Bouquet with Roses, from Collection of Different Bouquets of Flowers, Invented and Drawn by Jean Pillement and Engraved by P. C. Canot Possibly 1760

This is Pierre Charles Canot’s “Bouquet with Roses,” an engraving from a collection of floral designs, made in France sometime in the mid-18th century. The image belongs to a tradition of decorative prints that served a vital function in the design world. Publications like these bouquets were pattern books for luxury trades, such as textiles and porcelain. This print, then, is a commodity produced within a growing consumer culture. The emphasis on the natural world is no accident. Nature was often seen as a source of aesthetic and moral value during this period. In France, the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture played a significant role in shaping artistic taste. While the Academy promoted history painting as the highest form of art, prints like these helped disseminate design ideas. To understand this print fully, we might consult period journals, trade records, and design treatises to understand the public role of art.