), a masterful French designer and engraver, created *Garden Designs* in the final year of his life, capturing the grandeur of Louis XIV's Versailles era. As the royal designer for furniture, interiors, and theatrical sets, Berain was renowned for his intricate "Berainesque"—elegant arabesques, scrolling foliage, and fantastical motifs that bridged Baroque opulence and the emerging Rococo. This print likely showcases his visionary garden layouts, reflecting the era's obsession with formal parterres, fountains, and symmetrical landscapes that symbolized absolute ...