Suite of Vases: Plate 17
1746
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1746
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a line of tall, fancy vases drawn in black ink on white paper. They twist and curl with strange animal heads, wings, and curls of leaves. This is Plate 17 from a set of 30 etchings Saly made in 1746. He was trained as a sculptor and studied in Rome, where he mixed old vase shapes with wild, made-up details. The vases don’t follow strict ancient rules — instead, they let fantasy lead. Some have sea monsters, others bird claws or grinning faces, all finely carved into the design. These drawings show how artists played with form and myth. For more on French 18th-century design, look up subject: france, 18th century. (108 words)
