Scrapbook of Working Designs 1755 - 1765

This “Scrapbook of Working Designs” was compiled in the 18th century by Gideon Saint, using pen and brown ink, with watercolor, over graphite. The page bursts with ornate, asymmetrical forms, typical of the Rococo style. Note how the various designs for candelabras and wall decorations are arranged almost haphazardly, yet a unifying, delicate line quality ties the composition together. The detailed rendering, with its emphasis on flowing lines and organic motifs, gives the designs a sense of movement and lightness. The scrapbook format itself is significant; it emphasizes the design process, and the accumulation of ideas. The Rococo style moved away from the rigid symmetry of the Baroque era and towards more fluid, naturalistic forms. It challenged formal conventions, embracing asymmetry and decorative excess. The designs destabilize established notions of order and proportion, embodying a playful departure from traditional aesthetics. Consider the scrapbook as a whole: it operates as a cultural artifact, showcasing the stylistic preferences and artistic practices of its time. The emphasis on ornamentation and natural forms reflects a broader cultural interest in pleasure, beauty, and the natural world.