Ornament Design with Urn and Cameos
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Unknown Donor
Accession Number
1980-32-1464
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Ornament Design with Ur and Cameos** in 1776 by Italian Michel Angelo Pergolesi active around 1760–1801, this delicate drawing exemplifies the ornamental designs that bridged art and architecture in the late 18th. Pergolesi, known for his intricate patterns, captures classical motifs—an elegant urn flanked by cameos—in a composition likely intended for decorative use in interiors, furniture, or print publications. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum as a gift from an unknown donor, it reflects the era's fascination with antiquity during the Neoclassical revival. The urn, a symb...