Hotel de Cluny: Plan de l'Hôtel
17th century-18th century
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt
Accession Number
1931-94-724
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Step into the intricate world of 17th- to 18th-century architecture with *Hôtel de Cluny: de l'Hôtel*, meticulous print by A. Lenoir. This detailed floor plan captures the layout of the Hôtel de Cluny, a Gothic residence in Paris originally built in the late 15th century for powerful abbots of Cluny. As a print—a medium favored for precisely reproducing architectural designs through techniques like etching or engraving—it served as both a practical blueprint and a scholarly document, preserving the hôtel's spatial elegance for builders, historians, and admirers. The Hôtel de Cluny, now home t...