Rocaille Cartouche with an Eagle c. mid 18th century

Pierre-Edme Babel created this Rocaille Cartouche with an Eagle using pen and brown ink with gray wash, over graphite, on laid paper. Born in France in 1720, Babel’s design reflects the Rococo style with its elaborate ornamentation, asymmetry, and themes of nature. Rococo was favored by the French aristocracy and is often found in interior decoration, painting, and sculpture. The design features a central cartouche, an oval frame used for displaying a coat of arms or a decorative motif, adorned with leafy scrolls and an eagle, a symbol of power. Babel was one of many artists employed to create designs for luxury goods, buildings, and other trappings of elite culture. This drawing demonstrates how institutions shape artistic production, catering to the tastes and preferences of the wealthy. The public role of art, in this context, was primarily to serve the interests and tastes of the upper class. To understand this work better, investigate pattern books and records of interior decoration from 18th-century France to see how artists catered to the elite.