Ornament and Vase Designs
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-372-8
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Ornament and Vase** by Charles Normand, prominent French engraver (1765–1840), dates to the late 1780s through 1795, a pivotal era bridging the Ancien Régime and the Revolution. This print, now in the Smithsonian American Art's collection (purchased by the Advisory Council), showcases Normand's expertise in ornamental design, likely featuring intricate motifs for vases and decorative elements. As a print, it exemplifies the era's reproductive techniques—such as etching or engraving—that allowed elegant patterns to be widely shared among artisans, architects, and collectors. Normand worked i...