Title Page from Book of Vases 1700 - 1800

This title page from ‘Book of Vases’ was created by Jacques de La Joue the Younger. It’s an engraving that presents an elaborate vase design teeming with animal motifs, set against a delicately rendered landscape. The artwork is structured around the vase, which serves as a plinth for showcasing dead game, hunting dogs, and lush foliage. The vase itself is an exercise in ornamental virtuosity; look closely at the intricate shell-like formations, coral, and swirling acanthus leaves. Note how these elements evoke a sense of Baroque exuberance, celebrating the opulence and dynamism favoured in the decorative arts. The arrangement of elements seems designed to destabilize any clear distinction between artifice and nature. La Joue challenges fixed meanings through his innovative use of form, creating a visual dialogue where the boundary between natural and artificial collapses into a continuous, fluid exchange.