Design for a Ewer 1734 - 1791

Jean Charles Delafosse made this design for a ewer in pen and brown ink with gray wash in France. The drawing gives us a glimpse into the world of eighteenth-century decorative arts and the ways that design was institutionalized. Delafosse was a designer, a printmaker, and an architect who taught at the Académie Royale d'Architecture. He produced many suites of engravings that served as models for artists and artisans. The drawing’s classical motifs are typical of the period; winged mythological figures surround the vessel as if it were an ancient monument. It reflects a moment when the French monarchy and its institutions were seeking to cement its power by looking back to the grandeur and authority of the Roman Empire. This drawing can be better understood through archival research on the history of the Académie Royale d'Architecture and its role in shaping French artistic taste.