Artwork
Livre de Tables
Livre de Tables is an ink print by the Baroque artist Pierre Lepautre. It dates from 1702 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Pierre Lepautre’s 1702 work *Livre de Tables* is an etching that presents a richly detailed arrangement of a long table.
Pierre Lepautre’s 1702 work *Livre de Tables* is an etching that presents a richly detailed arrangement of a long table. The composition includes an elaborately carved edge adorned with scrollwork and miniature figures, while a suspended shelf above displays a variety of vases and urns of differing shapes, lids, and handles. The overall effect resembles a decorative design plan for sumptuous interior furnishings.
Subject & Meaning
The print functions as a visual catalogue of ornamental table settings, showcasing the interplay of functional furniture and decorative accessories. By juxtaposing the table’s carved border with an assortment of vessels, Lepautre emphasizes the harmony between structural form and ornamental detail, reflecting early‑18th‑century tastes for elaborate domestic interiors and the role of printed designs in disseminating decorative motifs.
Technique & Style
Created through etching, Lepautre incised fine lines into a metal plate, allowing for precise rendering of textures such as wood grain, scroll motifs, and the delicate contours of the vases. The medium enables a high level of detail and tonal variation, characteristic of French ornamental prints of the period, and demonstrates the artist’s skill in translating intricate designs into reproducible prints.
History & Provenance
The plate was produced in 1702, during a flourishing era for French decorative arts. While specific ownership records are limited, the work is known from museum collections and print catalogues that document Lepautre’s contributions to ornamental design. Its survival in printed form attests to the period’s practice of circulating design ideas through affordable, reproducible media.
Artist & collection
