D. Antoine Pierretz

This Parisian engraver spent years hunched over antique ruins, tracing the swirls of old friezes until his hands cramped. He clipped every scoop, curl, and leaf into neat metal plates so other artists could copy them. They did, across Europe, for a hundred years.

Look for his 1648 print set Recherche de plusieurs beaux morceaux d’ornemens antiques et modernes: page after page of masks, scrolls, and vines you’ll spot on furniture, buildings, and even tattoos today.