Drie lijsten 1772 - 1779

Jean Pelletier made this drawing, titled 'Drie lijsten,' with pen and gray ink in the eighteenth century. During this era, marked by Enlightenment ideals, the decorative arts played a crucial role in reflecting social status and cultural aspirations. These designs for frames, created in a time of rigid social hierarchies, offered a template for the homes of the wealthy, subtly reinforcing divisions of class and taste through architectural embellishment. The ornamental frames were the physical boundaries which separated the upper class from the lower. The geometric precision and classical motifs reflect an adherence to order, yet the minute variations within each design suggest an individual desire for distinction. They’re a kind of prison; everyone's contained within the borders of their time, taste and wealth. Ultimately, these designs provide insight into the material culture of the 1700s, where artistry and social identity converged in the most intimate spaces of life.