Arabesque with a Boat

early 1760s

Anne Allen after Jean-Baptiste Pillement

Associated Names
Anne Allen

Artist, French, active 1790s

Jean-Baptiste Pillement

Artist After, French, 1728 - 1808

This is a painting of a fantastical garden scene with whimsical elements and intricate, delicate structures. The painting depicts an arrangement of floral and arboreal forms creating a tapestry-like composition, interwoven with intricate patterns of latticework and figures engaged in various activities atop these structures. Small animals are perched within the branches, while vibrant colors of blues, pinks, and earthy tones create a vivid visual tapestry. Imaginary elements blend in, including a small boat at the bottom right corner with a bright orange load. The use of color and whimsical subjects suggest inspiration drawn from 18th-century European decorative arts. This is in the style of Jean-Baptiste Pillement.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    color etching inked à la poupée on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund

  • Dimensions

    plate: 19.5 x 13.9 cm (7 11/16 x 5 1/2 in.)
    sheet: 22.3 x 16.6 cm (8 3/4 x 6 9/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1991.186.4


Artwork history & notes

Inscriptions

lower left in plate: J. Pillement in.; lower right in plate: anne Allen

Wikidata ID

Q74895925

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