Jewelry Designs
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-369-8
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Jewelry Designs** by Pierre Moreau, a skilled French engraver (1722–1798), dates to 1771 and exemplifies the exquisite printmaking of the late Rococo era. Created as a detailed print, this work likely served as a pattern book for jewelers and artisans, showcasing ornate designs that captured the opulent tastes of pre-Revolutionary France under Louis XV. Moreau's precise line work in engraving would have allowed these intricate motifs—think scrolling arabesques, floral motifs, and gemstone settings—to be easily reproduced and adapted by craftsmen across Europe. In the 18th century, such prin...