Design for a large Lidded Vase, Plate 1 from: 'Neu inventierte Vasi auf die neueste manier' 1745 - 1755

Jacob Gottlieb Thelot created this design for a large lidded vase as part of a series of engravings. The print, now at the Met, offers a glimpse into the aesthetic aspirations and social functions of decorative arts in its time. Made in Augsburg, Germany, these designs reflect the Rococo style, with its emphasis on ornate forms inspired by nature, seen here in the twisting, organic shapes and playful cherubs. Rococo was in vogue among European elites, who used art to express their wealth and taste. Ornamental prints like these played a key role in disseminating artistic styles across Europe, allowing craftsmen to adapt and replicate designs, and helping patrons choose which forms of art to commission. To truly understand this print we need to examine the system of patronage, the networks of artisans, and the flow of luxury goods in 18th-century Europe. Scholarly resources such as trade records, guild archives, and design books, can teach us about the social life of art.