Plate 1, Decoration de Cheminée pour un grand Apartement
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Accession Number
1959-85-37
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Jacques-François Blondel, a prominent French architect and theorist (1705–1774), created this etching around 1727 as *Plate 1, Decoration de Cheminée pour un grand Apartement*. The print illustrates an elegant mantelpiece design intended for a grand apartment, the ornate architectural details typical of early 18th-century French. As the first plate in a series, it exemplifies Blondel's expertise in blending functionality with lavish decoration, featuring sculpted motifs and symmetrical compositions suited to aristocratic homes. Active during the Regency period following Louis XIV's reign, Blo...