Hoekdecoratie van plafond before 1678

Jean Lepautre made this ceiling corner decoration as an etching. His expert use of line and tone to mimic the textural effects of stucco relief is especially impressive. The choice of etching as a medium is interesting. While sculpture and architecture were traditionally the province of highly skilled artisans, prints allowed for the mass dissemination of design ideas. Here, the emphasis is less on the uniqueness of the hand-made object, and more on the democratizing influence of reproducible images. The etched lines are a direct translation of the original artwork into a new medium. Lepautre was a master of ornament, and this print would have served as inspiration for craftsmen working on lavish interior schemes. By understanding the labor and skill involved in both the creation of the original ceiling and its subsequent reproduction, we can appreciate the complex interplay between art, craft, and commerce in 17th-century France.