Ornament met guirlande, slangen en putti die op een hond rijden 1683 - 1733

This Ornament with Garland, Snakes, and Putti Riding a Dog was created by Bernard Picart, likely in the early 18th century, using engraving. The printmaking process is paramount here. Picart would have used a sharp tool called a burin to incise lines into a metal plate, which then held ink to transfer the design onto paper. Consider the immense skill and time needed to create such intricate detail. Every line, every flourish, represents a deliberate action, a physical engagement with the material. The resulting image, multiplied through printing, could then circulate widely, becoming a source of inspiration for artisans in other media – ceramics, textiles, or even furniture making. This reveals the critical role of prints in disseminating design ideas, fueling production and consumption. Picart’s ornament encapsulates the complex relationship between artistic skill, reproductive technologies, and the burgeoning consumer culture of his time. It collapses traditional notions of fine art and craft.