Titelprent voor een serie ontwerpen van cartouches c. 1725 - 1750

Gabriel Huquier created this title print for a series of cartouche designs in the 18th century. The ornamental frame, typical of the Rococo style, signals the importance of design and decoration in courtly life and beyond. Consider what it meant to live in a society defined by hierarchy, where access to luxury goods and refined aesthetics was dictated by birthright. Huquier's print makes visible the structures of patronage that underpinned artistic production, literally inscribed with the phrase "Avec privilege du Roi". It emphasizes how art and design served to reinforce social stratification and the power of the monarchy. And yet, the existence of such design books also suggests a desire to democratize access to these refined aesthetics, to offer a template for those outside the courtly circle. This tension between exclusivity and accessibility shapes our understanding of the period. The intimate scale of the print invites you to imagine the hands that would have poured over these designs, dreaming of a life shaped by beauty and elegance.