Ornament Design with Krater and Cameos
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Unknown Donor
Accession Number
1980-32-1468
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Ornament Design with Kr and Cameos** (1777) is a delicate drawing by Michel Angelo Pergolesi, an artist active from around 1760 to 1801, now housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum collection. Pergolesi, who worked extensively in England, specialized in ornamental designs inspired by antiquity, often publishing pattern books for architects, furniture makers, and decorators. This exemplifies his talent for blending classical motifs into elegant, functional art, featuring a krater—an ancient Greek vessel used for mixing wine—and intricately carved cameos, which evoke the portrait gems po...