Vaas met sater en vruchten 1778 - 1779

Gottlieb Friedrich Riedel created this print called 'Vase with Satyr and Fruit' at an unknown date using etching. Here we see a vase design surrounded by floral and fruit motifs, typical of the decorative arts flourishing across Europe in the 18th century. The print embodies the Rococo style, which dominated the applied arts, interior design and painting of the time. Its flowing lines, pastel palette and playful subject matter broke with the more formal Baroque style that preceded it, echoing shifts in European society. Aristocratic patrons were moving away from the sombre display of dynastic power, and embracing a more intimate, lighthearted, and sensual aesthetic for their private salons. Prints such as this one disseminated artistic ideas to craftsmen across Europe. By studying design prints like this, furniture makers and silversmiths could reproduce popular motifs and stay abreast of fashionable trends. Museum collections and archives preserve a wealth of these prints, which are invaluable for understanding the industrial and social history of art.