LâORDRE IONIQUE
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-485-3
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**L’ORDRE ION** is a meticulous print by French artist Louis-Gustave Taraval (1738–1794), created between 1768 and 1775. Taraval, a skilled engraver and painter active during the height of French Neoclassicism, produced this work as part of the Enlightenment-era fascination with ancient architecture. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Print Collection—purchased by the Advisory—it exemplifies 18th-century efforts to document and revive classical forms. The title translates toThe Ionic Order," referring to one of the three principal orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture, d...