Who painted Designs for Tail-Pieces: pl. 10?

Designs for Tail-Pieces: pl. 10 was painted by Gabriel Huquier in 1730.

Where can I see Designs for Tail-Pieces: pl. 10?

Designs for Tail-Pieces: pl. 10 is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Designs for Tail-Pieces: pl. 10?

Designs for Tail-Pieces: pl. 10 is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

Designs for Tail-Pieces: pl. 10

Gabriel Huquier , 1730

Designs for Tail-Pieces: pl. 10 is an ink print by the Baroque artist Gabriel Huquier. It dates from 1730 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Gabriel Huquier’s plate 10, part of a series of tail‑piece designs, is an early‑18th‑century engraving executed around 1730. The sheet presents five ornamental motifs intended for use as decorative ends on book bindings or printed works. Each design is rendered in fine, controlled lines that convey a delicate, almost architectural quality.

Subject & Meaning

The five illustrations function as ornamental heraldic devices. One features a cat seated upon a throne, another displays a shield bearing a fleur‑de‑lis, while a third shows a tall vase topped with a radiating sunburst. The remaining two motifs follow similar decorative conventions, offering a repertoire of stylized symbols for embellishment.

Technique & Style

Huquier employed the traditional intaglio process: a design was incised into a copper plate with a burin, producing crisp, linear marks. Ink was then applied to the recessed lines and wiped from the surface before the plate was pressed onto laid paper, transferring the precise, thin strokes that characterize the work.

History & Provenance

Created in the early 1730s, the plate formed part of a commercial series of ornamental prints circulated among printers and bookbinders. While the original metal plate no longer survives, the printed impression has been preserved in several European print collections, documenting Huquier’s role in supplying decorative motifs to the publishing trade.

Context

During the Rococo period, ornamental tail‑pieces were in demand for enhancing the visual appeal of printed volumes. Huquier, a prominent French engraver, contributed extensively to this market, providing designers with a repertoire of motifs that blended heraldic tradition with the light, ornamental aesthetic of the era.