Drie decoraties voor lijsten c. 1655 - 1657

Jean Lepautre made this engraving, "Three Decorations for Frames," in France, at some point in the mid-17th century. Here, Lepautre offers templates for the kinds of ornamentation that would have adorned the homes of the wealthy. This image is replete with classical allusions, a signal of wealth and status at the time. Note the sculpted bust in the upper right, the garlands of foliage and fruit, and the cherubic figures that seem to frolic across the frames. Consider too, the inclusion of what appears to be a mermaid in the lower left. This celebration of Greco-Roman art and mythology speaks to the values of the French court at the time. Louis XIV purposefully aligned his reign with the grandeur of the Roman Empire, employing artists and architects to construct Versailles. In understanding an image such as this, one must turn to sources such as letters, inventories, and architectural plans to fully grasp the social world that gave rise to it. Art is always contingent upon its context.