Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level D , Case EO, Shelf 154

Suite de Vases

Print
1764-5 (Published)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Petitot and Bossi dedicated this suite to the marquis de Felino, First Minister at the Ducal Court of Parma, where Petitot served as Court Architect. Among the 30 designs included are the vases Petitot developed to adorn the court gardens along with other more fantastic creations that were probably never realised but ensured the success of the suite which was re-issued and copied numerous times. Today the suite is famous among print and ornament specialists both for the singularly atypical approach it takes to a stock ornamental motif and for the beauty of Bossi's refined etching tehnique.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleSuite de Vases (suite title)
Materials and techniques
etching on laid paper
Brief description
Ennemond-Alexandre Petitot (after), plate from the 'Suite de Vases' a series of 30 designs for vases etched by Bossi after Petitot. Italian, etching, first published 1764-5.
Object history
The first issue of the suite was entitled 'Suite de Vases' and comprised 34 plates: 30 etched plates of designs along with two engraved dedication plates, an etched pictorial title-plate and an etched pictorial dedication. The title plate is dated 1764 but the last few plates in the sequence are dated 1765 indicating the entire suite was not published until then. The suite is frequently cited in the literature as both the 'Suite de Vases' and the 'Suite des Vases'. This confusion stems from the addition of an engraved title-plate to a later re-issue in which the suite was entitled the 'Suite des Vases'.
Summary
Petitot and Bossi dedicated this suite to the marquis de Felino, First Minister at the Ducal Court of Parma, where Petitot served as Court Architect. Among the 30 designs included are the vases Petitot developed to adorn the court gardens along with other more fantastic creations that were probably never realised but ensured the success of the suite which was re-issued and copied numerous times. Today the suite is famous among print and ornament specialists both for the singularly atypical approach it takes to a stock ornamental motif and for the beauty of Bossi's refined etching tehnique.
Bibliographic references
  • Guilmard, D., Les Maîtres Ornemanistes, Paris, 1880-1881, p. 225, 27 (2).
  • Cole, W., 'The States of Petitot and Bossi's Suite de Vases', Print Quarterly, Vol. X, No. 2, June 1993:156-159.
Collection
Accession number
13635:9

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest