Merit and Counsel, Pl. 74 — Nouvelle Iconologie Historique

A refined hand-coloured engraving pairing the allegorical trophies of Merit and Counsel within Delafosse's elaborate Neoclassical frames.

Original title: Mérite. Conseil. Drawn and engraved by Jean-Charles Delafosse. Plate 74 from Nouvelle Iconologie Historique, published by Jacques Chéreau, Paris, with royal privilege, c. 1770.

The Iconologie was reissued under several Parisian publishers, each retaining Delafosse's original designs while adding their own imprint. Plates such as this — devoted to the moral and civic qualities of the well-ordered state — were popular with architects and decorators seeking a Neoclassical vocabulary to replace the lighter ornament of the Rococo.

Hand-coloured copperplate engraving. Sheet approximately 46.0 × 33.8 cm. Very Good condition.