Suggestions for the Decoration of a Door and Window Frame, Plate 1 from 'Auβzierungen zu Thüren u. Fenster sehr nutzlich zu gebrauchen.' 1750 - 1756

Johann Sebastian Müller created this print, *Suggestions for the Decoration of a Door and Window Frame*, sometime in the 18th century. The image comes from a book of practical designs for interior decoration. What can the social history of design tell us? Well, in 18th-century Europe, elaborate ornament such as that shown here was a potent indicator of social status. Aristocrats and the emerging merchant class signaled their refinement and authority through their houses and possessions. Institutions such as design academies and printmaking workshops played a crucial role in disseminating these styles. Note the seemingly endless variations of shell-like curves, plantlike scrolls and counter-scrolls. These motifs index the contemporary Rococo style, favored by the French court and soon imitated across Europe. To understand this image further, consider the politics of luxury and display in the 1700s. Researching period interiors, design pattern books, and the structures of the print trade will reveal much about the values of the society that prized such ornament.