Artwork
Fleuron for the Title Pages
Fleuron for the Title Pages is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Pierre-Philippe Choffard. It dates from 1795 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
These motifs gather in a compact arrangement that functions as a decorative header for printed works.
The print titled Fleuron for the Title Pages presents a composite ornamental device composed of an arrow, butterfly, circlet, cloud, flame, flower, lightning, pigeon, putto, quiver, draped garment, signature and torch. These motifs gather in a compact arrangement that functions as a decorative header for printed works. Each element carries traditional allegorical associations, such as the arrow for direction, the butterfly for transience, the flame for inspiration, and the putto for youthful spirit, while the surrounding cloud and lightning suggest celestial timing.
The inclusion of a date and time notation further ties the design to notions of temporality, making the fleuron both a visual cue and a symbolic marker within the publication.
Technique & Style
Created in 1795 by Pierre-Philippe Choffard, the Fleuron for the Title Pages is an etching executed on paper. The work functions as a decorative print designed for title pages, characterized by a dense arrangement of allegorical and ornamental motifs. Visually, the composition integrates a variety of distinct elements, including a putto, a pigeon, and a butterfly alongside symbols of knowledge and power such as a torch, arrow, and quiver.
The design further incorporates dynamic natural and celestial features, specifically clouds, lightning, and flames, which are interwoven with draped garments and floral forms. A circlet and the artist's signature complete the formal structure of this intricate print.
History & Provenance
Pierre-Philippe Choffard created this etched fleuron intended for title pages in 1795. The work entered the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., as part of the Rosenwald Collection. It is currently held within the museum's prints department under the accession number 42699.
The etching is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., as part of the Prints in the National Gallery of Art and the Rosenwald Collection. It is catalogued under the inventory number NGA 42699.
No exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Context
The 1795 etching by Pierre-Philippe Choffard functions as a decorative fleuron for title pages, reflecting French print practice of the late eighteenth century. Its repertoire of motifs, including butterfly, flower, torch, arrow, and putto, illustrates the ornamental vocabulary used in book arts of the period. The work is housed in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., within the Rosenwald Collection, a holding that underscores its significance in the study of European prints.
Scholars examine the piece to trace Choffard’s role in shaping visual language for printed titles and to contextualize his contributions to neoclassical graphic design.
Overview
Pierre-Philippe Choffard's Fleuron for the Title Pages, created in 1795, is an etching designed as a decorative print. This small-scale work served as an ornamental motif, typically found on the title pages of books. It combines natural and symbolic elements to create an intricate visual accent, reflecting the aesthetic sensibilities of late 18th-century printmaking.
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