Diverse ornamenten 1820

Charles Pierre Joseph Normand created "Diverse ornamenten," a drawing of various decorative objects. Living through the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era, Normand's life and work were steeped in the revolutionary fervor and the subsequent reshaping of European identity. Normand's drawing uses a neoclassical style, evoking a sense of order and reason, a direct response to the preceding Rococo period's frivolity and excess. The images present classical forms such as urns and helmets which were visual tools intended to recall the virtues of ancient societies. This aesthetic emerged during a time of immense social and political upheaval. Normand offers a glimpse into the visual language of power and identity. This art exists as a way to reflect on the narratives we construct around ourselves and the symbols we choose to represent our values. This collection of ornaments serves as a reminder that what we choose to display reflects who we aspire to be, both individually and as a society.