Two Ornament Designs
ca.1660â1713
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-333-55
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Nicolas Pierre Loir, a French active in the 17th century (162–1679), created *Two Ornament Designs* around 1660–1713. As a skilled engraver and painter, Loir specialized in decorative motifs that reflected the grandeur of France's Baroque era under Louis XIV. This print classified within the Smithsonian American Art Museum collection, showcases two intricate ornamental patterns, likely intended for architectural embellishments, furniture, or—hallmarks of the period's opulent aesthetic. Ornament designs like these were essential to the visual culture of absolutist France, where elaborate scrol...