Cartouches and Escutcheons, Pl. 83 — Nouvelle Iconologie Historique

An exquisite hand-coloured engraving of two elaborate cartouches laden with allegorical and classical motifs, exemplifying 18th-century French ornamental design.

Original title: Cartels et Écussons. Drawn and engraved by Jean-Charles Delafosse. Plate 83 from Nouvelle Iconologie Historique, published by Jean-François Chéreau, Paris, c. 1771.

Delafosse's cartouches and escutcheons provided ready-made frames for heraldic devices, dedicatory inscriptions, and allegorical tableaux. Carved, painted, or modelled in stucco, such ornaments shaped the appearance of hôtels particuliers, public buildings, and printed books, marking the transition from late Rococo exuberance to the measured forms of Neoclassicism.

Hand-coloured copperplate engraving. Sheet approximately 46.3 × 34.2 cm. Very Good condition.