Mount
ca. 1805
Classification
Decorative Arts
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Charles B. Alexander
Accession Number
1907-1-250-a/e
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
### Mount (ca. 1805) Step into the elegant world of early 19th-century American decorative with *Mount*, a captivating piece from around 1805 now housed in the Smithsonian American Museum. Created by an unknown artist, this work exemplifies the refined craftsmanship of the Federal period, when decorative objects adorned homes of the emerging American elite. Though its exact medium remains under study—part of ongoing research—the title "Mount" suggests served as an ornamental frame or support, enhancing precious artworks, prints, miniatures with graceful embellishments. In the historical cont...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...