Title Page for Book of Ornament Designs
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-259-1
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Pierre Germain’s *Title Page for Book of Ornament Designs* (1751) offers a glimpse into the vibrant of eighteenth-century French decorative arts. As a print created by the Paris-born artist and designer (1703–1783), this work served as the opening page for a volume meant to circulate ornamental patterns to craftsmen, architects, and patrons. Its elegant lettering and delicate flourishes reflect the refined Rococo taste then dominant in Europe, where scrolling motifs, asymmetry, and natural forms transformed everyday objects into works of art. In an era before photography, printed design books...