Suite of Vases
1746
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1746
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see white vases on a plain background with carved faces and playful animals. Saly trained as a sculptor but made these etched designs in Rome. The vases mix real and imaginary details in one sheet of paper. His etchings were new for the 1700s. Art lovers bought them to decorate homes or inspire craftsmen. Look for the grinning masks and curling leaves inside each vase. If you like Saly’s mix of sculpture and print, try Jean-Antoine Watteau’s drawings.
