Rocaille Rinceaux Designs
mid- 18th century
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-317-61
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Rocaille Rince Designs** by Georg Leopold Hertel, German artist active around 1780, captures theant spirit of mid-18th-century Rococo ornamentation. Created as a print during the height of this lavish style—popular across Europe from the 1730s onward—this work showcases *rocaille* motifs, inspired by seashells, rocks, and asymmetrical curves, intertwined with *rinceaux the flowing, vine-like scrolls that defined decorative elegance. Hertel's design reflects the Rococo era's shift from Baroque grandeur toward playful, intimate embellishments, often adorning furniture, architecture, and silver...