Panels of Ornament, nos. XLII-XLVI, plate 14 from "Designs for Various Ornaments"
May 30, 1778
Medium
Etching; printed in dark brown ink
Dimensions
Plate: 17 1/16 × 10 3/16 in. (43.3 × 25.8 cm) Sheet: 21 7/16 × 15 1/4 in. (54.5 × 38.7 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
2018.839.19
Art Historical Context
Step into the refined world of 18th ornamental design with *Panels of Ornament,. XLII-XLVI, plate 14* from Michelangelo Pergolesi's *Design for Various Ornaments*. on May 30, 1778, this etching captures the artist's meticulous vision for decorative motifs, likely inspired by the neoclassical sweeping Europe. Pergolesi, an Italian active in London, produced these plates as part of a larger series, offering architects, furniture makers, and artisans ready-to-use patterns for walls, ceilings, and furnishings. Printed in dark brown ink on a generous sheet measuring 21 7/16 × 15 1/4 inches, the et...
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...