Artwork
Invention d'une Cascade (Design for a Cascade)
Invention d'une Cascade (Design for a Cascade) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Johann Esaias Nilson. It dates from 1758 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Invention d'une Cascade (Design for a Cascade) is a print created by Johann Esaias Nilson around 1758, executed in etching and engraving on laid paper.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a fanciful garden scene featuring a central fountain with a male statue, surrounded by lush vegetation and flowers. Two figures, a man and a woman in contemporary attire, observe the fountain from the left, suggesting an appreciation for ornamental landscape design.
Technique & Style
The work is characterized by its monochromatic etching and engraving, set against a light gray background that enhances the visual detail of the fountain and foliage. While the style reflects Baroque influences in its ornamentality, the emphasis on natural beauty and serene atmosphere aligns with emerging Romantic tendencies.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1758, the print is now part of the collection at the National Gallery of Art in Washington.
Context
Invention d'une Cascade reflects the 18th-century European fascination with designed landscapes and ornamental fountains, common in aristocratic gardens. The work's blend of natural beauty and architectural detail captures the transitional aesthetic between the formalism of the Baroque and the expressive naturalism of the Romantic era.
Artist & collection
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Dessein d'une Fontaine orné avec les quatre Elements (Design for a Fountain Decorated with the Four Elements)![Cartouches Modernes orné avec des [diferentes Figures] (Plate VI-1 from the set), by Johann Esaias Nilson](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/johann-esaias-nilson--cartouches-modernes-orne-avec-des-diferentes-figures-plate-v--37083fb67ce929ab-w320.webp)
Cartouches Modernes orné avec des [diferentes Figures] (Plate VI-1 from the set)
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