Vase en plomb bronzé de la piece de Neptune à Versailles
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-475-4
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This delicate print, titled *Vase en plomb bronzé de la pièce de Neptune à Versailles* (Bronzed Lead Vase from the Neptune Room at), captures the opulent decorative arts of mid-18th-century France. Created by Marie Michelle Blondel, a artist active during this period, between 1744 and 1756, it reproduces a lavish bronzed lead vase from the Neptune ensemble at the Palace of Versailles. During Louis XV's reign, symbolized absolute monarchy, with its gardens featuring monumental fountains and sculptures honoring Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, designed by architects like André Le Nôtre. As a ...