Medaillons met gewassen en vissersattributen 1778

Pierre Gabriel Berthault created this print of medallions with fishing attributes sometime in the late 18th century. The Rococo style frames are decorated with fishing nets, harpoons, and swags of flowers. Created in France, a major European centre of artistic production, this print reflects the period's fascination with ornamentation and the decorative arts. The Rijksmuseum, where it is now housed, has a vast collection of such prints. These prints were not simply artworks in themselves, but served as templates for artisans, demonstrating popular design elements, and influencing the look of furniture, ceramics, and interior decoration. The motifs of fishing tools integrated with elegant floral arrangements point to a society that valued both the bounty of nature and refined aesthetics. The elaborate designs also suggest a sophisticated consumer culture where even the tools of labour can be represented as decorative motifs. Through such prints we can trace the evolution of design and the social values embedded in the aesthetic choices of the time. Researching the history of decorative arts and printmaking can tell us more about the exchange of ideas and the institutions that supported artistic production in 18th-century France.