Panels of Ornament, nos. CCCLXXIII–CCLXXXIV, plate 58 from "Designs for Various Ornaments"
April 29, 1791
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Plate: 17 15/16 × 11 5/16 in. (45.5 × 28.8 cm) Sheet: 21 3/16 x 14 3/4 in. (53.8 x 37.5 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Herbert Mitchell, 2008
Accession Number
2018.839.43
Art Historical Context
Step into the refined world of late 18th-century neoclassicism with *Panels of Ornament,. CCCLXXIII–CCLXXXIV*, plate 58 from Michelangelo Pergolesi's *Design for Various Ornaments*. on April 29, 1791, this etching captures the Italian artist's mastery in reproducing intricate decorative motifs inspired by ancient Roman and Greek architecture. Pergolesi, who worked extensively in England, produced these pattern books to aid architects, furniture makers, and interior decorators during a revival of classical tastes fueled by archaeological discoveries like Pompeii. The etching medium shines here...
About the Artist
Michelangelo Pergolesi · 1760–1801
Michelangelo Pergolesi (1760–1801) was an Italian decorative artist, draughtsman, engraver, and designer whose career bridged Rome and London, profoundly influencing neoclassical interiors during the late 18th century. Little is known of his early life or formal training, with biographical details sparsely documented. Likely inspired by classical antiquity and the era's archaeological fervor, incl...