Two Arabesque Panel Designs
Classification
Bound print
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-204-17
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Two Arabesque Panel Designs by French ornamentalist Gilles Paul Cauvet1731–1788) dates to 1776, a pivotal moment in the transition from Rococo exuberance to Neoclassical elegance under Louis XVI. Presented as a bound print—likely an engraved design from an album intended for architects and artisans—these panels showcase Cauvet's mastery of arabesque motifs. Arabesques, with their sinuous vines, fantastical creatures, and delicate interlacing, drew from Renaissance grotesques but evolved into lighter, more refined patterns perfect for wall panels, furniture, and interiors. Cauvet, a leading ...