Artwork Page for Suite of Vases: Plate 26

Details / Information for Suite of Vases: Plate 26

Suite of Vases: Plate 26

1746
(French, 1717–1776)
Medium
etching
Support
Laid paper
Credit Line
Catalogue raisonné
Guilmard 8
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view

Description

Designing ornamental vases or urns was particularly popular during the mid-18th century since the only limit to the possibilities was the imagination of the artist. Saly, a sculptor by training, was a student at the French Academy in Rome from 1740 to 1746, at which time he published a set of 30 etchings. Saly began with basic antique vase forms but deviated from classical ornament to use a rich variety of fantastic creatures for embellishment.
A vertically oriented intricate print in black ink depicts a decorative vase resting on a cracked stone ledge. A large lion's head is centered on the vessel, flanked by two hybrid figures; a bearded figure to our left and a long-haired figure to our right have serpentine tails that curl downward. Below, a band features two fish-like creatures. Dense hatching creates shadow across the composition against a background of horizontal lines.

Suite of Vases: Plate 26

1746

Jacques François Saly

(French, 1717–1776)
France, 18th century

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