Two Views of a Bracket
ca. 1780
Medium
Pen and black ink, brush and gray wash, over graphite underdrawing
Dimensions
4 3/8 x 5 in. (11.1 x 12.7 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William Rieder, 2009
Accession Number
2009.465.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 18th century, architect and ornamental designer Richard de Lalonde the elegance of neoclassical decoration in *Two Views of a Bracket (ca. 1780). This delicate drawing presents front and side perspectives of an architectural bracket—a supportive element often used in furniture, cornices, or wall shelving—adorned with the timeless egg-and-dart motif Popularized in ancient Greek and Roman architecture and revived during the neoclassical revival, this repeating pattern of egg shapes alternating with arrow-like darts symbolizes fertility and protection, adding rhythmic sophistication t...