Study for a Cartouche
Medium
Pen and black ink with brush and gray wash. Framing lines in pen and black ink.
Dimensions
5 x 4 3/16 in. (12.7 x 10.7 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1948
Accession Number
48.4.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Gilles-Marie Oppenord, prominent French architect and ornamental designer of the early th century, created this delicate *Study for a Cartouche as a preparatory sketch for an elaborate decorative frame. Cartouches, those scrolling, asymmetrical ornaments often enclosing coats of arms or inscriptions, were hallmarks of the emerging Rococo style—a lighter, more playful evolution from the grandeur of Baroque. Oppenord work bridged the opulent Louis XIV era and the refined Régence period, influencing architecture, furniture, and prints across Europe. Rendered in pen and black ink with subtle brus...
About the Artist
Gilles-Marie Oppenord · 1672–1742
Born 27 July 1672; died 13 March 1742. French architect, designer, illustrator, Paris. Comment on works: Architect; Draughtsman; Engraver