Soffit and Vase Designs
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-330-55
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Richard de Lalonde, French designer active from 1780 1796, created *Soffit and Vase Designs* between 1775 and 1788, capturing the elegant decorative spirit of late 18th-century France. As a print in the Smithsonian American Art Museum collection—purchased by the Advisory Council—this work likely served as a pattern book illustration, sharing intricate motifs for architectural soffits (the undersides of ceilings or arches) and ornate vases. These elements were staples in grand interiors of the Ancien Régime, blending rococo flourishes with emerging neoclassical restraint. Though the medium rem...