Drie fragmenten van lijsten met profiel c. 1655 - 1657

Jean Lepautre created this print of three ornamental friezes in Paris in the mid-17th century. These designs for architectural decoration, teeming with cherubs, foliage, and classical motifs, reflect the Baroque style embraced by Louis XIV's court. Lepautre was part of a larger artistic ecosystem, with his workshop producing prints that were sold by publishers like Pierre Mariette. These prints acted as a visual resource, circulating ideas and influencing the design of buildings, furniture, and other decorative arts. Note the inscription at the bottom of the print, which functions as an advertisement for Lepautre and Mariette. The style embodied the aspirations of absolutist France, associating the monarchy with the grandeur of antiquity. A study of the print trade, architectural treatises, and the built environment of the era can deepen our understanding of its cultural significance. Art, here, reveals itself as deeply embedded in its social and institutional context.