Ornamental Frieze Designs
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-446-29
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Ornamental Frieze Designs by D. Antoine Pierz, a French artist active around 1647, dates to 1648 and exemplifies the exquisite printmaking of mid-17th Europe. This delicate print captures intricate frieze patterns—horizontal bands of decoration typically used in architecture, interiors, and furnishings. As a print, it served as a practical tool, allowing designers, architects, and artisans to replicate elaborate motifs without original drawings, democratizing ornate styles across workshops. Created during France's early Baroque era under Louis XIV's emerging influence, Pierretz's work refle...